The Q's Nexus
by Anotherjaneway
Summary: The setting is now, on Starship Voyager with newly arriving crew who are a mystery until they appear as their authors bring them in. Q faces Q and drags every person he knows from four starships throughout time to handle his situation.


This is the second showing of a Voyagerliveaction adventure in our second writing season..

Voyagerliveaction was a live ongoing Star Trek Play By Email Game made just for sharing the joy of creative writing in year long created television episodes of fan co-written fiction.

. United States Showcase Site Nothing was preplanned, nothing rehearsed.

This group was a collected work of fanfic'ers like you who've banded together on a Yahoogroups list to write a story true to all four Star Trek TV Series from a live production list. They spruced up the fiction with sounds, images and animated movies of their own. Starring whichever character individually cast they wished from the four TV shows.

The setting is now, on Starship Voyager with newly arriving crew who are a mystery until they appear as their authors bring them in.

The style of each character is reflected in their author "animator". Those lurkers present on the list were treated with eye and ear candy whenever an author sent pictures and sounds with their story pages.

It's intriguing watching each author's flavor evolve over time within the adventure.

This story's premise starts with a bang that isn't what it seems and settles into a mystery far larger than anything any one author could have come up with on their own. It shows the joy of role playing in the discipline of creative writing in a round robin setting.  
Rated PG-13 for all audiences.

Total read time can be from one to four hours depending on your fic devouring skills )

=/\= =/\= =/\= =/\= =/\= =/\= =/\= =/\= =/\= YEAR TWO

The Q's Nexus.

=/\= =/\= =/\= =/\= =/\= =/\= =/\= =/\= =/\= WEEK ONE RECAP 01-08-01 {}

*  
From: "Charles Geise" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Voyager Live Action 2001 - Introduction Date: Sun, 7 Jan 2001 00:03:01 -0600

VOYAGER LIVE ACTION - 2001

In the empty blackness of space it traveled. Following its course through the galaxy. Was this a conscious entity, or just a cosmic mistake?

Seventy-eight years ago it made contact with the transport ship Lakul and its sister ship and had absorbed the life-force image of the personnel of each ship, as well as that of the NCC-1701-B on a rescue mission. Their life signs were phased in and out of our space-time continuum and entered the entity.

Proceeding onward toward a destination only it knew about, for a purpose unknown, over unmeasured time. The Nexus folded in upon itself and, then emerged and penetrated farther into what some races called the Delta Quadrant.

A lone ship was making its way through the endless night with a sense of purpose. It was alone among the stars. NCC 74656 Voyager, and the Nexus dwarfed it by light years in size.

Without warning, they were caught in the gravimetric pull and the tiny ship was tossed. If not for the courage of the fearless crew, the Voyager would have been lost. Before the ship was almost torn apart by the turbulent forces of the ribbon, the crew's shadows had also joined the population of what was now known as the Nexus. Leaving those truly real, but identical to themselves, to return to normal space.

Folding upon itself, it jumped many light years ahead. With this leaping action, it continued at a speed much faster than light to the Alpha Quadrant and the populated systems there.

The Defiant was on a deep space exploration and trade mission when they came upon this entity. They narrowly evaded the ribbon, taking much damage. As the fortunate Defiant limped back to DS9, the Nexus continued its journey penetrating farther into the Alpha Quadrant. What was its purpose? Why was it seeking out star ships? How many other ships from other systems had the Nexus assimilated, and how many escaped the mighty destructive forces of this monstrosity.

Even the shadow souls contained in its ether universe didn't know. They could not know, captivated by either perpetual eternal joy or hell as their thoughts compelled them to feel and experience, each in their own dream world, utterly timeless.

The explosion, caused by Dr. Soran of the Armagosa Star had altered its direction once more and sent it toward for the Veridian system. From there to the unknown.

End Introduction

-  
(attachments)

Image: An iridescent ribbon of peach plasma energy in deep space.

Image : The Enterprise B being hit by this ribbon nexus.

*animated Movie* Voyager being carried away by the Nexus, dangerously out of control.

Image: A close up of the Nexus in front of two planets in the Alpha Quadrant.

Image: The Defiant letting loose weapons fire inside the Nexus region.

*  
From: "Amiee Jo Fielder" Subject: Our story begins.  
Date: Sun, 07 Jan 2001 23:06:39 -0600

"Personal log, Voyager slowly makes her way across the vast distance between herself and home. Crew morale has been up recently, according to Mr.  
Neelix."

=^=Captain to the bridge=^=

:: A captain's work is never done.:: =^= I'm on my way =^= Kathryn replied with a heavy sigh.

As she made her way towards the bridge, Voyager suddenly lurches, throwing her forward into a passageway wall. :: What the H#ll! :: She thought. She rushed on towards the bridge and strode around to stand directly in front of the view screen. There she saw an orange wave of energy coming at them at full speed.

There was no way around it. It was coming too fast to try and maneuver.

Suddenly it was there. With a huge electric pop and blinding flash Janeway was home.

She wore normal clothes, no starfleet uniform. Kathryn was on a vacation.  
She laughed as she watched Mark play with Molly on the sandy beaches surrounding them. The sun was starting to go down, and it was painting the bright blue sky glorious shades of orange and purple and pink. :: What a perfect day :: Janeway thought as Molly came bounding up to her.

"Hi Molly! Are you having fun?" Kathryn asked her Irish Setter as she playfully scratched behide Molly's ears.

The vacationing captain watched Mark try to skip stones across the glass like surface of the water. "Mark" she said "I think we should get going before it gets any darker don't you?" As Mark came walking towards her,  
another bright flash and they were there, Kathryn was once again on the bridge of her ship, and then, she wasn't. Each thought seemed to send her to another place, but not to her, each reality WAS real.

She had no concept of what was happening to her, or her crew.

-  
(attachment)

Image : Kate Mulgrew leaning on a white pillar by the seashore in a black minidress.

*  
From: "Alex Delet" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] These Precious Days.  
Date: Mon, 8 Jan 2001 21:33:38 -0000

"All Hands Brace For Impact!" Sisko shouted, as the Defiant tried desperately to evade the ribbon... The phenomenon on the viewscreen.....twisting and shaking for the energy contained within.  
As the shields flared, as a console exploded, as the hull strained.  
Captain Benjamin Sisko stood, quickly assessing the situation. Sisko ordered a warp speed, and heading, and continued on with his life.  
For another Sisko, there was blackness.

The sound of laughter.  
It was like a breath of fresh air....radiating calm. And for a moment, Benjamin Sisko was able to loose himself, in the swirling clouds of Bajor. Benjamin Sisko , not Captain...Emissary, or Chef, just Benjamin Sisko.  
As he lay, face up, on this grassy hill, the laughter deepened as it's source, a heavily pregnant Cassidy Yates, arrived.  
Collapsing onto the bank, beside him, she rested her head next to his, and the two lay in silence for several minutes. There was no idle conversation to detract from the scene before them.  
And after a few minutes of silence, the two stood up, hand in hand. A moment of shared understanding, and a moment of shared comprehension. Ben was almost getting used, to the time he had with the beautiful enigma that was Cassidy Yates, the beautiful enigma that was his wife, of several years.  
The two approached the wooden building, their house, their home. Stepping inside, Cassidy immediately aimed for the bathroom, kicking the door shut.  
Sisko chuckled and moved toward the window, checking the clock, he had built.  
The shimmering figure appeared, and solidified into Jake Sisko.  
Cassidy emerged, and padded toward him. The two embraced. As the sun began to set, Ben took in the scene. So often, in his life, he had lived for the next moment. It was so easy to miss them.

Quark threw his baseball 'cap' onto the grass. Simulated freshly cut. Sisko leapt from the batting cage, and sped round the 'square'. Quark had been pessimistic, as Worf managed to pick up the baseball after it landed just short of the boundary. This was when Sisko had just reached the third base.  
As cries were let out, some in favour of Ben, some screeching at Worf to throw!  
As Worf prepared to throw....Sisko did the only thing he could do, he leapt for the final base Flying through the air, to impact with his shoulder firmly onto the grass...where, to the protests of his shoulders, he continued to skid. Skimming across the base.  
The cheering that went up electrified the Captain.....as he turned his head, to be lifted up by the cheering niner's.  
From that, he estimated that he'd been successful.  
#Game to Niner's# the computer announced, ending the program.  
Sisko let himself be carried out...and deposited back in quarks, to sit at the head of the table.... Everyone was here, Jadzia, Odo, Kira, Worf, even Quark! All cheering, smiling...enjoying themselves.  
The Family that was.

Benjamin leapt onto the beach towel, to protect himself from the burning sand.  
"Hey!" the woman, who had occupied the towel cried.  
The woman who had occupied the towel......Jennifer.

Ben hadn't noticed the changes before, from one scene to the next, from one time to the next, but the first transition he had noticed. Back aboard the Defiant, a time that was definitely 'past' that was something that had happened.....something that couldn't be changed.  
A Memory.  
**************************************************************************** From: "robert catrair" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] story line Date: Mon, 08 Jan 2001 23:39:39 -0000

Worf standing by the defiants weapon console, responed to sisko orders to engage shields then all went black.  
When he awaken to the bright sun of earth, back in the acadmey. Still sore from the first day of hand to hand combat training. Smiling as he remenber the broken nose he have given the instructor that day.

_  
all of the sudden he is on the Enterprise with Picard Congratulating him for winning the 1st place prize in hand to hand combat tournament.

Worf Started to feel somthing wrong, but dismiss the felling. as he walk around the bridge of the enterprise. look up at the viewer and saw the ribbon. :this remind me of something, but what:  
he walk off the bridge to go to his quaters.

*******************************************************************

From: Lil Sister  
Date: Tue Jan 9, 2001 3:03am Subject: The Place of Angels

The space in the sky was golden. He felt ties still with his brother. "I forgive you for fighting me Data. For being weak, I am defeated." Lor shouted out loud. It was the pullings of the tranzportor that had finally ended him.

But he was not deaktivated as he should. The light was a sun over the desert and he lie there, mostly in the sands.

Lor rose to his feet and felt his torn not real skin from where his brother had last struck him a blow on the ship.  
::Where is this place? How can I not be returned to the stars as the energy from the tranzportor pads?  
He had defeated me.::

The robotic man knew none of these things and he gained legs to stand there. The golden sky was still in his eyes but the sun did not hurt him. ::I am not on a land.  
This place is differenting to me.::

He turned and an oasis was behind him and in it was his lab from the final place he had been.

The ones of single mind, his army band of Borg were no longer there. Lor went into the building to mend his tearing and was amazed that the right tool and the right thing needed was there under his touch without his thinking.  
::It is all I require. How is this so?::

The evil chip in his head came out easilly and another that had not ever been before rested in his palm from the stand. "My emotions chip. It is the one Soonge wanted to make for my brother, but it is now changed to make me well. I have always wanting this." The pain and the blacknessing in his heart was no longer was being, the moment Lor replaced the gift chip given him.

The jungle animals around the lab, their voices in the now night, soothed Lor as he did not know them to ever do before.  
He was alone and it was good. He looked at all of the things in the lab that were made just for him and he felt wonder.  
::I am no longer in madness with my brother at my throat.  
My new chip is right and I am how I should be in this place.  
But where is here?::

Lor searched the sky with the long distance seer. But he only saw his own face in another seer looking back at him through the lenz in the night clouds. ::I am in the place of the angels.  
What I wish is granted here. I am alone yet I am happy. I must find why this is so at once.::

The made man's artifichal naturings rose curiosity. There was no place of angels he knew. Not in the real All. So he would find its name and others who were here as him. He had no doubt of that thinking. A wishing place was not whole without peoples.  
So Lor would find them and tell them of the healings he knew the golden space could now do.

He packed a desert bundle and went toward the moon, walking.  
The new chip he had put inside his mind was gentling. He felt no regrettings in his heart or anger against his brother for damaging him and trying to tranzportor his body into nothing. He knew Data was acting for his shipmate peoples then, fearing for their safeties.

Lor came upon a pool of water under the moon. It was not a reflection of himself or the golden light. This was differenting.  
In it, he saw stars caught in a flowing fire.

::What is this? That out there is a ribbon wave I don't know. Something is traveling there catching all the suns. Am I seeing trully? Is this desert and lab of mine inside? Is this place of angels the fire I am seeing in the waters?::

Lor cried out when he knew a seeings of a ship there in the sight inside the pool. It was an Earth peoples vessle. A new one like his brother's ship, the enterprize. Yet it was not.  
Lor focused his eyes on it and it was then closer as he wished so he could touch the metal with a palm. He saw it was caughting in the fire.

It was words there that named the ship. The Defeant. Lor went inside the pool and so he was inside now, this ship of new peoples still fighting the fires. Still new to them.

He was on a bridge and he saw the commanding man there.  
His skin was as dark as his was light.

"I am Lor. I come from the place of angels that is inside this fire. Do not be afraids. You will not be returned to nothingness.  
Just want everything to be at peace and it will come."

The commanding man was shaken and puzzled by Lor's clothes that spoke of the same place he knew. The Federation. And he was surprised by Lor's nature of being an artifichal man.

Then Data's brother heard another man called this leader Sisko.  
Lor held out the friendship touching. "I know your peoples. And I know we should be finding more of them. This place is not in the stars we know. Sisko..Let us find out why together."

*  
From: "patti keiper" Subject: Where there's smoke, there's fire.  
Date: Tue, 09 Jan 2001 09:26:24 She was relaxed in her quarters practicing what she had learned from Tuvok just the night before. ::I will light that candle.:: she said through a tightening mouth. But the impressions from the crew surrounding her broke Kes's concentration and she resorted to lighting her meditation candle the old fashioned way, with a tazer.

She laughed and waved the lights a little brighter in her quarters. She crossed her legs in a way Chakotay had shown her that he used on vision quests and the position gave her physical support that she needed to relax further. Kes closed her eyes once more to begin her next exercise.

*Beep.* =^=Neelix to Kes. Sweetings? I- I hope I am not disturbing you but you know these Earth people's recipes so much better than I do.. eh..eh.. Naomi Wildman is here asking for an omelet and the captain is due down here with the commander in a few minutes and I want to have their breakfasts ready in time.. Can I persuade you to come down to the galley? It- it won't take long. I set up the back storage area here with another of your meditation candles and you can just continue where you left off....a- as soon as you're finished. =^=

Kes dropped her head and smiled to herself at Neelix's delivered message over the comm system. No doubt the Dante's inferno surrounding Neelix's stove was alarming the crew again. She tapped her own combadge =^=I'll be right there Neelix. Expect me in five minutes. I've things to gather up here.=^=

=^=Thanks, sweetings. *chuckle* Eh, I'm sure the captain, the commander and little Naomi here will appreciate anything you can do. I know I do.=^=

Kes laughed and spoke into the connection, ::Samantha's little girl is there too?:: =^=Expect me sooner. Kes out.=^=

The young Ocampa was feeling good. Ship's supplies were well stocked from Voyager's last stop over just this side of the Nekrit Expanse. And her studies with the EMH were going well. She was learning her emergency medical training quickly in her new capacity as the doctor's assistant. ::Now, let's hope I don't have to use it often..:: she mused seriously.

Kes stood and left her Quarters after blowing out the candle.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Kes pace down the hall with her arms thoughtfully behind her back and she thought about this crew she now journeyed with.

::Everyone has been so kind to me. And to Neelix. And there's this wonderful ship with all of its technology made open to us. I owe Captain Janeway and Commander Chakotay alot for sharing her ship and her people with us so openly, offering us a home. ::

Kes didn't regret her decision to throw in her lot with these lost journeyers and adopt them as her own family. Their warm and caring natures still strong after so much adversity was an inspiration to her.

She thought of all the people she had met so far. The affiable Harry Kim,who was actually twenty three to her three years who seemed most like her in youthful abandon. He was dedicated to the ship and its captain and,like Kes, wanted to show usefulness to the point of over eagerness.

Now the ship's engineer, still frightened Kes a tiny bit with her fierce loyalty and frequent angry outbursts . Kes had watched this woman of the race Klingon suffer the changing over of her Maquis crewmates to the Federation way of thinking. Torres had now been the ship's engineer for seven years, and she did her job well. ::I wish I could be like her. So confident and knowledgable.:: Kes sighed. ::I wish we could be off duty friends as well as co-crew."

Then her meandering thoughts considered Tom Paris, the yellow haired helmsman who piloted the ship. She knew Harry and he were inseparable, Harry adopting the ex-con in spite of repeated attempts on the part of the Lieutenant to push the Ensign away. ::I think their friendship is going to prove to be lifelong. I can see Tom at Harry's wedding as best man and vice versa.:: She remembered the concert they were at the night before. Tom had dropped everything in the holodeck, (his project as a grease monkey working on something called a Mustang.) to attend the Ensign's recital at the ship's first talent night to hear his friend play the clarinet very badly. ::Now that's friendship.:: They even enjoyed the captain's performance in a ballet called the Dying Swan dance. She looked very athletic and elegant to all their eyes.

Kes recalled the helmsman's expression as Kes shared her own talent contribution on stage as a harlequin from Earth's old royal courts. She juggled fire and spheres and tumbled a bit like a gymnast. His eyes twinkled and he had intercepted one of her spheres from midair from his place in the front row. He returned it , of course, immediately, but not before he thoroughly studied the amused indignation on her face in minute detail.

He had closed her fingers around the sphere and kissed her hand genteely.

Kes was surprised by the gesture, but later, Captain Janeway had told her that the nobleman from the time Kes's harlequin act had come from, always greeted the ladies of the era in that manner. But Kes wasn't so sure Tom was merely acting out a scene.. He had seemed so....genuine. ::I wonder how Neelix would react to that?:: Kes said presumptiously to herself in her head. ::Is Tom attracted to me?:: Kes really didn't know. After all, she was only three.

Soon, Kes was there in the messhall. It didn't take long for her to find the proper recipe for Neelix and his omelets and to say hello to Naomi.

The smoke cleared out easily too, Kes had long since learned how to get the air ventilation systems in the galley to obey her computer commands with alacrity.

She hugged the little girl and rescued a flaming pan of Ieolo root and egg from the bunsen burner before the substitute "cheese" scorched. "Oh, Neelix. You're trying too hard. Here... Earth omelets need low heat to melt. Did you forget that already? Oh! And did you get the captain's coffee thermos set? I'm about ready to head for the bridge and the captain likes her coffee by ten o'clock everyday."

"I haven't forgotten, sweetings! It's over there by the bowl of fruitpods." Neelix said behind a column of clearing smoke and cooking vapors. Kes turned and spied the slender silver coffee container next to the vivid sky blue and orange striped Dresky pods in the big bowl on the countertop.

Naomi giggled at the sight of Neelix's arms sticking out of the smoke still flipping omelets without the benefit of a head and body.

Neelix sighed, "I think I've bitten off more than I can chew, Kes taking on the galley duties. These Earth recipes are fascinating but oh, so, challenging.. Did you know they have a dish called french fries where they cut their potato roots into little sticks and deep fry them in hot plant extract oil? They're funny looking that way but they're delicious! Have one.. Eh, Ensign Ballard had a craving so I cooked these for her."

Another arm reached through the smoke and handed out two frenchfries. Naomi took one and Kes the other. The pale color was unusual as well as the seasoning that bit down. "It's called salt." Neelix said, already guessing her next question. "It's a mineral that humans derive from distilled ocean water. They once used salt in bars as money at one time."

Kes's eyes opened in amazement and she finished her french fry. "If you're set here, Neelix. I'll go take this, " she grabbed up the captain's thermos, "To Captain Janeway."

"Sure thing, sweetness. I think Naomi and I have a handle on breakfast now. See you at dinner at 0630. We're invited to Chakotay's so bring cinnamon for the tea. I think he's going to activate the latest sent Barclay hologram mailcall along with Boothby just to chitchat and find out more about the latest happenings on Earth."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kes made the bridge with 30 seconds to spare. She saw that Captain Janeway was still occupied there in her ship's log so she entered the ready room ahead of her to pour the captain's morning cup. No doubt that she would smell it all the way over to the center seat and come running..

Kes set down the thermos to a curious sensation.. A rising ebb of distant emotion and echoes deep in her mind. Unconsciously, Kes looked to the port windows and saw a writhing ribbon twisting there out in space.

The red alert bloodied the lighting and Kes ran to the bridge just in time to see the leading edge of the strange phenomena hit Voyager on the main viewer.

"Captain! It's not what it seems! It's an echo of some kind, another place!"

But the bridge crew never heard Kes cry out. She was swept away into each of their dreamlands and dropped to the deck, overwhelmed by their experiences.

She saw the captain with Mark and her dog, Molly on an Earth beach and other visions from the ship's bridge crew in her mind. She had no vision or dream of her own. She only saw theirs.

Protectively, Kes fainted where she lay on the bridge upper deck. The dreams stopped.

-  
(attachments)

Image : Kes meditating with a candle.

Image : Neelix stirring a pan fried omelet batter.

*  
From: "Cory Anda" Subject: Fading Boundaries.  
Date: Tue, 09 Jan 2001 09:46:06 -0000

Chakotay was not on duty. It was Kathryn's watch and he was glad of it. The past few weeks had been boring to say the least. A milk run to a nearby solar system, a text book trade mission that resulted in Voyager getting everything she needed in supplies for the month without a hitch. Heck, he even had the crew's semi-annual evaluations done early. There was nothing left for the first officer to do on the bridge except monitor Tom's course changes. And the helmsman certainly didn't need to be babysat.

::Kathryn's better at ordinary days than I am.:: he quipped in his mind. ::I am much better at THIS..:: he thought.

Chakotay took another swipe with his wood auger at the boat he was carving on the holodeck. It was a rivercrafted canoe. And Chakotay had programmed its realism to include all the hardships one would have carving something out of a birch tree trunk. He found the work restful.

At one time, he and Kathryn talked about exploring a riverway in a boat. But then, she and he had been stranded on a planet because of an incurable microbe. That time on New Paradise had effected both of them deeply, personally. In their twenty week stay, the boundaries of captain and commander had eroded to one of a deepening relationship, one that could have lead to even more between them so many years ago.

But that option never materialized and the two of them realized that nothing would change with concern for them in matters of the heart. That point was made even more clear when their rescue was effected by Tuvok and the EMH's Vidiian scientist companion and they had to put command pips back onto their collars.

Kathryn eventually found solice in other relationships, even the hologram kind at times and Chakotay had accepted this. A captain should not be involved with her ship's crew romantically. It was a philosophy even he felt was warranted.

But that didn't preclude a platonic friendship from remaining behind from that stranding's experience. There weren't that many people that he and the captain COULD be on equal terms with. Except themselves. They could share similar interests that way.

And one of them was going to be river canoeing.

Chakotay peeled a bark fragment off of the wooden canoe's prow. He was finished. ::Finally.:: he smiled in satisfaction. He rubbed off chaff from his sweaty hands onto his olive shirt and he hefted up the craft onto his shoulders over his head.

He knew this holoscenario well, it was an excellent recreation of New Paradise.

The bathtub was still there. They both agreed that it should be an element in the program to remain with every visit. Like Chakotay's carving table.

Kathryn returned from time to time to indulge herself in the tub's steaming waters and he, like now, to create wooden treasures.

::A good refuge was a good refuge.:: But Chakotay had deleted the fly traps that had hung from the real trees back then. He and Kathryn no longer had a plague they needed to cure. And he deleted the hurricanes....

The canoe plunked down on the bathtub and the first officer anchored it there, leaving a notepadd on a seat. ::No doubt Kathryn will see the boat now. And my note. She'll have to reprogram the emitters to move this before her next bath.::

She would be by soon in the next few days to have her weekly "bath" and the canoe would be there, waiting for her to find it.

Chakotay checked the details of the note that would share what it stored the second the captain activated its padd. But not a moment beforehand.

Chakotay left the holodeck whistling.. He loved crafting little surprises..

Especially ones made for his friends.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

The first officer had sonic showered away the sweat that had followed him from the holodeck carving and now was seated before his medicine bundle.

"Achoochemoya. I am far from the lands of my fathers. I am far from the bones of my people. Perhaps there is one in this place who'll embrace me and find me the answers I seek..."

The cabin disappeared. And Chakotay found himself not on an ocean beach or in a meadow or wood, but on a desert with a flaming aurora in the sky. It was the color of fire....

Matseyeho bounded forth from inside a sand dune, howling in full throat. #A journey is beginning that will need all of your cunning, Dark One. I know not what that is in the sky.. Arrroowwwwww#.. The image of his spirit guide exploded into a burst of glowing cinders onto the wind and Chakotay jerked in shock. She was gone.

"Matseyeho!" Chakotay shouted, trying to be heard over a rising wind. "Matseyeho!" His inner focus was shattered and the center he had entering his trance wobbled. No reassuring wolf's grin met his eyes.

A white buffalo came from the air, bearing down on him in a charge, It's massive creamy horns and black eyes filled with many sparkles. It's snowy pelt waving in a maelstrom.

::The sacred buffalo.:: His eyes tearing from the driving sand. ::The precursor of dreams..:: he whispered.. ::I have only to let it in to reach them.::

Chakotay stood still while the animal bore down on him in thundering strides. He had no time to cry out when he was swept up into its horns and tossed, injured, onto the sands.

..onto the carpeting... in his cabin..

Blood from his mouth and torn shoulder poured down, obscuring his vision. The first officer vaguely realized that he was back in his quarters. Broken ribs bit down. ::What the-- I am hurting! Vision quests cannot injure the body.. I don't unders--:: Pain enveloped him.

Chakotay tried to tap his left shoulder in the proper place, but the combadge was not there. He was still in his quest robe, sprawled onto the floor.

He fell onto his side, trying to steady his short breathing and he called for the computer, gasping..

"Computer. O- Open a channel: Medbay/Bridge."

#Channel open.# came the succinct reply.

"Ch-- *cough* Chakotay to the captain. Emergency.. My quarters.. I- I've been injured.. Unk- Unknown effect!"

Chakotay had to stop speaking then and concentrate on breathing. He willed himself to stay awake until help arrived. He found he could not answer those replying to his comm at all.

In the window, the stars were gone and a ribbon of orange danced there.

-  
(attachment)

Image : (computer art) J and Chakotay portrait study.

Image: Chakotay in his quarters on a Vision Quest.

Image : The Manitou White Buffalo that tramples Chakotay.

Image : Janeway close up in concern.

*  
From: "Clairissa Fox" Subject: Breakfast with my friends.  
Date: Tue, 09 Jan 2001 09:58:56 -0000

I like Nelix. He was making me breakfast. Eggs again. I thought it was funny the way the room got all smokey then. It was funny. And Nelix's friend Kes had to make it all better again every morning.

And she never got mad.. I saw Kes leave with the drink for the captain. I had the afternoon coffey shift. I gave all of the bridge crew what they wanted and Nelix came with me every day.

That way I got to see everything as captains assistent. Only now, it wasnt time yet. It was to early.

So I had my eggs and french fryze and I talked to my friend.

Nelix! Nelix! Why dont you just use the foodmaker to get all the breakfasts made on time? I know we have to save enrgy but now its good and we dont have to worry about that for a whil.

Then we can go see the new baby. My moms all bettr now. The hollow doc has taken realy good care of her. Did you know my new brothers name is Joshua? He was born five days ago. Hes realy nice.

I want you to see him. Just you and me. So hurry. hurry up so we can go.

Nelix finaly finishd cooking it all. He left the mess hall with me and we went to sickbay where Joshua was. He was so small. He was still in an incubatr. He had dark hair like my dad whil mine was light. Hi Joshua I said, Meet Nelix. Hes my good friend from the ship and hes real nice.

Nelix smiled at me and my little brother. The hollow doc came over.

"Naomi, good morning. Your little brother's doing just fine. I just scanned him and soon, he'll be able to join you and your family at home." he smiled. "Hello. Mr. Neelix. You've managed to get through breakfast without one crewmember coming down here complaining of smoke inhalation. I am suitably impressed with your growing cooking prowess..." the hologram EMH commented dryly.

I poked Nelix in the side to not get mad.

Then I gave Joshua to Nelix to hold and I was glad. My little brother was so little! I wantd him and me to stay in the same room at night so I could watch him. But mommy said I needed to wait a whil for that.

I was so happy. I told Nelix that he could come over when Joshua was biggr so we could all play togethr.

Then I herd a call come to sickbay.

It was Chakoty. Something was wrong. So I went there. I had to. I had to see for me.

_______________________________________________________________

(attachment)

Image : Neelix tucking in Naomi for bedtime in the darkened child's room.

*  
From: "Nick Lewis" .uk Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Awake!  
Date: Tue, 9 Jan 2001 23:37:39 -0000

Earth! A shining oasis is the vastness of space - the birthplace of humanity. Tom feels gratified to see it again, but the sight is going to be short-lived as the temporal window, with a little outside help, begins to re-root them back into the Delta Quadrant.

Tom glances back at the man with the cat in his hands. His 'sponsors' have freed them from the Q trap, but who knows what kind of cosmic wheeling and dealing has been going on the background to make it happen.

As Earth fades from view, a light jolt unsettles everyone. At the same time, one person winks from existance back to their own time and space.  
More follow, but the ride is getting rough. "Is this supposed to happen?"  
Tom asks, but gets nothing bar the impassive expression of Gary Seven.

Time seems to slow as the transition occurs, but data is passing through Tom's console faster than he can read. It's working and yet it's not. Tom tries to keep Voyager steady but quantum currents sear the ship.  
"Structural field down to 78%" Tuvok is heard saying as they rattle closer to a bright, pale blue light.

The light streams through the viewscreen, invading every corner of the bridge. Tom can barely see his controls. By all rights panic should have set in, but then that weird feeling comes over again. That solid conviction that Voyager will survive and everything will be right with the universe again. Consisto penso immortalis....... For we are immortal!

And then the light blasts through.

Tom's eyes snap open. It takes him a few moments to realise he's staring at the ceiling of his quarters. He blinks a few times before sitting up.  
"Man, what a mindwarp." He wonders where he got such a strange and vivid dream from. Then he realises he's not in bed, but rather sitting on his couch. *What the hell happened last night?*

"Computer, time" he yawns.

"The time is zero-seven fifty hours."

He freezes as the announcement penetrates his muddled mind. "Sh*t!"

Twelve minutes later he's in a turbolift heading for the bridge. He'd got ready in record time, but then faced the agonising decision of whether to make himself even later by popping into sickbay to ask the Doc to hypo this hangover away.

Eventually he decided not to make that side-trip. In her last briefing Captain Janeway had voiced her concerns about the downward trend of timekeeping aboard the ship. The bridge officers were supposed to be setting an example.

As the doors swish open, Tom makes his way to the helm, relieving Ensign Jenkins from her graveyard shift. "You're late, Tom" comes a female voice from behind him. He turns round to see the Captain looking at him, eyebrows raised.

"Ah... yes Captain. Seems I forgot to set the computer to wake me up this morning." He catches Harry stifle a grin from his ops station.

"Well... considering what happened last night, I'll let you off, just this once" Janeway says with a small smile of her own.

Tom furrows his brow. "Aye.... Captain." He turns back to his station,  
then glances back at Harry who has that 'I know nothing' face on. Who does he think he's fooling? Soon as lunchtime arrives, Tom's going to find out exactly what 'did' happen last night. One thing's for sure, it's looking less and less likely that it was synthehol he was drinking.

Two hours later, Tom has invented several particularly nasty methods to kill whoever did this to him, when his thoughts are rudely pushed from his mind by the sudden rocking of the ship. "What was that?" Chakotay asks.

"Whatever it is it came out of nowhere. Sensors were monitoring nothing a few moments ago." Tom's hands fly over the controls as Harry pulls up the viewscreen. A bright orange wave of crackling energy fills the screen.

=^= Captain to the bridge =^= Chakotay says, tapping his commbadge.

=^= I'm on my way =^= come's Janeway's reply.

Tom barely notices when she steps back onto the bridge, all his attention on trying to evade this energy wave. Nothing's working though. As the waves crashes against Voyager, a power surge pulses though the helm control. Tom pulls his hands away as if burned, arcs of purple electricity running up his arms.

One magnificent whiteout later.......

Tom blinks his eyes open, staring at a ceiling for the second time that day.  
His hands are tingling slightly as he pulls himself up. All is quiet. The image on the viewscreen remains there balefully, balls of white light shooting across it. Tom checks his instrumentation - they're inside the cosmic ribbon. "Captain?" But as he turns around he sees the crew lying around the bridge, all seemingly unconscious.

No... the Captain seems to be murmering something. Molly? Her eyes open briefly. "Captain, are you okay?" Toms starts, but as soon as recognition of where she is passes across her eyes, she drifts away again. Tom looks around. Everyone else seems to be in a similar situation. Not quite unconscious, but drifting from here to god knows where.

Tom remembers from about a year ago the alien that made them all hallucinate while their bodies went into a trance-state. This is similar, yet.  
different. He goes back to his helm hoping to pull the ship back out of the ribbon, but he's dismayed as the internal readings show the warp engines as down and the impulse engines all but burnt out. They're dead in space.

Hesitantly Tom taps his commbadge. If he's not being affected by whatever it is, probability dictates there must be others on the ship unaffected too.  
"Paris to Torres." No answer. "B'Elanna, talk to me." Nothing. "Paris to Vorik." Static.

"God dmn it" he hisses. "Paris to anyone on the ship that can hear me."  
He waits for a reply...

-  
From: "Roxy Dee" Subject: Be careful what you wish for~~~ Date: Wed, 10 Jan 2001 06:37:25 -0000

Harry Kim was actually relaxed for once. He had just learned that he didn't have to pull a night duty in the big chair all week. No muss. No fuss. Just the usual nine to five at Operations. He would give anything to do a little post switching with his best bud, Tom Paris. Kim'd give anything to see how his friend would fare at the heart of the ship. ::How would the weight of command feel then I wonder:: He thought projecting his wish onto yet another non verbal show from the helmsman of a carefree stretch and feigned yawn.

Kim was up to his eyeballs in scans. The captain had wanted every possible angle and kind of probe imaginable. Voyager was in new territory, pressing on into unknown waters. And it was only little ol Harry Kim in the lookout bucket. He give anything to actually find something decent enough to even report aloud.

He relayed all of his readings to the captain's chair terminal as fast as he organized them but neither felt the need to comment on any of them. The same, dull , routine ether and occasional nebula sprinkled in for texture. BBooorrriiiinnnnggg.::But never to the captain.:: he amended, straightening up as he felt her eyes sweep his way every so often. If only he could find something of interest for her to concentrate on instead of him in those sweeping moments.

A beeping nearly made the young ensign leap out of his uniform.

"Ah, captain. I think I found something to end that tedium you mentioned facing at the beginning of your shift.. Look at this..." He relayed the sensor ghost of a moving band of unknown irregularity in the Kohler range scale. He shifted that part of space to the main viewer and a corsicating ribbon of glowing light seemed to ignite the way ahead.

He wasn't surprised when Janeway ordered a red alert.

At the same time, the doors parted and Kes stumbled onto the bridge.

The red alert bloodied the lighting and Kes ran to the bridge just in time to see the leading edge of the strange phenomena hit Voyager on the main viewer.

"Captain! It's not what it seems! It's an echo of some kind, another place!"

Harry was jolted as he felt the ship's prow confront the wave jarringly. He saw Kes collapse to the decking.

At Janeway's nod for Kim to check on the fallen girl, another officer took over Operations smoothly. Kim grabbed a medkit down to find a bioprobe to scan the girl's vital signs. It seemed that she was only blacked out in a faint and Harry could not find an obvious cause for her condition.

Then the captain gasped and grew pale, sinking down into her chair, shaking.. "Captain?" Kim called out, "Are you all right?" He aimed his scanner over in her direction. She was trembling and her heart rate was accelerated as if she'd taken a shock. "Shall I call for a second med team to the bridge?"

A new wave passed and everyone lost control of their senses.

They all started dropping to the deck, twitching like rag dolls stabbed by voodoo pins. Harry saw Tom was the only one still seated and oriented. The rest of the bridge crew was on a losing spiral into coma. All except the captain. Harry shouted, "Are the shields still up?!" he said trying to crawl to his station.

Before Janeway could answer, Harry was simply gone.. elsewhere. He blinked and another man was in the command chair of a very different ship. A dark skinned man by the name of "Sisko..." he said out loud. He had seen this face only briefly on a tour he once taken at Voyager's short stopover at Deep Space Nine on her maiden voyage.

A wrinkled Ferengi with a very familar visage looked up from a man with a melted wax face and smiled, showing all of his sharpened teeth. ::It's that crafty no good bartender who almost swindled me out of all my credits on a box of cufflinks. It's Quark..:: he marveled. ::But what am I doing here?::

He saw that the Defiant had an open channel to Voyager and that they saw every move Janeway and the command officers were now giving to deal with their strange failing states , to understand Kes's stillness and now Harry's sudden disappearance off the bridge.

::You're on your own my friend.. :: Kim thought to the image of Paris on the viewer, only you can help them all now.::

He saw Janeway's face react with alarm at Chakotay's out of character contact to sickbay and her bridge comm.

"Ch-- *cough* Chakotay to the captain. Emergency.. My quarters.. I- I've been injured.. Unk- Unknown effect!"

But no one over there moved and they drifted out of consciousness.

Kim saw the lone helmsman grip his seat at another bucking and shout something aloud, but the forward viewer went static.

Amazingly, the new ship under Harry's feet wasn't even swaying slightly. He saw another man, an android in woven brown clothes, emerge from the same wall he had arrived through.

Then all five of them were face to face. Odo, Sisko, Lor, Harry and Quark, all staring slightly aghast at developments. Ensign Kim turned to the rightful captain in front of him and shrugged, "I take it, you've no idea what's going on either.."

The dark skinned man stood toe to toe with Lor but mildly studied Harry and his matching uniform to others on his bridge.

The Ferengi didn't wait for niceties. "Human, this is no time to gallavant around with transporters, can't you see we're a little occupied at the moment?!"

Harry saw the same pale pallor to Sisko's skin that he saw in Janeway's, one of a profound heartfelt sense of loss...

"Uh, Q--werk,, I mean Quark, good to see you again too. But that wave out there is doing some very strange things to my vessel and crew.." Kim said rapidly, "I'd leave if I could if I only knew how I got here in the first place." he sighed, he set his medtricorder which had accompanied him to the Defiant down on the nearest console. "Somebody, slap me, I must be dreaming.."

Quark grinned lopsidedly watching Sisko shake his head and Odo grabbing the captain's arm, "You're not the only one hallucinating around here. At least, we both seem to be hallucinating each other. Could be worse... We could acually be dead right now.."

A huge fist of energy slammed down on the Defiant's hull all present were flung face down and then slammed into the ceiling with force. Harry came away from the horrid jolt with a bloody chin.

The Ferengi screeched over the medlam. "I- I didn't mean that at all! I take that back,.." he protested to the main viewer and the Nexus writhing there. "I meant that we could actually be dead STILL right now.." he hollered defensively to no one he could see.

The buffeting ceased abruptly and it was a full ten seconds before anyone felt like regaining their feet. Harry said, "Boring day was this? Huh... I should be careful what I wish for..." he said to the new bridge at large, holding his bleeding chin gingerly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ (attachments)

Image : H playing Kaltoh.

Image : Creation Entertainment conventions logo.

Gif: Paramount disclaimer logo.

*  
From: "Fran Catrair" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Could This Get Any Worse?  
Date: Thu, 11 Jan 2001 02:34:30 -0000

B'Elanna was struggling with the last relay she was working on. It was being difficult. ::Figures:  
B'Elanna thought. Growling loudly in frustration,  
she decided to take a break. After all the ship had been through, she and her engineering crew were going through the entire system and giving it the all time-consuming Level 3 diagnostic. Unfortunately,  
they had uncovered many difficulties, and she and her crew were putting in long hours. "Ensign Vorik"  
she called over to the Vulcan officer. "Have you completed the diagnostic on the transporter relays?"  
"Yes I have, Lieutenant." he answered. "It is satisfactory." She glared at him. "I don't want 'satisfactory', Vorik! I want to know if the problem with the transporter has been taken care of!",  
she stated firmly. ::What is wrong with her today:  
Vorik wondered. ::Guess I'd better be more forthcoming.: He knew there were times when she was very demanding. Especially during a Level 3 diagnostic of engineering. Sighing inwardly, he turned back to her question. "Yes, I have completed the diagnostic and the problem has been fixed,  
Lieutenant." he answered.

Satisfied with his answer, B'Elanna turned her attention back to that relay she was having problems with. Finally, it was done. She stood up and stretched, feeling her joints pop. It had been a long 72 hours. ::I really need to take a shower,  
and get a little sleep.:: she thought. Nodding at Vorik, she said, "I'm going back to my quarters.",  
and left engineering.

A short time later, B'Elanna was sitting in her quarters. She had taken a shower and felt much better. She felt tired, but didn't want to sleep just yet, so sitting down on her couch with some coffee, she decided to go over the latest reports Chakotay had given her. As she studied them, she suddenly felt something was wrong, but she couldn't tell exactly what. Her earlier fatigue gone, she changed into uniform and headed back to engineering.

As she walked in the door, she heard the red alert. Hitting her combadge, she said,  
=^= Torres to Bridge. What's going on up there?=^= but there was no response. Agitated, she called out again, =^= Torres to the Doctor=^=, but once again there was no response. ::I thought we had everything fixed:: she fumed. She would need to dress down her subordinates when this situation had passed. "Computer, what's happening?" she ordered. No response. She felt the ship shake violently. She knew something was going on.  
She was able to get the sensors online and check the readings from the bridge. A strange orange ribbon was on the view screen. ::How strange:  
she thought and just stared for a moment...mesmorized.

"Miss Torres, I asked you a question." the man in the front of the room said. Blinking, B'Elanna looked around. She was in a strange room, with others staring at her. She just stared dumbly. Finally, he said, "I will talk with you later, Miss Torres." and continued on with his questioning. ::I'm back at the Academy.:: she realized. She happened to be in the room of the instructor who happened to be the hardest, one of the main reasons she left the Academy. As the class came to an end, she got up to leave. Turning to retrieve her books, she turned back around.

And found herself on the Bridge of the small ship she and the other resistance Maquis had been on before coming to Voyager. She was there, along with Chakotay and Tuvok. "I need more power to the shields,  
B'Elanna!", Chakotay shouted to her. She looked at her readings. It did not look good. "I don't have any more power to give you, Chakotay!", she yelled back at him.  
"We're falling apart!" She heard Voyager inform them to be prepared for a beam out. There was a bright flash of light. She felt disoriented. ::Could this get any worse::, she wondered?

The light cleared, and she was face to face with someone she never wanted to see again. "Well, so we meet again,  
B'Elanna. I assure you, you will not get away from me this time." ::And I thought it couldn't get any worse.  
:: B'Elanna internally grimaced. Here, in front of her,  
sood Kotar, grinning widely. She was on the Barge of the Dead, on the way to Gre'thor, also known as Klingon Hell, where dishonored souls were taken.

-  
(attachment)

Image : B'Elanna Torres on the deck of the Barge of the Dead,  
battle ready.

*  
From: "Cassidy Meyers" Subject: A running man, in a single night.  
Date: Thu, 11 Jan 2001 13:35:52 +0400

"Dabo!!" came the cry again, echoing obscenely human into his tiny tailoring workshop.

Elim Garak smiled a warm, icy smile as he threaded another needle. ::Ah, yes.. Revenge is sweet.:: he thought to himself. It had been no difficult feat to pull the commercializing wool over that weasel-ly bar rodent's brother to leave for the upper holosuites on a fake malfunction call..

It helped that Miles O'Brien and Quark himself went on that latest away mission with Captain Sisko on board the Defiant. Then, Garak could get back at his favorite tormentor in true style..

"Why I ever trusted that two timing, materialistic, worm with my fine Oberian Silk shipment order is beyond me.. Now those adorable ladies won't have anything fit to wear at the Dabo table on time according to the schedule I promised them. So what's a little Dabo wheel rigging between friends, eh, Quark?" Garak said, hefting up a Raktejino mug to the Ferengi's proprietor holopic on one wall. "I only lost seven hundred credits worth on that misremembrance.. Shall we say,.. about two hours time with the Dabo wheel circuits programmed in FAVOR of any patron..? Then I'll shut down my piggyback chip like a good neighbor... heh, heh, heh.."

Garak loved females.. of any species.. Not for their gender but for the way their bodies modelled his garments with such art and promise.. But he HATED seeing his favorite modelers so angry at his not having their costumes ready on time .. ::AS promised....:: Garak echoed again, face furrowing in anger. ::It's not everyday that one has such perfection in the humanoid form as Quark's Dabo table showgirl entourage'.::

Then the coveted cry came again, '''Dabo!!!''' and this time he looked up from the delicate gossamer sea green teddy he was shaping around his plastifoam bust. His frown melted away even more quickly as he did the math.. "Now.. We're even, Quark.. seven hundred credits Dabo loss for seven hundred credits compensative kissing up to my women customers.. Business concluded.. I'd say. It wouldn't do to get on Quark's bad side and swindle too much now would it.."

Garak reached up onto an overloaded desktop and pulled down the device connected his shop's computer to Quark's Dabo tables.. He shut it off with a satisfied click..

::Even Odo's gone on that away mission so my little revenge factor will not be seen at all. ::

He carefully laid a lilac ribbon of neon silk from Quark's waylaid shipment on it's nestled chalkline at the inseam of the top center of the teddy... "Now, just move this another millimeter upwards and it'll hug the bustline in the proper provocative Dabo table way without infringing on my lady's sense of modesty..."

Garak squinted as he eyeballed his adjustment. He peered close, holding the place with both fingers inches from his spectacled nose.. "A stitch in time saves..nine...." he mumbled to himself smugly.. ::And I could've been on the starship mission with them instead of here..Lucky me..::

The delicate ribbon suddenly pulsed and grew in size, its hue merging into orange and suddenly, it grew all encompassing, wrapping the Cardassion tailor up in a Cinderella like snarl of chaotic energy.. :AAHhhh!" Garak ducked his head, thinking a prankster had spiked his Bajoran tea cup, when he fell into a vast pocket fold of the teddy.. He shrank as he fell, screaming, into the writhing ribbon valley that seemed to have a life of its own. He saw stars of all things, and felt a blast of intense cold.

The teddy then tasted like toddy in his mouth, so he ripped it free , hitting with a thud, and Garak suddenly went rolling across carpeting..

::My shop doesn't have floor covering.. I find my Marble stone holds in the heat very well so I don't freeze to death on the station, where am I?::

Garak had lost his tailoring glasses in his misadventure so he squinted in the dark compartment he now found himself within. A flame flare shot from a viewscreen that was instantly there where none was before.

The lighting in Garak's reptillian retinas improved and he took to his trembling feet.

A low hiss of thruster power thrummed through his light slippers and he suddenly knew where he was..

"Now I am ON that very Dmned ship I thought I cleverly avoided..!!" he roared..

Five people turned and looked at him from the other side of the Defiant's bridge.. Sisko, Lor, Quark, Harry Kim and now, Odo stared right back at him, not even surprised..

::I knew it! Odo had my little table tampering device rigged turncoat and I was beamed here.. Well I'll not let it effect me in the slightest. The less I let on, the more power I'll have over the situation. Keep them wondering is the Black Order's motto. Useful even now in my exile's fate with these Feddies.::

Garak regained his Cardassian cool in a pico.., He peeled the eensy girly teddy off his person and hid it behind his back with feigned embarassement. "Hello everyone, it seems, A rift in time, sends mine." He cast eyes downward to his own derrier and rubbed the soreness out of it from his fall. ::ss, that is.:: he amended silently.

SEE SOUND BITE

He gave a slight bow to his fellow Deep Space Nine acquaintances and waited to see what they had to say..

-  
(attachments)

Image : Garak closeup, looking at you.

Audio : G- (laughing) Even your own computer program turns against you..

*animated* Computer display in amber of a coursing grid.

****************************************************************

From: "Cassidy Meyers" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Til ..Death Do Us Part.  
Date: Fri, 12 Jan 2001 13:12:12 +0400

Jadzia came to herself in bits and pieces.. Her recollection was sketchy. Where was the wraith entity from the wormhole? Last thing she remembered, she was by the Bajoran chapel with the Tear of the Prophet, kneeling, and then she had remembered that bright tongue of disruptor fire arching and burning into and through her back.  
She focused inward, inside the core she knew herself to be.  
::Oh, my God..:: Dax quailed. ::He's not there..:: In a sudden panic, Jadzia lifted her simple gown in which she was garbed inside her mental eye's vision. A neat surgical line, still flushed red from fresh application ran from her sternum to lower abdomen. ::Julian's taken him from me for another host. I am no longer Dax...:: she quailed.  
::But if that's true.. I'd be...::

"Dead?" came a voice off to her left. Jadzia opened her real eyes, they were still full of grit from her scorched science uniform she no longer wore. It was a sense of realism even she couldn't deny.

She whirled and faced the deep stenorous voice. She was wearing heavy armor and the weight pressed down on the disruptor burn lancing through her middle.

It was a Klingon standing there at the wheel of bloody wood, and there was rust tinged fog all around him and the scent of carrion. A twist of hot, salty wind blew the vapor away and Jadzia could see that she was on an ancient seagoing vessel..

::This is the Barge of the Dead from the legends Worf told me. And there is no flaming island or citadel so we haven't reached Gre'thor yet.::

Jadzia remembered his name, "You are Kotar if I can believe this reality. Why am I here? I am not Klingon by blood. Only by marriage and honor. I thought the Barge was for those Khin'zai who were dishonored.."

The huge being threw back his greasy head and laughed mightily.  
He gestured to a decrepid warrior to take his place steering.  
His footfalls clanked heavily on the slicked deck as he came over to Jadzia and grabbed her chin with one leather glove.  
"You are not Klingon, this is true. But you ARE dishonored.  
Your mate was not there to save you in your time of need. And THAT is creed as one of the Unforgivables.."

Jadzia looked down and saw bruises on her hand and a vision of Worf clutching her palm hard in grief in sickbay and the conversation she had with him before....

"Yes,.." Kotar went on, peering into Jadzia's eyes, "You died.."  
"Who can know why the gods cast your soul to me. But know you are here now and that there is no turning back."

Jadzia used a defensive move and broke his grip on her face.  
Her rage gave her clarity and up in the sky, she saw something that wasn't in the descriptions of the Barge from her memory.  
It was a ribbon of lava glow, twisting in the sky above the barge mast.. ::What is that?!:: her scientific mind asked.  
Moments after she formed the thought, her tarnished Klingon armour was no longer. Her science blue uniform was back. And the disruptor mark was absent.. Her white hot poker of agony in her spine was gone.  
"Tell me Kotar.. if you absolutely lord over it all on your ship, why is a spatial rift emanating overhead.. hmm?"

Kotar gave a roar of dismay and he flung back his arms,  
throwing a look upwards to the rigging and the St. Elmo's Fire flowing there.

Jadzia retreated backwards into the fog and the carrion scent retreated. She promptly bumped back to back into a Klingon woman in rusty silver battle gear, and suddenly found a Bat'Leth at her throat. Torres's sour breath spilled into her face, full of fear.

The Trill smiled wryly, "You can try to kill me but my symbiont is no longer present so I am as good as dead. Press in another five centimeters and my carotid artery is sure to be compromised and I assure you, I will die most spectacularly..." she hissed angrily.

-  
(attachments)

Image : A deceased Jadzia on a sickbay biobed.

Image : A tender closeup of Bashir holding Jadzia Dax.

*  
From: "runic147" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] All things made anew Date: Sat, 13 Jan 2001 10:42:44 -0500 Wesley finds himself standing in a gray void that seems to be more liquid the air.  
~Where am I? Am I dead? I had no idea trapping the Q s the way I did would kill me. I should have listen to the Traveler and used more caution with what I do. Why is it I only learn things like this when it is just past to late? ~ Wesley stops in his museings as laughter surrounds him from every direction. Who are you? Where am I and how did I get here? Show yourself please. My, My full of questions aren t we Wesley? Does it really matter WHO I am? Or where you are for that matter. What matters is that you are here and I am here and that your not dead but here to be offered a gift. What do you mean a gift ? Please tell me who you are and why I am here or at least where here is? Oh Very well. Just ruin all the fun wont you. This is a pocket in time I have created to talk to you in without have to enter your reality myself. As to who I am lets just say I created the Q s and the Gray s. You created the Q? Why on earth did you do a thing like that for? All they do is Create trouble. As to the Gray s they are just as bad they are never seen or heard when they should be. Yes what you say is true child every bit of it. They were created to Balance each other but instead they areas you see them. The Q ever meddling and the Gray sit and watch and wait far to long before acting. That bring me to the gift I spoke of. With that said a shape appears in the gray and to Wesley s eyes and wonderment the Traveler appers.  
YOU?! is all Wesley can get out of his mouth before his mind stops working.  
Yes Wesley me but this is only a shape I hold for now. I have be teaching you for years of everything there is to know and then some. I have watched you unlock many of the lock that hold everyone else in check in your reality. The Traveler says. But what you just did to the Q on that ship proves I made the right chose in picking you. Picked me for what? To be the balanceing force between the Q and Gray, seeing as they are not what they should be. I offer you a gift Wesley, one I hope you will take even if it will seems like your job will be never ending for unlike the Q and the Gray you will be but one person not many. Do you wish to hear more? All Wesley can do at this point is nod.  
I am glad to hear it. I will give you the power to effect the Q and the Gray in any way you see fit. Much like what you did back on that ship but to a much greater digree, even so far as to strip the of there power completely. Also anything you ask they must answer truthfully to you, they cannot lie to you about anything. And finally, You are immune to all there powers nothing they do will effect you at all. So now that you know the pluses you should know the down side. Unlike the Q and Gray your you can not effect the normal races at all other then to counter the effects of the Q or the Gray. You will still be able to do as you have done in the past, like teleporting others and sharing your energy with them like you did to save the captain. So do you accept my offer? Wesley is silent for what seems to be forever before he says, I shall accept your offer.. Very good. With that a dark blue light surrounds Wesley as the Traveler changes shape and says, Two other things both the Q and the Gray will know you for what your are but not exactly till you show them what you are. The Q will think you are Gray and the Gray as a Q. But in short time you will become know to all as your own type and person you an create the name when the time comes. Second, You will no longer age. Before He can say a word he finds himself on board yet another ship on the bridge with a few of the others from the last one. All that the people there see is a bright blue flash.  
Hello everyone would someone mind telling me what ship this is? Captain Sisko? Wesley asks, I have heard much about your travels. My name is Wesley Crusher.

*  
From: Myron Ojala  
Date: Sat Jan 13, 2001 5:16pm Subject: Jailbird takes wing...

Slowly he opened his eyes. He looked around the room where he found himself. Suder realized that he was still in the brig and that the force field at the doorway was deactivated.

Cautiously he stepped through and saw that the security guard who monitored the console was lying on the floor unconscious. Sudor knelt over him and felt a pulse, strong and even, but he could not find a reason for the man's unconsciousness.

Sudor's last memories had been that he had been facing Kazon, who were all about to shoot him with their disruptors.

Everything had gone black.. until recently, when he found himself in the holding cell on Voyager. Only now he was in Bajoran technician gear and an earring hung from his ear that he knew he had lost years before.

Lon walked quickly to the bulkhead doors where they smoothly opened and he stepped through them.

Looking around, he saw that no one else was about.

Before Lon Sudor could decide what to do, he heard Tom Paris's query come over the ship wide intercom. "Is there anyone who can read me?!"

A smile lit up Sudor's face. He decided he would investigate the situation on board ship further before he revealed himself to the bridge crew. As Lon explored the corridors he came upon a storage compartment full of tricorders. He pulled one out and turned it on.

He checked the local readings of his surroundings. Everyone within sensor readings appeared to be unconscious like the security guard. His readings indicated that two Voyager crewman were still awake. A closer lifesign showed severe injuries.. Sudor found that this was Chakotay and he made his way as quickly as he could to where the lifesigns were, Chakotay's quarters. He overrode the security commands and entered cautiously.

Sudor found him in the main room nearly out cold and bleeding badly. He found a medkit and began to treat his fellow ex-Maquis crewman's injuries. While he worked, he talked.

Chakotay's eyes blinked open as the result of a stimulant that Sudor had administered to make him more alert. Chakotay turned his head and looked at Sudor with utter amazement. Sudor couldn't help himself and he said,  
"What's the problem commander? It looks like you've just seen a ghost."

After Sudor bound Chakotay's injuries, he helped the commander carefully to his feet. He sighed and said, "We need to get you to sickbay, commander,  
this is only a patchup job."

Chakotay shook his head in the negative and pointed his head up towards the bridge.

Then Sudor realized the situation was indeed serious if the man wanted to get to the bridge first. He said, "Very well, you still are my superior officer..."

And so they both moved out, Sudor with Chakotay's arm over one shoulder,  
together they went to the bridge. A few moments later, they made their way out onto Deck One.

Lt. Paris, on hearing the turbolift doorway open, turned in surprise from his helm chair to see who had arrived. Sudor again saw the look of utter astonishment at his freedom there on the face of Tom Paris.

And Sudor said, "What is this? Does everyone think I'm supposed to be dead?"

Lon assisted the commander down to the command deck and placed him into his chair. Sudor again pulled out his tricorder he had and bent over the captain, who according to the readings, was in a half and half state.

He didn't have a medkit handy so he tapped the captain's combadge,  
=^=Bridge to sickbay. Report at once, medical emergencies on the bridge.  
Respond.=^=

A moment later, came the EMH's reply, =^=Please state the nature of the medical emergencies.=^=

And Sudor said, "The captain and most of the bridge crew appear to be incapacitated. Commander Chakotay is suffering from severe injuries,  
doctor. I've managed to treat him as best as I can, but he needs your assistance."

The hologram replied, "Your voice sounds familiar, Why is that? Do I know you...Mr.... Lon Sudor is it? Sudor?! But that can't be!"

Lon puzzled, "Why is that, doctor?"

"Because you died!" the EMH sputtered.

Another smile slowly appeared over Lon's face, "Well, it seems that rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated. Cause I don't feel very dead. If I'm dead, I'm sure feel a H*ll of a lot better than the Commander does right now. Are you coming to the bridge?"

"I'm on my way.. Sickbay out."

Lon, on impulse checked out Tom, too, on his scanning.  
He looked at Paris who was still looking dully dumbfounded.  
"Well, it appears, Paris, that YOU are suffering from one major hangover.  
Is that why you're the only one awake? If being drunk is shielding you from whatever's wrong here, why is it that I am awake and apparently uneffected?"

Lon looked at the fiery viewscreen at the thing showing there. He left the captain's side at the sight of an energy ribbon of untold magnitude that he did not understand. Sudor realized that knowledge was the most important thing that would solve a mystery so he made his way over to science two,  
carefully stepping over the unconscious officer there. He analyzed its readings and found that the phenomena was of an energy type he had indeed never seen before.

"Mr. Paris, is it?" Sudor said, "I do believe we've gone, quite literally where no man has gone before. What do you want me to do to help you?" He asked, folding calm hands behind his back.

On the deck, Janeway moaned, drawing both their attentions.

-  
(attachment)

Image : Lon Sudor in an agonizing mind meld.

************************************************************

From: Mordok  
Date: Sat Jan 13, 2001 7:56pm Subject: O'Brian's Shock

Electric fire leapt from the console bridging the millimeters between O'Brian and the secondary power relays throwing him to the ground and momentarily off the bridge of the Defiant. --------------------------------------------------------------

"Oochie woochie koochie Coo" Molly's smiling face beamed up at the being that tickled her chin and made obscure daddy-like noises.

"Miles, the replicator is acting up again" Called Keiko from their quarters on DS9. He always enjoyed it when she was home for dinner and her Irish Stew was getting much better.

-  
"Chief!! I need power now! Cried his commander helping him back up to his station.  
As O'Brian shook his head the synapses fired up and he was back on task. "Rerouting secondary power to shield relays Captain, "We can reinforce shields but maneuvering power will take a minute!"

Silence greeted his report instead of Sisko's usual terse reply, after a moment O'Brian turned and saw a familiar figure. "Data?!?! How in the name of all that's Holy!?!".

"I am Lor. I come from the place of angels that is inside this fire. Do not be afraids. You will not be returned to nothingness.  
Just want everything to be at peace and it will come."

Lor! Sisko may not know him but O'Brian did, "Captain Sisko, that's Data's Twin brother, he may be the most evil being I've ever known, he used the Crystal entity to kill millions then allied himself with the Borg, Kill Him!"

Sisko was visibly shaken, first this orange ribbon, now Lor. Classified Federation reports had classified him as destroyed. The resemblance with Data was uncanny; then again they were twins.

Lor spoke again "I know your peoples. And I know we should be finding more of them. This place is not in the stars we know. us find out why together."

Sisko glanced at the viewscreen; the Orange ribbon was on them.  
O'Brian looked at the power distribution display. Then felt himself shift in an indescribable manner.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

"Oochie woochie koochie Coo" Molly's face beamed up at the being that tickled her chin and made obscure daddy-like noises.

O'Brian wondered why he was holding an Irish setter that just a moment ago was his newborn daughter. "That must have been one hell of a shock," he said to himself.

*  
From: Clairissa Fox Canaryyelloh...  
Date: Sun Jan 14, 2001 7:19am Subject: I find out more and get help for my friends.

I got ther very fast as quick as I could to Chakotys house.  
It was dark in there. I went insid and turnd all the lights on.

Chakoty! Chakoty! But his house was empty. I just saw a bunch of bandaydes and a big red stain on the rug. Someone had come to help him already before me. And I felt bettr.

I talked to the computr and I got Bootby looking at me.  
Is Chakoty ok Bootby? I dont see him here any more.

"He's fine young lady. Mr. Sudor is loose and he actually did the right thing for once. I have the commander's lifesigns on passive scan. He is near the captain. Now Naomi, I don't want to frighten you but Voyager has wandered into a part of space where dreams are now able to become real, do you know what that means?" Boothby asked.

Yes. I said. I was quiet when I saw something strang.

Chakotys special dream blankey was ther where he had been playing dreamplace so I sat by it looking. It was full of whit anemal fur and a hoofmark! That was how he got hurt. He got steppd on by a big white cow when it came from his dream.  
Where was Wolfie, his wolf friend? I closed my eyes and then I heard her. She came to me from the other room.

Bootby, I said, Chakotys dream wolf is here.

I petted her and she began to cry. Dont cry Wolfie. My friend Bootby knows the big cow hurt him and another man came by to fix him, see? I pointd to the kit and bandaydes on the floor. She went over to them and smelld them.

Then she went by the front door and began scratching real hard.

Bootby called out to me, "Naomi? Are you saying that a vision quest spirit guide is now with you and you are not imagining it?"

Yes, Bootby. I did not touch the trancemaker. Why is she here?

"I have yet to determine why. I am not seeing any visions myself. I can't. I'm just a computer program. All I have on my sensors a while ago was a spatial ribbon that seemed to have enveloped the ship.  
Now, I am reading that many crew are lying around dreaming things that should only be seen in their sleep at night. But you seem to be fine. You are creating things without being effected by unconsciousness. Naomi, I want you to find the EMH and tell him what I am telling you now. Would you do that for me? He needs to know what I know and the link I normally have with him isn't working."

I can do that Bootby. How do I find the hollow docter?  
Is he going to Chakoty?

"Yes, I heard him talking to Sudor just a moment ago over the comm system." the wizened computer program admitted.  
"Now, scoot. He should be halfway there already with his holoemitter. If you hurry to deck nine's turbolift, you should meet him going inside the lift as you come out.  
Hurry!"

I did. I ran from Chakotys house with two things. I got the river stone from his dream blankey and the combadj he always wore. He was going to need it latr. Wolfie was near me to. She could stay by me the whol time becaus I had that stone in my hand.

Wolfie! Wolfie! We have to find the hollow docter and tell him all this as fast as we can or my friends are all going to have bad dreams hurt them like what happend to Chakoty. Come on! Come on! We have to hurry.

Then I saw the hollow docter coming to the lift I was on already on just like Bootby said.  
He had a medicine kit and two medical peopl with him.

"Naomi Wildman. We are at red alert. Why aren't you in your quarters?" the EMH asked as he and the paramedical crew piled in beside the little girl. "Bridge." he ordered. But the computer hologram did not seem to see Matseyeho standing with Naomi's arms about her neck.

You were with me with Joshua when Chakoty called to us over the computr. I went to help. I didnt mean anything.  
You know I have to go as captains assistent.

The EMH decided that the child meant no harm by her actions but he began to scan her with a medical tricorder nonetheless. "Do you feel any different Naomi? Dizziness?  
Are you seeing anything out of the ordinary?"

I was surprisd by the checkup. Am I sick, docter? No.  
And yes. Wolfie, from Chakotys dreamplace is here with me. Dont you see her?

The EMH rolled his eyes after he and his crewmates all exchanged looks. "No, I don't, young lady. Now when we get to the bridge I want you to not be afraid. The crew seem to be fainting and I don't know why."

Docter! Docter! I know why! Bootby sent me to find you to tell you that the ship is inside a place where dreams get real. We have to tell everybody.

"This is useful information. I know now how I am going to have to treat them. Thank you, Naomi." the EMH sighed, putting away the tricorder. "But, would you stay on the upper deck while I treat the bridge crew? I want you safe in the turbolift's containment field just in case the ship rocks again inside the anomaly. I wouldn't want you to get hurt too."

I will, docter. Just take this to Chakoty. I held up the river stone. He needs this to see Wolfie and she needs it to go where he is ok? I just know they have to be togethr. And this, the combadj. Chakoty was to scared to bring it. He will want to talk to everybody about all this.

The EMH took the stone and the communicator from the child and soon, they were there.

-  
(attachment)

Image : Naomi portrait in sunlight.

*  
From: Cory Anda andacoryh...  
Date: Sun Jan 14, 2001 7:30am Subject: Contact...

Chakotay was in blinding pain. He forced himself to stay awake in the bridge chair but he knew he was in no shape to command Voyager. He was glad Paris had taken over.

"Tom. Do what you can. Stabilize our shields. This anomaly's making all of our fantasies or imaginings real somehow. I was hurt by a spirit guide charging me."

The first officer glanced down at the captain but she still seemed to be breathing. He checked out the status of those he could see lying on the floor just by looking from where he was hunched over.  
They all seemed to be breathing fine with no trouble. They just weren't awake at the moment.

He sighed, grateful and did one further check. "Computer!"  
he shouted to the air, "Crew bioflags. Report!"

#Ninety six crewman are unconscious, Captain Janeway, Ensign Ballard, Ensign--#

"Skip that. Go on."

#Commander Chakotay has abhorrent lifesigns indicative of shock. The EMH is en route. Harry Kim is no longer on board Voyager.#

"What?" the first officer hollered. He immediately regretted shouting as a white hot jolt pierced his chest from his fractured ribs. A trickle of blood ran down his face from underneath one of Sudor's hastily placed dressings.  
"Ship's status."

#Shields holding. Weapons. Offline. Propulsion. Offline.  
Life support fully functional.# the computer reported. #We are at red alert. Instated by Janeway, Kathryn, A,  
commanding at 0903 hours.#

Again Chakotay looked at Kathryn lying near him with worry.  
But nothing further could be done until help came for all of them.

::I just wish someone knew what that wave was.:: he thought watching Tom secure all stations and sitting in the command seat to coordinate rescue efforts ship wide.

He saw that Tom had utilized Sudor to aid him in securing Voyager.  
They started also to scan the ship's immediate surroundings for Ensign Kim. The lieutenant's terse orders rang out as he worked but the sound of Paris's voice faded from Chakotay's perceptions.

He blacked out.

---------------------------------------------------------------

A warm caress of a lupine tongue roused him and Chakotay felt the slight bite of a hypo at his neck.

"Easy, commander. Your wounds are severe. Sickbay's power systems are down so we are going to have to treat you here. Lie still."  
the EMH told him.

The first officer opened his eyes, burying a hand in Matseyeho's fur. He wondered why he could see her when he saw his carved river stone on the carpeting near the medkit set at his side.

He was lying on his back, his meditation shirt already cut away and his ribs carefully bound until the osteoregenerator could do its work.

"I've stabilized you and if you're seeing a wolf, Naomi sent her to you and sends regards of her own." he quipped.

Chakotay saw the little girl wave joyfully at him from where he could see her watching from the turbolift.  
The holophysician began shifting his focus to Janeway,  
stretched out next to Chakotay. "The captain appears to be coming out of it, whatever it is. I suspect she could awaken anytime."  
he announced, scanning her head.

"That goes for the entire ship, commander. I've circulated Cordrazine microscopically into the ship's ventilation system and that should counteract the disorienting syncope attached to the Nexus's first influences. Sudor and I theorize that over time,  
everyone should be able to hold their own integrity mentally once they grow accustomed to having their dreams and nightmares come to life."

"Nexus?" the first officer grimaced.

"Quite an apt term if I say so myself. Sudor coined it.  
There." the EMH sighed, "Your ribs are healed and so's the slight pneumothorax you suffered from that kick to the chest. Just don't repeat whatever it was that brought you something that big to use you as a soccer ball and you should be fine." he smiled.

Chakotay felt himself aided to sit up by one of the medtechs. He was given a new uniform tunic top to go over his light trousers.  
But at a subtle thought from his own mind, the woven pants exchanged themselves for the proper black ones. A second one parked his combadge that Naomi had found onto his shoulder.

::Useful thing this Nexus. If I had known I could do that earlier,  
I'd have cured myself.:: he chuckled mentally.

He got up from his place on the floor and crouched near Kathryn.  
He placed a hand on her arm. "Don't worry, captain. We've got your ship under control. Everyone's safe and I'm sure Harry's whereabouts will be discovered soon enough. Rest easy. Wake when you can."

He nodded to the EMH who stayed at her side. She was the only one on Voyager still out cold. ::Must be some dream she's having to not want to return to the land of the living..:: Chakotay mused.

He returned to his chair, leaving Tom in command for the moment until he himself could catch up on events. He saw Lon Suder work at Science station two diligently, so he left him be.  
::I don't know why a dead man's suddenly appeared on my ship but I am grateful to whomever dreamed him up. I could've been dead by now, still lying in my quarters.::

He waved Naomi onto the bridge and he saw the little girl rush over to shepherd Matseyeho away from the command deck and into the turbolift.  
The immediate emergency was over. And a quick mind touch with his spirit guide confirmed it.

Now, all that remained was to find out what other poor unfortunate souls had been sucked into the Nexus with Voyager.

On the viewscreen, four sensor blips winked there on tactical.  
Three of them read as Federation vessels.  
::This could get interesting.:: Chakotay guessed. :: The Enterprise,  
the Defiant, the Enterprise B, and the Lakul. And none of them read as having any biomass. True ghostships.::

On a hunch, Chakotay asked the computer one more question,  
"Computer, how much does Voyager weigh right now if she were under Earth's gravity field?"

#Nine standard grams.# it answered.

::*Whistle...* Ask a dumb question. Looks like we're all shadows now.  
Even the ships we think we're inhabiting.::

On an impulse, Chakotay had the officer at Ops send out a universal hail to the four ships in sensor range.

=^=This is Commander Chakotay of the Federation Starship Voyager.  
We've been hit by an unknown dimensional effect but we are offering aid. Do you require assistance?=^=

He held his breath, waiting for a reply. He could hardly wait to actually get Kathryn's ship back on track and highly productive in the whole situation by the time she regained her consciousness.

Already, her head was moving and she was making sounds of recovery.

::Hurry up Kathryn. Or I'll get Matseyeho's set on a thorough face scrubbing on you.:: Chakotay wrinkled his nose at the memory of his own encounter with the bad breath he knew Naomi had imagined on his spirit guide.

-  
(attachments)

Image: Tom Paris and Chakotay tense at viewscreen on a smoky bridge.

Audio : Chak- Computer, *warble* Damage report! *Beep*

******************************************

END WEEK ONE RECAP 01-14-01 ()

WEEK TWO RECAP 01-15-01

()

***************************************************

From: "Ezriel Yellin" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] The Generation Gap Date: Sun, 14 Jan 2001 15:54:27 -0000

"...and I will not be there. Period!"

James Kirk recalled the argument in the admiral's office with a bitter taste in his mouth. For weeks, he told anyone who would listen that he would not step on the bridge of the Enterprise -B for its "once around the block" maiden voyage, unless he was in command.  
The Enterprise was his, Jim Kirk's, and no popinjay Starfleet bureaucrat could take it away from him. He tried it once before, when he was appointed admiral; he simply boarded the ship and took command. But now, he did not have that auhority.

For days there were calls from admirals, some begging with him, some coming just short of ordering him to be on the bridge. There was even a pleasant appeal from John Harriman himself, politely inviting him aboard for the ceremonies. Kirk rudely replied that he had better things to do with his time then waste an afternoon on a run arund the solar system.

----------

# Message for James Kirk # chimed the communications station.

Kirk woke with a start. He was dreaming of the encounter with the Doomsday Machine, so many years ago. If it was not for the great teamwork on the bridge of the Enterprise (the "real" one, he thought)  
and the sacrifice of Captain Decker, the device would still be out there.  
::We saved the whole universe.:: he thought with amusement.

The communicatons station chimed for attention. Kirk looked around the well-appointed suite that Starfleet had assigned to him for this occasion.  
"Fit for an admiral" he commented to the yeoman who had shown him to the rooms.

"Yes, sir" the yeoman replied. "We prepared the best suite for you!?

Climbing out of bed, Kirk glanced at the clock (5:45 am), then out the window. He had a wonderful view of the city. He loved San Francisco almost as much as he loved deep space. The communications station chimed again, a bit more stridently than before.

"James Kirk here." he said.

=^= Communication from Starfleet Protocol Office. Do you accept? =^=

"Audio only."

"Captain Kirk? This is Robert Lansing from the Protocol Office. We'll be sending around a car to take you to the pre-launch breakfast in 45 minutes. Is that acceptable?"

"I'll be ready."

Kirk really did not want to attend the pre-launch breakfast. it was a tradition from the earliest days of Earth's manned space programs. In those days, the crew, from 1 - 3 men would gather for their last Earth meal; by tradition, steak and eggs, before the flight. These days, it involved the captain, senior officers and dignitaries of new construction leaving on a maiden voyage from an Earth-based shipyard.  
He was told that he had no choice; he was the designated guest of honour by Captain Harriman and his officers.

"Jim, they want you there." The admiral told him. "They want to feel as if one generation was passing over to another. Besides, your old shipmates, Montgomery Scott and Pavel Chekov will be there."

After a shower and careful application of whisker-inhibitor, Kirk pulled on his Starfleet dress uniform. He had taken great pains to polish all his insignia to a mirror-bright shime. As there remained 25 minutes before his escort arrived, he sat in one of the suite's plush armchairs and ordered some music from the computer.

Suddenly, the temperature in the room seemed to drop to freezing.  
Kirk was plagued with that old fear; that he would die alone.

"Get ahold of yourself!" he said aloud. "You will not die alone. At least not today; Today is not a good day to die!"

#Unable to decipher your command#

"Forget it!"

Kirk sat by himself in the shuttle. The ceremonies would have been all right if it were not for the reporters and civilian dignitaries talking about the "passing of the mantle." When one reporter asked how he felt, Kirk replied wryly:

"Le roi est mort; vive le roi. The king is dead, long live the king."

He had a nagging feeling that this simple trip would have an unusual ending.

*  
From: "Miriam Yellin" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Spot and friends Date: Sun, 14 Jan 2001 20:54:54 +0200

:: Let's go check out the bridge::spot said to Isis

::How do we get there from here with Gary:: Isis asked

::You have been relying on humans for to long don't you remember anything . It's called walking::

::Remember who you are addressing please::

::Look If you don't want to go I'll ask Molly::

Meow meow " Spot called to Molly the hollow dog :Let's go see what our friends on the bridge are doing::

ruff ruff:Ok:

::hey I'm coming too:: said Isis

As the three walked out of sickbay a red hazy cloud enveloped them.

::What's this . Do you know what's happening here Isis:: Spot did not like this haze

Isis did not like it any better. ::Lets get to the bridge as fast as we can. I wish Gary were here::

:: You have been relying on him for too long:: Spot hissed to Isis

::Please don't fight :: Molly wined

as the three walked onto the bridge the they spotted the captain.

::Oh boy are we in trouble again::Spot hissed

***********************************************************************

From: "robert catrair" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Remember the past to the present Date: Mon, 15 Jan 2001 00:41:56 -0000

Worf woke up in his quarters,Jadzia was sleeping next to him snoring. =^=Worf to bridge=^= Worf said but no answer was forth coming. =^=Worf to Captain=^= again no answer. He rises out of his bed."computer where is the Captain". #Captain is located in his quarters# the computer answer. "computer what is the location of captain's quarters" Worf ask. The computer does not answer the about the security of the enterprise Worf put on his uniform and walk out of his sleeping compartment to the living area. Alexander is there practicing with the batlith. " Father"  
Alexander ask "will you teach me more ways to strike with this weapon"  
Worf stun for a second thinking his son was on a klingon vessel,  
but answer with "later on the holodeck" still looking at his son and walking out of his quarters. when he step threw the door way he emerge on the bridge of the defiant.

On the view screen was Worf son Alex leaving to learn to become a klingon warrior. Sisko said to Worf "would you like to say good luck to your son before he is out of range"with a chuckle in his voice. For the second time that day in less than five minutes Worf was stun. " Captain" worf said " I need to go to sickbay, something is wrong." As he leaves the bridge, he walk right into the sickbay on the enterprise and was telling him " you are 100% ok". "where is Alex,my son "Worf ask.  
"who is that" the doctor answer. As he rolled off the bed he grab a trycorder to get some answer for doctor walk over and put her hand on Worf shoulder to comfort him. With a growl,Worf said "leave me alone." then he closed his eyes for a second, when he open them he was back on the bridge of the defaint.  
Looking at sisko "captain I must talk to you " the reply from Sisko "my ready room Worf" as they enter the ready room Worf growled again. the reason this time he was on the promenaded deck on D.S.9. With Sisko throwing the winning baseball in the air again."what is wrong Worf"Sisko Ask still smiling from the game.  
Worf started to growl very load as his temper started to peak. then nothing but white. as he open his eyes again he is in sickbay with his wife. Dax is saying "please don't forget me" as she dies in Worf hands. With the Anger and hate, heartbroken from the lost Worf ask "what do you want with me?"As he put his head back on dax. While he held onto her, he heard footstep coming toward he look up, it was the foot soldiers of the Dominion. As they located Worf and started toward him. Worf grab his phazer and batlith,while raising from picking up his weapons from the floor and spinning at the same time He attack the foot soldiers with no first one he hit with the aim of a true warrior,center second was close and kick the phazer out of Worf hand-Worf Smiles and growl with batlith in hand. he hit the second on right across the neck. the third in the arm with the follow threw. He then realize seven more was coming at the odds against him,he is knock down by sheer power of the enemy. down and then out.

As he awakes screaming. He realize he is back in his Quarters.  
Next to Dax,::was that a dream:: thinking Worf,::or was it the truth.:: Going threw the morning ritual,realize he was on D.S.9.  
He left his home and went to the operation deck to his security console to look at the sensors logs from last he look threw the reports he see they are the exact same reports for each hour.  
=^=Worf to O'Brian are the sensors operational?=^=. Yes is the answer he receive from O'Brian.  
Then a flash and a memory comes out of no were, the ribbon!  
Could I still be in it??

****************************************************************************

From: "Amiee Jo Fielder" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] The light at the end of the tunnel Date: Sun, 14 Jan 2001 20:38:49 -0600

Janeway slowly came to. She groggily looked around the bridge, the only other two active people appeared to be Chakotay and Tom Paris. Chakotay seemed injured. "Chakotay, are you all right?" Kathryn said as Chakotay nodded and Tom came to her aid in sitting upright.

The EMH cautioned her "Take it easy captain, I still am not quite sure why my counter measures against this energy field have no effect. I'd take you to sick bay but there is next to no power left there. I'll have to examine you here." With that he grasped his tricorder and scanned her up and down.  
"Well, everything appears perfectly normal, as with everyone else. No explanation to offer.

"Keep working on it Doctor" Janeway said as she looked at the view screen and gingerly made her way back into her chair. She watched as the Doctor attended to Chakotay. :: As if I didn't have enough things to worry about right now, I don't need an injured firs officer.:: Then she noticed Lon Suder out of the corner of her eye. ::That makes me feel a lot better. :  
She thought to herself rather sarcasticaly. :: I just wish my ship was operational.:: She mused.

Kathryn looked at her console "All systems appear to be back on line? Doctor I thought you said sick bay had no power?" The Doctor shrugged. "Well,  
nice work Tom" Tom looked at her as if to say 'I had nothing to do with this.' Confused Janeway pretended not to notice.

The Captain sank back into her chair, happy her ship appeared to be intact.  
"Chakotay, can you give me a status report?"

She looked at him expectantly.

(attachment)

Image :Janeway in her chair looking tense.

*  
From: Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Maquis roots run deep.  
Date: Mon, 15 Jan 2001 02:33:35 -0000

Seska finished her diagnostic of the power cupplings as ordered to by Lt. Torres earlier that morning. She had been putting off the work for some time now. Still sticking to her Maquis roots, Seska found it satisfying to disobey orders or to put things off longer than neccessary to show Janeway and her Starfleet crew that she was still Maquis and refused to join her in her efforts to get back to Earth.

"I don't see how Chakotay can stand to take orders from Janeway."  
complained Seska as she went from one console to the other checking the data stream. Down below her in Main Engineering she could hear B'Elanna giving order after order to the crew. She said something in Cardassian and walked towards the lift. As she did the ship rocked violently sending Seska flying forward into a bulkhead.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Seska awoke with a start as a hand firmly grasped her shoulder.  
Turning around she saw Tuvok standing behind her, his usual emotionless face looking down at her. He nodded, seeing that she was awake, and turned back to his station at the CONN. Seska turned back to her own console, and not remembering what she was working on,  
looked around the bridge of the Maquis vessel. Tuvok was at his usual station, and Chakotay was standing above him. Seska remembered now,  
Tuvok was a new member to the Maquis. There was something odd about him and Seska didn't like it. A phaser blast soon rocked the ship.  
Checking her scans she saw a Federation vessel coming about for another volley.

"Arm torpedoes. Tuvok, evassive maneuvers." cried Chakotay as he struggled to stand. Seska tapped the console in front of her furiously. Again the ship rocked and Seska was sent flying forward into the panel, being knocked uncounscious.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

#Warp core breech immenent#

Seska rubbed her head and sat up. She groaned with pain and looked up to see an officer in a dark blue tunic looking down at her with a tricorder in his hand. Waving him off she stood and looked around.  
She was back in Engineering on board Voyager. Seska looked over the rail down at the crew in Engineering. Most were waking and others were placed on one side of the room being treating.

#Warp core breech in 2 minutes#

With that he eyes darted down to the core where a group of engineers,  
including B'Elanna, were working fiercely on the core. Grabbing her tool kit from the nearby console, Seska ran down to join them. She was Maquis and wanted nothing to do with the Federation, but she also wanted to live. She came up next to Vorik and began to work on the core.

#Warp core breech in 1 minute#

The team worked together for the first time since the Maquis and Starfleet merged and with less than a few seconds left managed to stop the core from breeching. Seska sighed in relief, then remembering she was Maquis, put on her usual look and went back to her station on the upper deck.

*  
From: "runic147" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] A strange new world?  
Date: Tue, 16 Jan 2001 13:03:49 -0500

Wesley stands on the bridge of the Defiant and looks at the people around him. Captain Sisko, Data's worse half Lor, a Cardassion, O'Brien, and Harry Kim. Miles he knows from The Enterprise, the same with Lor and Harry from the ship he just left. He WAS aboard Voyager and now another this ship.

"Captain Sisko, may I ask a very odd question. Where are we and how did we get here?"

But before he even finishes his question the answers appears in his mind.

"The Nexus? We are in the Nexus? How in the world did we end up here."

Just then he hears the half-faded transmission from Voyager and looks back the captain.

"Can we responded to them Captain?"He also looks to O'Brien who seems t be ding some repairs on the ship. After waiting to hear what Sisko says he says, "Sir, I can go over there personally to let them know where we stand and that maybe be the best course until we know what effect the Nexus will have on are ships systems and from the sound of their hail they may not understand what we are saying."

Wesley turns to Harry Kim and says, "I would offer to take you back with me but I think for now it might be a good idea for you to stay here and let them know what has happen aboard your ship. I will bring back a data pad with all the info for you." With that said he teleports himself with a flash of deep blue light to the Voyager Bridge and stands in front of Captain Janeway and Commander Chakotay.

"Hello again Captain and you too Commander." Turning around to Tom saying,  
"And To you as well Tom. I am glad that you are all alive and well and made it here in one piece. First off I somehow ended up aboard Defiant along with Harry Kim who is just fine. The ship however needs some repairs that they are working on at the moment."

Wesley pauses for a moment as he feels an odd tingling in his mind and his eyes open wide when he figures out the reason.

~Two of the Grays are here. I will have to be careful seeing as they will think I am Q and they dislike them so much. ~

Looking back to Janeway he says, "As I was saying in case you did not know we are in the Nexus. It seems that we ended up right in its path when we came out. One last thing captain I am not sure what effect this place will have n the ships systems so I would advise to hold f for a bit n using teleporters or replicaters and stuff of that nature. It may not be a good idea. I offer to go to each ship as Messenger till we a get a better way to talk to each other. I told Harry Kim I would bring him a data pad of the ships events so he and let Captain Sisko know what is going on and maybe two others for the other federation ships."

*  
From: "Roxy Dee" Subject: Harry Kim , Courier extraordinaire'~~~ Date: Wed, 17 Jan 2001 18:28:36 -0000

Harry Kim could not believe his eyes. It was an apparently human looking man who had the power to teleport. Then a name was cast out, Wesley. ::Now why does that ring a bell?:: the ensign thought. He listened to Wesley's idea of his remaining behind to be a liaison to the Defiant and to her crew until something further would be required of him.

He nodded to the strange yet benevolent teen and watched as he disappeared. ::Well, I guess I'd better get ready to be receiving a LOT of datapadds. I guess the Captain and Chakotay and the others on my ship are all right. Wesley didn't seem to be worried about them.::

Harry shivered at his last memory of everyone dropping one by one to the deck and his friend, Tom's look of anger as he realized he was the only one able to take charge. That expression on Paris's face merely echoed what Kim felt about being inside yet another unexplained phenomena. ::The Nexus? Gee, I wonder what that is?::

He was going to ask Captain Sisko but the man was in deep consultation with his crew going over matters to be bothered for the moment. ::I forgot:: Kim sighed. ::Here I am only an ensign. A displaced one at that. And this isn't my bridge. So I'm going to have to prove to myself that I can be useful while I'm here.I'm an Ops officer, so I'll act like one.::

He held out his hands to O'Brien, in an unspoken question and pointed to the abandoned science station holding up his medical tricorder which could very easily be reconfigured to be a scientific one.

He saw the Chief glance up at his beleaguered superior and he chuckled, waving Kim on ahead with a spanner.

Kim said, "Finally.. someone acknowledges me. Thank you , chief." he said as he altered his tricorder to link with Defiant's Ops station. He caught a brief reading of Klingon DNA on the keypads. He raised his eyebrows at O'Brien.. "Missing your Ops/Security Officer?" The smile on the Chief's face washed away and he nodded grudgingly.

Harry smiled a small one back, "Don't worry. I'll take really good care of his station until he returns.. Perhaps he was just displaced, like me."

Harry quickly pulled up the Defiant's sensor logs and got some interesting readings. This starship held no apparent mass...

!!!!!! Kim's forehead furrowed, ::But that's impossible!:: Then he shook himself, "Wesley did mention that we were in an area of space called the Nexus. I wonder if the Defiant's computer records have anything on it. "

Harry Kim felt a new presence at his shoulder. It was Lor, who looked so much like Data, it was uncanny. Only the clothes betrayed his true identity, brown overalls. The android was fascinated with Harry's referencing and crosschecks and he folded arms behind his back respectfully while he watched. Chief O'Brien shot a warning look at Harry with a meaningful cock of his head to Lor. But all Harry saw was a slight smile on the android's features. ::This being, a killer? Doesn't feel like it.:: he reasoned. But he gave an answering nod to the Chief and moved so his back wasn't to Lor.

"Whoa..." Kim sighed. He reported his findings to the air and while he read, Quark and Lor gathered close reading from the screen. "This Nexus is on file! It was present at the death of the James Kirk of the original Enterprise. He was on the maiden tour of the Enterprise B," he glanced up at the Defiant's working viewscreen and saw the ghost like image of the Ent-B there along side three other vessels. The Lakul, Voyager, and now, the Liberty.. ::Isn't that Chakotay's Maquis vessel from before he joined up with Voyager? That's odd. It's like anything we think or believe comes real here. I wonder who thought up that little ship?::

He noticed that the situation on the viewscreen was not lost on Sisko who was paying close attention now from his command chair with the one called Odo at his side watching with him.

Just as suddenly, the Liberty disappeared.

"What?.." Quark complained, "I think somebody's fantasy of that ship just ended. Now if only I can dream up the Great Treasury, I'd be in Ferengi heaven....But this place doesn't seem to work for me."

Harry sighed, and then he found a one Guinan's account of the Nexus in one of the Enterprise D log reports talking about it to a one Jean Luc Picard. "Now this is interesting.. She knows all about this place.. I wonder if she's here too.."

He turned to the bridge aloud and said, "Guinan!! I now know about you and the Nexus.. If the powers of this place are indeed anything one wishes or believes.. I would like you to be here ..."

He pointed to the deck, "to guide us..." he whispered. "Come if you can."

Kim closed his eyes and waited.

-  
(attachments)

Image : Harry Kim promo-lilac background

Image : A grinning Quark with a saxophone smoke all around him.. Too hot!

*logo* Paramount logo and link to site.

*  
From: "Cory Anda" Subject: Signs and symbols.  
Date: Wed, 17 Jan 2001 18:45:08 -0000

Chakotay blinked.. Captain Janeway was addressing him.

The Captain sank back into her chair, happy her ship appeared to be intact. "Chakotay, can you give me a status report?"

She looked at him expectantly.

"Oh, ah.. yes. Captain, I am no longer injured." He glanced down at his hands and skin which still had flaking blood on them even though the skin beneath felt healthy and whole. He felt his head at an itch and felt drying blood there, too.

At a thought he wished it away. Kathryn's eyes widened as she saw the change in Chakotay's appearance so suddenly. The EMH grunted in satisfaction on his last scan of the first officer and moved off to attend to others scrapes and bruises for those who hadn't quite mastered the Nexus's powers.

"I guess I understand ether realms better than most." he grinned at her, "We're inside th--"

Then Wesley appeared once more, and finished where Chakotay left off.  
In between thoughts, Chakotay leaned over to Kathryn and said, "I'll give you a few dreamscape lessons and maybe you'll be able to dream up that perfect cup of coffee afterwards.. You should have taken me up on my offer to teach you more about your spirit guide and how he works in your mind. I wish I could show you right here, but somehow, that place in the dream quest manifests as real.. I was injured by an albino buffalo, a Manitou, the one who brings dreams..." he raised his eyebrows ironically and turned to listen to Wesley offer his help as messenger.

Chakotay nodded, "Sounds feasible. With the main viewer on the fritz and our power distribution net sketchy, we can use live communication between all of these vessels out there. Thank you, Wesley."

He glanced up briefly and felt a shock, he had seen a ghostly outline of his old ship, the Liberty.. But then it was gone as soon as the image triggered his sharp memory.. "Now who could've done that?!"

At the captain's questioning gaze, he reiterated.. "Only a few people know about the Liberty, it was there a few moments ago. Now it's gone.." ::Seska..:: But she was dead, wasn't she?

Then the computer fired off a warp core breach warning and all hell broke loose, Chakotay and Janeway snapped orders to contain matters to handle the emergency but as soon as it began, it had ended.. "What th-?" the first officer grunted.

On an impulse, he glanced at Janeway and toggled a switch. "Chakotay to engineering, situation report.."

Janeway saw Chakotay almost turn white as his dream buffalo when the voice answered back saying that B'Elanna had disappeared off ship and that the crisis was over.

It was Seska!! By all rank and protocol, engineering was now all hers with Torres missing. The strange appearance and disappearance of the Liberty was most likely due to Seska. "She's got the hang of the Nexus, too." Chakotay told his captain and Wesley. "As we all know, she doesn't have Voyager's best interests at heart."

A new voice broke the stunned stillness between Wesley, Janeway and Chakotay. "Who doesn't?"

Startled, Wesley, Janeway, Chakotay, Tom, Spot, Isis and Naomi all looked at the new arrival in wonder.

Reginald Barclay held out a steaming cup of REAL earth coffee to his favorite captain, grinning broadly.. "You may be incapable of using this Nexus because of your skeptical scientific nature, captain, but I can do things FOR you.. You see? I've found this place with the Argus array just a few days ago while sending out your monthly mailcall... And now, I am here in the flesh!!"

Barclay's eyes twinkled as Janeway and Chakotay put two and two together.. "Yes,.. from the Argus array, in the Alpha Quadrant.... It's too bad you are all shadows on shadow vessels, commander. Because this part of the Nexus Ribbon is hanging over Pluto right now.."

He watched Janeway pat herself down as if checking to see whether or not she was a ghost while Chakotay gripped the seeming reality of the armrests beneath his hands.

"Yes, I and Wesley here are the only real people here. Remember the silver blood people, Captain Janeway? The ones from the Demon Planet? Well, this all is the same idea.. We,... are like they.. Shadows.. Only we won't disintegrate at all. But our existence is tied solely to the Nexus itself, we exist,,.... only here. Don't worry all. I've been keeping tabs on the real Defiant and the real Lakul, the real Enterprise B and genuine Voyager closely.

The Defiant has just reported surviving an ion storm off Bajor and is docking with DS9 as we speak, the Lakul is in space dock, the Enterprise B is still in the Utopia Planetia Shipyards museum and" Barclay sighed sadly, "I'm afraid, Voyager is still lost 54 thousand light years away in the Delta Quadrant..."

At Janeway's stunned look and sudden full eyes he added, "But don't worry. The mail got through...I redirected it to the proper Voyager.. Your crew is reading it right now. I-I assure you. I promise to be there for her like I am for you now, captain, on this Voyager. Just believe that it's true and it will happen."

The lieutenant waited to see how his words were taken and he sat down on the rail near her and waited..

Then he spied Spot.. His face fell into absolute joy and he began to fawn over Spot like no one's business.. "Oh, Spot..I thought you were a pussy popsicle,, It's so good to see you... I wonder who dreamed YOU back.. I'm so glad you aren't dead.. Yes,.. I love you too..."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(attachments)

Image : Janeway and Chakotay in a collage showing their working relationship.

Image : Barclay and Spot, nose to nose.

*animated gif* A classic Enterprise and stars revolving inside a clear marble of glass.

Image : Logo- Four captains and their ships.

*animated bar* A green light tracing back and forth on red beads.

*  
From: "Fran Catrair" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Torment....and Confusion Date: Thu, 18 Jan 2001 04:06:06 -0000

The light cleared, and she was face to face with someone she never wanted to see again. "Well, so we meet again,  
B'Elanna. I assure you, you will not get away from me this time." ::And I thought it couldn't get any worse.  
:: B'Elanna internally grimaced. Here, in front of her,  
stood Kotar, grinning widely. She was on the Barge of the Dead, on the way to Gre'thor, also known as Klingon Hell, where dishonored souls were taken.

B'Elanna was confused. ::Have I died?:: she wondered.  
It didn't make any sense. She remembered being on Voyager, yet something must have gone terribly wrong,  
if she was now here. At last, she decided to turn her attention to Kotar. Smiling at him, she said,  
"How nice to see you again, Kotar. Although I think you must have made a mistake. You see, I'm...NOT...dead."  
she hissed at him. "It doesn't matter if you are dead or not, my dear." he replied smoothly. YOU are the one who has brought yourself here, not me." he finished. ::I did this? But how?:: she thought.  
Realizing he was speaking again, she returned her attention to Kotar. "...and I assure you, B'Elanna,  
your dishonor will not allow you to escape. You really are a pathetic creature. You serve Starfleet, obeying your human captain like a dog. You have mated with a human, one who has also dishonored his family. You scorn your Klingon heritage, when in reality, WE should be scorning YOU!" his voice had risen throughout his speech, and his anger and utter contempt were obvious.  
Seething, he played his trump card. "And, there's the matter of your mother, Miral. I can make sure you NEVER see her in Sto-Vo-Kor!"

Initially stunned by his tongue-lashing, she began to get angry, the anger growing and growing until it was boiling when Kotar had finished his little diatribe.  
Especially when he mentioned her mother. Her anger became focused, and she wanted to hurt him. No, she wanted to kill him. Suddenly, a Bat'Leth was in her hands. She looked at it, mildly surprised. As she turned her attention to Kotar, she realized he was gone. She didn't know where, but she would find him.  
She slowly started to search the deck.

As she continued searching, her anger began to slowly cool. The anger was turning to uncertainty and fear.  
As she continued searching, she felt someone bump into her from the rear. Turning, she saw a Trill woman,  
wearing a Starfleet uniform. ::Who is this?::, she wondered. ::What is she doing here?:: Uncertain if this was some trick of Kotar's, she levelled the weapon at the woman's throat.

The Trill smiled wryly, "You can try to kill me but my symbiont is no longer present so I am as good as dead.  
Press in another five centimeters and my carotid artery is sure to be compromised and I assure you, I will die most spectacularly..." she hissed angrily.

She stared at the woman. ::She IS real.:: B'Elanna realized. She didn't know how or why, but she realized this Trill was in the same situation as she was. Lowering the weapon, she relaxed somewhat. "It appears we both have something in common. Now, how do we get out of here?"  
she asked. She looked around. Kotar and his crew were frantically running around the ship, and she realized Kotar had actually forgotten about them. What could cause Kotar to become distracted, where he would not willingly torment his passengers? She decided she should stop thinking about herself, and just notice what was going on around her. The sky had a strange appearance.  
Then, she saw it. Over near the entrance to Gre'thor.  
The crimson ribbon she had noticed on Voyager. "Do you have any idea what that is?" she asked the Trill.  
"All I know is I first saw it on Voyager, before I ended up here." At the thought of Voyager, her Klingon garb disappeared, replaced with her Starfleet uniform.  
The Bat'Leth was also gone. "It appears whatever we think can become reality. Maybe we can think ourselves off this ship!" she jokingly stated.

And just like that, she was. She found herself onboard a Starfleet vessel. One she had never been onboard before. There was a buzz of activity around her. She noticed a male, human captain, one she did not recognize.  
However, she recognized the Ferengi, as well as the android Data from their recent adventure. Others she did not know. But, the last person, standing over at Ops, she did recognize. Smiling in great relief, she stated, "Harry,  
am I ever glad to see you! Now, can you tell me just what we are doing here?"

____________________________________________________________

(attachments)

Image : B'Elanna in battle armour.

Image : Gre'thor the Klingon afterlife citadel gate.

Image : B'Elanna in her Engineering uniform with Harry.

*animated gif* Four ships morphing from one to another,  
TOS, STTNG, DS9, and STV's.

*  
From: "Lil Sister" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Act from your heart for all Date: Thu, 18 Jan 2001 08:14:56 -0000

Lor saw that a person new was with them. He saw she was Klingon and had the clothes of Harry's kind.

He searched her face for the answers about the outside fire but saw nothing. He turned to the ensigne Harry and spoke with curious heart, "Is this the Security Officer you had speakings of to O'Brien? If so, she is back."

The woman's heart was not so kind. She gave her compatriot a not funny seeing on her face. Then she turned her back to look at the ship peoples here in this Defeant.

Lor did not mind. He knew now the emotion of no control and the power of it over one's self who was accostumed to having that nearest. His new chip was also gifting understandings of biologikal beings now. He knew now. As he had not, to feel.

Lor saw the fire that was called the Nexus in place of his speakings of the Place of Angels and felt it was a good naming.

For a nexus was a meetings of peoples and things of the mind,  
no? And here was certainly it.

"I know I have to learn of our surroundings, Harry and Torrez.  
But I am not the man that Defeant engineere says is the evilness of one who takes life. This place around us has gifted me with heaven in this chip in my head, yes? I am new now. But if the body is still guilt then I will be your captive one for that crime which I stands by witnesses like he. I will not be free if I kills in the past."

Lor put his arms in the surrender angle and bowed his head.

He saw the Klingon woman go unguarded and the chief stand with open eyes. He did not say himself much and they both just thought.

Lor felt a need to say, "I know this Nexus is wonderous. It is a placings the non alive have power to do as well. I am not alive,  
but I have awarenesses. I have made great changes in mine heart.  
So have fear not. The Place of Angels has blessings for me and I partake then. I find the lab where I began and a great desertland but then I was here. If I do grip this power to go far,  
I want to help people here, yes?"

Lor stood open in mind as his eyes were open to watch the others.  
He felt a need to be as one in comradeness here. ::In honor of my brother who is far. I do this.::

The machine man took his great memory and all the records into himself from the Defeant and then he went to the voyager main center where the leaders were.

He knew he could be there now and he was , as Harry and Torrez would learn if they do it same.

He spoke to one he knew from his brother. "Wesley. You are differenting. One who has much power I feel. Do you know why this Nexus? Why is this heaven and hell with no people but we?  
It is a vast land. I sees on the screen that Pluto. Is that not near your home's Earth? "

He went to the science place and did the same thing so he had knowings of this ship inside memory. The way the Nexus came was close for her and the Defeant. He then saw that Voyager was from Delta Quadrant, a very long journeyings. "But then her there was here. You are on Alpha map now. I learn this. The Place of Angels grows. It is differenting from the one Guinan and this Kirk knows in size and why it now for the heart darknesses when before was joy only. But it is a river still. We carry with it where it goes.  
To where I know not and cannot reason."

Lor went to the cats. And red Spot saw him as his Data brother. "I am not your master but I have seen him. I feel bad then we were angry.  
Now I am here. I shall care for you until I see my brother where he is, yes? I am part why you are here."

He turned to the one with the highest rankings on the collare. It was a woman with a strong heart he could see. "I stay here to get your ship good. No power in many places. Let me do this."

Lor saw the tiny child in the lift place. "Is she born here? I do not know her father from her horns there, in the records."

Naome felt her face and the points she had and moved in a way that was calming to Lor. She came near to have speakings to all with her and Lor was surprised to see that she pushed back something half her height that wasn't seen into the lift so the doors don't catch it. ::What was she do? There is nothing there.::

The girl told him that it was the wolf of Chakotay she sent back to his homeland. ::I see nothing.:: Lor felt.

But it was not important now. The ship needed to be like it was rapid time. He saw the one named Captain nod at him light,  
so Lor began.

His machine assete let the power come back to the distance trans disks and the food makers. ::I have unpuzzled this two machines, no? :: Lor said to the second leader and her.  
::And I know your Torrez is there on the Defeant.  
I have seen her with mine own eyes. She is well.::

Right then the communikaton machine talked from a vessel in the Nexus. It was not a ship Lor knew.  
::I wonder now what is to come?::

*****************************************************************

From: "patti keiper" Subject: The Rock in the River.  
Date: Thu, 18 Jan 2001 23:16:21

The EMH set his medkit down with a thunk next to his last patient left to be seen on the bridge. It was Kes near the turbolift, one of the first to succumb to the effects of the Nexus into a blackout. Her case was not like the captain's where it was simply disorientation from a shifting mind state. Kes's detachment from wakefulness was due to overload. She had seen ALL of the Nexus induced desires and nightmares of everyone else's all at once. A shock caused by loss of identity, the EMH guessed. And sure enough, his readings on the tricorder confirmed elevated tryptokinase byproducts in her hypothalamus.

::Easily remedied. Lower the offending transmitter hormone, lower the telepathic susceptibility.::

He then noticed Naomi who had knelt next to him to watch his care giving. She opened the kit for him with one hand and brushed the hair out of Kes's closed eyes with the other. The girl was very nervous at the things happening around her on the bridge. The many collapses, the appearing and disappearing personnel, and the frightening image of the ribbon on the main viewer.

"Thank you, Naomi.." the holodoc replied. He withdrew a simple neuro-suppressant. "Here.." he said on a whim. "This functional indicator, blinking off and on in the green color, is her heartbeat, and you are my nurse for the moment because everyone else is busy. Let me know when the counts there drop to one hundred beats per minute which is normal for an Ocampan. Ready? I'm injecting the hypo now. Watch closely.." he said gently. He started releasing the drug into Kes's circulation.

Nearby, a second shadow of Kes stood, watching the proceedings, a reflection of being the sleeping Kes wasn't aware that she was projecting. No one else noticed the wraith..

The little girl's eyes widened in seriousness as she grasped what he wanted her to do and that cheered the EMH. She was a quick study for one so young. She bit her lip for a few seconds, then nodded vigorously a few seconds later.

The doctor took away the hypospray from Kes's skin. "There?" he asked the child.

Naomi quirked her jaw, thinking and studying her readout on the medtricorder that was almost too big for her tiny hands to hold. "Yep." she concluded.

The EMH checked the rate himself at Kes's wrist. He smiled. "Perfect, nurse Wildman. She's at 100 beats per minute exactly."

A huge grin lit up the little girl's face and the EMH watched her stress melt away like butter. ::Oldest psych trick in the book. Keep em busy.:: He was exceedingly pleased with himself at his double accomplishment.

Right on cue, Kes stirred, coughing, and her eyes fluttered open.

The Ocampan regarded Naomi over her with the tricorder and smiled. "So, the doctor enlisted your help with my case treatment. I feel much better, Naomi, thanks to you." She let the EMH assist her to her feet, letting the holodoc know with a look that she was fully recovered.

Kes took Naomi's hand and together they stood at the top deck rail, watching the activity on the lower command deck.

"So, we have newcomers.." Kes said to the child. "That teenaged man over there must be Wesley.. And that android is....no, I'm sure he's not Commander Data. He holds himself differently."

Naomi told her Lor's name.

"Lor? A twin brother?" Kes said, "How wonderful. Data isn't the only one of his kind, then." she smiled.

The cats came over to brush against the two observer's legs as if to say, "Welcome back..". Then, just as quickly, they were off to another part of the bridge.

A chirp made Kes blink. She had forgotten about Neelix. =^=Neelix to Kes.. What's going on up there sweetings, I haven't heard anything since the red alert.. I've had crewmen faint in the messhall but now they're all waking up on their own. Does the doctor know about all this? I can't find anything wrong with any of them...=^=

"And you won't Mr. Neelix. I've released a counter agent into the air which is responsible for their recovery."said the doctor." That glowing anomaly out your windows is creating a little too much fantasy for most of the crew on board. Not to worry. Things'll be back to normal in minutes.." he reassured the slightly frantic Talaxian.

"Why is it you, doctor ?.. eh, is KES all right?! I- I don't hear her voice..." Neelix sputtered.

Kes crossed her hands in front of herself, lacing fingers together calmly, "I'm fine, Neelix. In fact, Naomi and I are on our way to stellar cartography to examine this Nexus region on the overhead projection screen, want to join us?"

"I'll be right down just as soon as I reassure the ones newly reviving, sweeting. I wouldn't want to wake up out of a nightmare by myself with out a good piping hot cup of chamomille tea."

"Understood. See you soon." Kes said and closed the channel.

The EMH had finished gathering his things and had reported his progress to Janeway. Kes caught a relieved wink from the captain just before the turbolift doors closed between them.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kes and Naomi were deep into their mapping of the Nexus in stellar cartography when a breathless Neelix flew through the door. "Sorry, Kes. Ensign Ballard didn't like the dream she was having of a wrestling match she once lost with an old school rival. When she came to, she kicked a chair into my soup kettle and spilled tonight's dinner all over the carpet. It took five settings on the macrotazer to vibrate all the vegetable dye out of the rug.. Heh. heh. heh. But the ensign probably showered off a lot easier than the floor did. " he said, raising his forehead bristles in amusement. Naomi giggled..

Kes only half heard her second half talking. She was concentrating on the schematic display on the screen above her. It was a trajectory path of the Nexus from any point perceived by any of the ship's sensors up to date. One edge, as Barclay had claimed, sat over the outer most planet of the solar system.. She tilted her downy head. "Neelix..."

"Yes, love?" he replied, from the buttons he was teaching Naomi how to use to alter the colors of the map.

"What was the last heading this ribbon was coursing most recently?" she asked.

"Well, let me see,." He said squinting in thought.."... I remember the navigational meter in the mess showing 314 Mark... 215 to the galactic plane on the entertainment monitor above my stove.."

"In sector zero zero one ?" Kes mused.. She locked down those coordinates in a lilac grid showing Voyager's position relative to that course.. and numbered each segment along the way of the whole region she saw inside the Nexus.

"Yes.." Neelix said confused.. "Is- is that significant?"

Kes lead Neelix a bit away from Naomi, out of the child's earshot. "I'm no navigational expert, Neelix. But doesn't that trajectory point right towards the inner most planets around Sol?"

Neelix blanched, doing the arithmetic. "So it does..."

Kes rapidly punched in calculations as fast as her fingers could move. Then she punched a fist onto the console.

"We have to tell someone Neelix.. That ribbon is going to collide with Earth! Everyone and every ship there is going to be duplicated. Creating them all into shadow selves like we all now seem to be !!" Sudden tears of pain streaked her face. "Picture all the children lost in nightmares, Neelix..! It's bound to happen to some of them. It would be too much for the youngest ones to bear.."

Neelix held Kes tightly in a comforting hug as she cried. Fifty lines of thought hit Mr. Neelix at once as he considered the implications.

::But the crew would see their home and families at last. A good thing.::

::Starfleet would be defenseless under the delusional effects, leaving the rest of the Federation vulnerable to attack. A very bad thing.::

::I would be able to see Earth foods first hand, finally....:: He shook off that selfish thought vein vigorously. The ship came first. He had sworn it.

"Then let's show them this map.." He tapped a few more keys, projecting the Nexus ribbon's potential course through the inner solar system onto a carrier wave, sending it to the bridge.. He tapped his own combadge on his lapel..

"Captain, ah, eh,.... I know you're terribly busy and all but Kes and I discovered something very important that can't wait.. Eh,,,. would you accept the image file we just sent up to you? Might make all the difference in the world..."

Neelix was so worried that he didn't even see the double meaning in his statement.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

(attachments)

Image : Kes standing over an unconscious Kes.

Image: The EMH, Kes and Neelix in conversation with during a med tricorder scan.

Image : Voyager in a lilac colored relative positioning grid.

*animated gif* Spatial computer scan of a Mobius donut.

*animated gif* A tiny strip of a LCARS computer border in orange and purple.

*animated gif* LCARS online- ready in red lettering.

*****************************************************************************

From: "Samantha Paris" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Diamond in the Rough Date: Fri, 19 Jan 2001 02:36:37 -0000

Seska sighed as she slowly and lazily tapped the panel. The Engineering crew was going crazy trying to find out what this "Nexus" phenomena was.  
Personally, Seska didn't care at all. She was content with her duties, well,  
sort of. It would be nice to get onto another vessel, there had been reports and rumors going around about other ships in the phenomena.  
"That would be a welcomed change of pace. A new ship, new crew and no Janeway." Seska smiled at the thought. Standing she again went to watch the crew from the railing. B'Elanna had disapeared some time ago, probably on the bridge helping the Captain. Seska shuddered at the thought and went back to her isolated station. She started to work but her heart wasn't in it. The feeling of a peaceful sleep came over her.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Seska woke to find herself engulfed in complete darkness. She sat still a moment to listen to her surroundings. The usual hum and vibration of the engines was there, but it was weaker. She couldn't hear anyone in the room with her and there wasn't the sounds of the crew working on the computer.  
Slowly standing up, she reached for her phaser, but found nothing when her hand came to her side. Standing up from where she lay, Seska slowly looked around at the darkened walls. There were no windows there.  
"Computer, lights on." Seska practically whispered this for fear of someone hearing her, but when the room flooded with light no one was there. Seska heaved a sigh of relief and looked about her. The quarters did not look familiar at all. She moved about the room taking in the surroundings. She didn't have much time to though, because soon the door opened quickly and a Cardassian male entered heading towards her. Seska took a few steps back,  
but the man came closer still, a smile spread across his face.  
"Seska darling, what's the matter?" he said as he stepped closer yet.  
"Who are you? and where am I?" she said boldly.  
"On the Liberty remember?" a look of confusion crossed his face.  
"The Liberty?" looking around the surroundings changed and her old quarters on board the Liberty came into view. When she turned back to the man,  
Chakotay stood before her. Yet, it wasn't him. It didn't matter to Seska.  
She studied his features closely, then as soon as he appeared, he was gone.  
A grey blank wall protruded her view and Seska found herself, not in Main Engineering on Voyager, but on a different ship. Seska wasn't alone at all,  
there were four armed security personel all with phasers pointing at her.  
"Great, first hallucinations now this"

-  
(attachments)

Audio: (43k) Image: (305k)

Image: (7k)

*  
From: "Miriam Yellin" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Home sweet home where ever you are Date: Thu, 1 Jan 1998 00:03:39 +0200

::Oh boy are we in trouble again::Spot hissed Spot and Isis slowly walked around the deck. No one paid any attention to them. Next thing spot knew she was no longer a cat. She was back on her home world. Isis and her were both there and having one of their usual arguments.  
"You can't go off without a host. Without a human" Isis insisted "who says I can go and just observe. No one needs to come with me for that." Spot stated." besides I don't want to become so dependent on them like you. They might be fun creatures to observe but I like my independence. I'm and independent kind of girl."  
How are you going to get home again if you go without someone. You can't just resume your form once out there. No one is to know about us. You know the rules. When I went with Gary it was with proper permission and for a real reason. You can't just go to observe:  
"Oh yes I can. the counsel has ok'ed it as long as a stay a cat. so I'm going Now leave me alone you know nothing about anything. You think just because you were the first to go out you can tell me anything. Your not from my litter and your not even from my family so go home Isis. If I need you I will call but trust me I'll try not to" ::Why oh Why did the counsel have to put her and Gary Seven as my back up. Gary is ok but Isis I can do without.::

*  
From: "Cassidy Meyers" Subject: Weaving cloth ... and weaving souls Date: Fri, 19 Jan 2001 12:02:34 +0400 "Do you have any idea what that is?" she(B'Elanna) asked the Trill."All I know is I first saw it on Voyager, before I ended up here." At the thought of Voyager, her Klingon garb disappeared, replaced with her Starfleet uniform. The Bat'Leth was also gone. "It appears whatever we think can become reality. Maybe we can think ourselves off this ship!" she jokingly stated.

Then suddenly, the Klingon woman was gone.. Jadzia blinked, thinking about what she had just seen and heard. That woman's armor had been replaced with a uniform like her own, only it was engineering yellow. ::Even that combadge was like mine.::

Then she really considered the woman's last words, she echoed them softly and the realm around her melted like so much hot wax. "...whatever we think can become reality..."

Jadzia was floating inside the Nexus, being cast adrift like a leaf on the wind. The warm orange glow was all around her and she was supported gently in the seeming plasma,.. ::It's a dimensional ribbon...:: Her mind thought..::I remember reading about this at the academy.. Captain Picard once said that he was in a place like this, called the Nexus, where he met Captain Kirk and attended his death after Jim suffered a fall off precarious scaffolding....::

"I wonder if this is the same ribbon...?" she said aloud to the enveloping energies around her..

"But where do I want to go? I did not imagine Dax being ripped away from me.. Another's actions, probably Julian's, took place while I was injured on DS9 just before I died in Worf's arms. The symbiont was gone by then, being removed surgically and put into cyrogenic suspension to await a new host...."

A part of her pained for Dax.. but it was now beyond her power and that of the Nexus to alter events that took place in normal reality. She would remain only as Jadzia until this adventure ended..

Already, the host loss pyschosis was biting down and she felt a gaping ragged hole in her heart for Dax that threatened to pull her in...

She shouted into the ribbon cushioning her as far as she could see.. "I will not be subjected to this nightmare!! Dax is a part of me.. I won't accept his going..! You hear me!!"

-------------------------------------------------------------

Just as suddenly, Jadzia found herself in the electrically milky host pool in the glossomer gown of initiation on the Trill homeworld..

This was the past and they had not yet been joined..she realized. ::I- I can go here, at least....:: she numbly realized..

He was there... She felt the sweet caress of his presence like a sunbeam..

Crying, Jadzia wrapped her arms around the free swimming Dax, lost in his emanations of concern and puzzlement. She felt him as if he were humanoid, his face buried in her shoulder. She put her arms around him, closing her eyes, embracing him gently.

#I am so sorry, Dax.. That I couldn't hold on to you..# she sent, and electric ripples of blue fired around her, enveloping her shoulders in communication.

##What..?....What is this, child initiate, that you speak of?## Dax replied..

"You there!!" an unwelcomed voice shouted, "Just what do you think you're doing?! No unchosen has the right to have contact with any of the unbonded symbionts!! It is forbidden!!"

Jadzia felt a sharp jolt as two guardians yanked her from the pool, forcefully.

"NO!!!! No, Dax.. I want to stay... Please...!! Listen to me.." she fought them, kicked them, and begged pleading to be returned to the pool even as they dragged her to the initiate apartments at the base of the stone stairwell. She was placed onto a bed and restrained by medtechs.

The first guard addressed them, "She was found with Dax. She is out of her mind. We don't know how she got this way.."

"Leave it to us." the head tech replied. Dax felt an injection's sting.

"Nooo!!! " she sobbed weakly.. "I must have him back...I.." Blackness cut into the pain, ending it.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

"Awake child..." a matronly voice soothed. Jadzia felt a warm cloth on her face, bathing away the sweat.. "I know it is difficult to face the world now. But I am here to help.."

Jadzia opened her eyes to vast wise ones.. "Kai Opaka?" She sat up off the Bajoran pallet she now found herself lying upon. She was on Bajor, in the Main Temple at Jon'ghur'ree which lay deep inside the jungle capitol.

"I assure you that I am not a figment, Jadzia. I am quite real...." Kai Opaka grasped Jadzia's ear in the old gesture and closed her eyes. "All beings have an energy which sustains them throughout their existence, Jadzia.. Let that sustain you now, child. Your pah is still strong. Rise."

Her sodden gown soaked in the pool fluid was gone and she was bare skinned, covered only with a light sheet of beige. Jadzia pulled this around herself and padded around the room, clutching it for security that was more than just for modesty's sake.. "I- I don't understand, Kai.. You're -- you're dead.. I- I -I mean, Sisko had to leave you there on that planetoid because of the contamination.. I saw Julian work to save you.."

Kai smiled gently in her amber robes, her golden earrings jingling softly at her cheek, "As he worked to save you... then.., in sickbay with Worf at your side.."

The memory of the Bondbreak bit full force. Jadzia drew in her breath sharply.. and crumpled to the rug, wrapping her arms around her knees,.. "He's gone... Dax..is.. no longer.. inside me... I don't think I can bear it..." she moaned in agony.. Cold tears burned down her skin and she began to sob without sound.

The Kai knelt near her drawing up the Trill's face in her gnarled hands, smiling .. "Then let another fill you.. if only to save your sanity."

She rose and went to an altar that was in an alcove ringed by rich red velvet tapestries and reverently lit two six meter high candles with flame. The Kai said a silent prayer and kissed a covered tarnished bronze case engraved in sacred Bajoran symbols..

Jadzia let the sheet drop, "It a Tear of the Prophets.." she crawled her way over to it touching the lines of the case and withdrawing from it as if it could burn her..

Kai Opaka, removed one of her many robes and draped it across Jadzia's body, and then she held her like any mother would her grown child. "Yes, child, The Orb of Becoming.. and you are destined to be a Disciple. Like the Sisko-to-be will become, when he casts off his fleshly shell in a moment of great sacrifice." Jadzia let the Kai wipe away her tears with her gentle touch. "There is an entity inside for you. I have been inside this Nexus for all eternity and I know this to be a truth beyond simple faith.." He is called, Dovin.." she sighed, adding another name in a mere whisper.." Kah..."

Jadzia pulled her hand away as if it were suddenly foul. "A pai wraith? No,.. but they're evil.. " she made a face in disgust..

"Not this one.. He is the originator.. the first wormhole entity to ever be.. He is all that's good, that which was left behind when the Pai Wraiths left the True Temple, your wormhole, to dwell with mortals in their accursed idols. Dovin-Kah has the power to save you child...Come look....."

She swung the heavy Tear capsule casing open and Jadzia and herself were awash in the neon blue fire of prophesy..

"And..believe....believe.........believe....." The Kai's voice echoed... "If you desire your life... You must .....Believe...."

Images: Of Dax, of his/her many children, Of long loving nights with Worf, her chosen husband, of a close tie with her commander, Sisko as he lay dying on the Ops deck.. just another kind of love..

For Julian's fierce devotion to his art, his passion,..medicine. And then she forgave him, most of all, for his ending her bond with Dax, in an attempt to save what life he could.. The insanity Jadzia felt at her acute awareness of her loss of Dax evaporated..

It was time to reach out, to believe in another beginning... and then, and then.....

Jadzia finally......................did.

Jadzia and Dovin-Kah.. became ....ONE.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Garak was very busy at tactical on board the Defiant.. "How very interesting.." he said overseeing all the events unfolding in front of his eyes from a discreet corner. "I think,.. I am going to take a little trip.."

Instantly, he was there. All the comforts of home and tailor shop, on board one tiny Federation captain's starship... NCC 74656..

::Ah, I think I'm going to like it here very much... after all, I'm just one of the Nexus's myriads of.....Voyagers,.. now aren't I?" Garak chuckled. "Exile ended.. I'd say.. Good. I deserve it."

He began to study the ship's database for the commands to adjust the environmental controls on the ship's holodeck to suit his Cardassian needs, and... to gather in all the crew's vital statistics.. their measurements!!!

He spent a few hours alone just arranging pictures of his best works of garment artistry on the wall above his customer counter. Garak added a final finishing touch by sending to every functioning terminal in every cabin, bridge, message board and communciator pin on every ship far and wide inside the Nexus..

"Garak's Garment Shop... Playing to fashion vanity everywhere.. Now OPEN for BUSINESS.. Come and be adorned.."

-  
(attachments)

Image : Jadzia embracing a humanoid Dax in a symbiont pool.

Image : Kai Opaka, gently serious.

Image : Jadzia serious close up.

Audio : Garak -- Let me guess, you're either lost, or desperately searching for a good tailor...

Image : A grinning Garak, impish expression.

******************************************************************

From: "Myron Ojala" Subject: I think, therefore I am.  
Date: Sat, 20 Jan 2001 20:27:57 -0000

Lon Suder was sitting at Science Station Two, examining the readings that he was taking from his point of view on Voyager's bridge.

It took a great deal of time but he was slowly coming to the conclusion that things were not exactly as they should be , that reality itself was responding in some unique way to the thoughts and impressions of everyone here.

By searching computer records and personnel files, he found his own death certificate so he began to develop a theory of just how all of this could come to pass. His being here and not being dead. In order to prove his theory forming in his head. He would have to do something that Captain Janeway might think of as dangerous.

Lon looked around the bridge at the menagerie that he saw of crewmen, animals and holograms and concluded that things would have to be tested in order for the captain to be able to make a rational decision about everything.

He saw that the EMH had awakened Janeway and Kes, who was now gone. And Chakotay, who had been injured through a dreaming, who now seemed to be fully mended, probably through the ministrations of the holographic physician.

Suder saw two new men arrive. Both human. One quite young and the other apparently a Starfleet lieutenant, both appeared in different manners.

He listened to what they had to say, then, with his own observations and conclusions ,decided to act. He would inform the captain exactly what the situation truly was.

With some hesitation, Lon Suder left his station to approach the Captain and Chakotay.

"Captain Janeway, I know that my actions in the past may make you suspect me about the nature of our current situation. I believe that I understand now how I have come to be here. The Nexus responds to thought , to any idea of the mind. I believe... that Lt. Tuvok is responsible for my current manifestation on your ship because of our past contact with each other through our counseling mind meld. He, outside the Nexus, has unwittingly withheld a part of my consciousness. So as long as he keeps thinking about me, I can exist here inside the Nexus."

Suder knew now where Tuvok really was. It was ironic that the Vulcan had been on that shuttle away from the ship when the Nexus came to sweep Voyager away. He owed his existence to that happy accident. ::Funny that I am a recreated part of Tuvok's mind.::

Lon Suder added another thought.

"About the Nexus's true heading captain, Unless you plan to blow up a local star in our solar system we won't be able to deflect its arrival to Earth."

Janeway nearly spit out a mouthful of coffee in spite of its flavorful aroma. She set her mug down slowly.

Suder focused inside of himself and felt a little Tuvok there. "Such an idea would be most logical however unfeasible."

The Betazed regarded Chakotay's skeptical expression and said, "Well. listen. If blowing up the star isn't going to work, who's to say that we can't turn the Nexus from inside of here just by thinking about it."

Chakotay's tattoo twitched at the idea. Janeway looked up too, very suspicious, and looked Suder up and down. ::I wonder how far I can trust him?::

Suder looked at the ribbon that was currently tumbling them along. He looked at the captain frankly and said, "This could be a way for Voyager to finally get home.. but then again.... Consider this, can us shadows find a way to exist OUTSIDE the Nexus? We could warn them somehow and let Starfleet handle the deflection problem."

Thinking inwardly to himself, Lon thought,::If I can exist outside, then I would have found a way to cheat my own death..::

Earth didn't matter to him in the least.. For his heart was for Betazed only.

-  
(attachment)

Image : Lon Suder in close up, very intent.

Image: The bridge crew in full dress uniform over Suder's flag draped casket..

*  
From: "Alex Delet" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Come One, Come All Date: Sat, 20 Jan 2001 21:57:06 -0000

Ben had on his 'thinking cap' as he sat in the command chair on the bridge, of what scarcely seemed like his 'Defiant'..he'd gotten over the loss of the Defiant, and gotten used to the Sao Paulo, later renamed Defiant 'A' ...but this ship didn't feel like either.  
Since the impact of the anomaly... It was an instinct every commander knew well...The High Power to Mass ration on the Defiant, allowed Sisko to 'feel' his ship, like the beating of a heart.  
But the Defiant's deck was still....no movement at all.  
"I am Lor. I come from the place of angels that is inside this fire. Do not be afraids. You will not be returned to nothingness.  
Just want everything to be at peace and it will come."

Sisko spun around, as he heard the voice..... "Intruder Alert!" he shouted above the steady hum of sparking consoles, and chattering damage control teams.  
"I am Captain Benjamin Sisko of the United Federation of Planets....What is this place?" Ben was more than slightly troubled by the 'man's' clothing...and his appearance. This Lor could be human, except for the shade of his skin.  
. "I know your peoples. And I know we should be finding more of them. This place is not in the stars we know. Sisko..Let us find out why together."

The harried security officers stepped out of the Port Egress.....and aimed their phasers at Lor.. Sisko waived them off.  
"We intend to do, exactly that,"  
Sisko turned around, already aiming to ask for a report, from O'Brien.... A flash of light occurred...it didn't seem to have a point of origin...It had disappeared quickly...But in it's place, stood a young officer. The crewmen was wearing the old style Starfleet Uniform..and an Ensign Pip. Even if it hadn't been for the uniform, which was the mustard colour of Engineering..Sisko would have known the officer was not an original Defiant crewman.  
The day seemed to be getting stranger and stranger.... The Human officer, he atleast appeared to be human, uttered a single comment,  
"I take it, you've no idea what's going on either.."

"Ensign?" Sisko said, preferring to fall back on what he knew, "Where did you come from?"  
There was yet another flash of light and the new arrival, a dark haired boy...stepped forward, not seeming the least bit dazed by his new location.  
Hello everyone would someone mind telling me what ship this is? Captain Sisko? Wesley asks, I have heard much about you travels. My name is Wesley Crusher. Sisko was about to reply, when the name triggered a 'light bulb' , Ben was used to having sudden realisations...this was one, Wesley Crusher of Enterprise fame... Worf had mentioned it to him some time.  
"Captain Benjamin Sisko, USS Defiant," Sisko refrained from adding the 'a' to the end.  
"Captain Sisko, may I ask a very odd question. Where are we and how did we get here?"  
Ben glanced around at the group, gathering on his bridge, and was about to answer.  
"The Nexus? We are in the Nexus? How in the world did we end up here."

"That, Mr Crusher, is the question," Sisko replied half-heartedly.  
Suddenly...a burst of transmission came over the Bridge audio systems... Sisko looked at toward the viewscreen...Despite not seeing anything, he looked toward his officers for a report.  
"Sir, I can go over there personally to let them know where we standard that maybe be the best course until we know what effect the Nexus will have on are ships systems and from the sound of their hail they may not understand what we are saying."  
Crusher seemed to want to do something....and something told Ben, that his 'abilities' had not been exaggerated.  
"Go For It, First of all, we need to know exactly where 'we stand'," Sisko turned back to Crusher.  
Then, as if on cue...Another new arrival stepped onto the Bridge... A Klingon at first glance.  
Sisko stood up.  
"It appears, We're in the Nexus...Records are vague, at best, right now, I want to pool all the information we have," Sisko looked to those around him.

From: "Ezriel Yellin" S Subject: [voyagerliveaction] The seventh Man Date: Sun, 21 Jan 2001 11:09:43 -0000

Gary Seven transported off of Voyager. His sponsors were getting fed up with the Q continuum playing fast and loose with other cultures.  
He had a report to make. Leaving Efret (Spot) and Isis on the ship,  
he told them that he was going to report, then return to Earth for a few days R & R.

As a Special Time Agent, Gary was used to making minor changes in planetary history. He recalled with great satisfaction how his tampering with an orbital launch platform caused it to explode. As a result of this incident, the war in the mid 20-th century was averted. With less satisfaction, he recalled damaging the brakes of a truck, which resulted in the death of an early 20th century peace activist, Edith Keeler. In the time line where he did not play with the brakes, and Keeler lived, well, that version of Earth would be radioactive for the next 7500 years.  
What he found interesting was that his first two assignments involved the original starship Enterprise, with James Kirk commanding. Of course, aside from an accidental transporter interception, he'd always managed to stay in the background, unobserved.

One major downside to this life was that he was never sure how old he was. Thanks to the time travel as well as the skill of his sponsors,  
he maintained the physical charateristics of a man in his mid-30's.

He wanted to help Janeway and her crew return to their quatrant, but he knew that he could not do that yet. Making his report on the Qs interference and the resolution of the problem, he prepared a special appeal to be able to help Voyager. Of course, his sponsors never did anything without plenty of thought and analysis. Perhaps this would only take a few years.

After a detailed debriefing, Gary Seven changed to contemporary dress (instead of his customary crisp black suit). and collected a supply of credit chips. Heading out to the transportation area, he failed to notice the stormlike disturbance on the monitors. He adjusted one of the "writing stylus" instruments he removed from his pocket, and transported out.  
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= The method of transportation his sponsors gave him kept him conscious and aware during the travel. It was needed because of the long range.  
It also gave Gary a slightly disoriented feeling.  
As he felt his energy-being approach Earth;'s solar system, there was a tremendous lurch and pulling. Gary felt that he was caught in a-  
razor sharp wind, and that his energy was being ripped apart by a disruptor blast.  
::I hope Isis stays out of trouble and finds a new host:: he thought.  
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Gary parked his car in the driveway and walked up the path to his house. He was tired, but satisfied. He had been working long hours,  
but it was finally worth it. After several spectacular faliures, his dream - to link every home in the planet to a global data network -  
was complete. Now it was a matter of time before people reognized the convenience.

Entering his house he started to call to his wife:

"Isis...honey...I'm..."

::Something is VERY wrong here:: he thought.

*  
From: "Mordok " Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Confusion on the Defiant Date: Sun, 21 Jan 2001 20:18:53 -0000

Miles O'Brian looked down at the Irish setter occupying the place on his lap where his daughter Molly had been. For just a moment he thought he saw a glimmer of intelligence behind the dogs eyes when the universe folded again. He was on the floor but no longer in his quarters. Then again he was on his quarters. He could see the Alliance guards posted inside the main bay doors of the holding center. His fellow Terrans were dressed in rags and standing in a reviewing line for the Intendant's pleasure. A nero-  
shocker pushed his chin up and he found himself looking into Kira's (but not Kira's) eye's. "Perhaps this little Terran Techie could solve our problem, If not .." her voice trailed off in a smile.  
The Universe folded.  
"His worries will be over" said the Dominion guard. Although his body appeared to be in serious trouble, O'Brian's mind rebelled. What is this? Mind control, Interogation? Temporal Flux? The universe folded again as Obrian shifted through more separate realities. As Kiko drew her last breath and the tears began to swell beneath his eyes O'Brian fought for control.  
"Enough! It not real!" O'Brian closed his eyes. "I should be sitting on by butt on the floor of the Defiant where that last power surge deposited me. Anything else is an illusion. If I can't read it with a sensor sweep, measure it or callibrate it, it's an illusion."  
The universe shifted again, but this time when it stopped O'Brian felt light headed, and weightless. He opened one eye, command console at eye level. He looked down, no Molly, dog or Kiko, just his duty uniform and the Defiant's greyish carpet. The Defiant! He opened his other eye and swept the bridge, Commander Sisko was still at his command station watching the view screen intently. As Obrian rose to his feet a young ensign gestured to the Aft Science station and O'Brian gestured his approval as he manned the station. While he slowly gathered his thoughts, the Ensign recalibrated his tricorder and then mentioned Klingon DNA. O'Brian though briefly of Worf , then as Lor approached the ensign from behind, prepared to act. Miles nodded to Odo who moved slightly to the right of Sisko as O'Brian slipped his phaser from his belt and palmed it into his hand. Sisko gestured slightly, his crew understanding "wait, let's see how this plays out". O'Brian nodded to the Ensign warning him non verbally. "Good Man, he picks up quick" thought Miles as the ensign moved so his back was no longer exposed but continued to man the station relaying all the information the computer had on their current position inside something called the Nexus. Just then a Klingon woman appeared on the bridge. "Harry!" She said in recognition finally giving a name to the ensign. "Where are we?"  
Lor apparently mistook her for Worf, then launched into a speech proclaiming his innocense and ending with a gesture of surrender. O'Brian looked to Sisko who shook his head ever so slightly to hold back. O'Brian steamed. Lor tried to describe the Nexus but to O'Brian it didn't make much sense. Then again neither did their situation, what with beings popping in and out from who knows where. Then Lor stepped up to the computer and did something Mile's had only heard of. Displaying the skills that Data had but at twice the speed, fingers flying so fast they blurred, he downloaded the Defiant's entire computer database and records then disappeared.  
A stunned silence held the bridge for a moment then everyone tried to speak at once with predictable results.

*  
From: "Nick Lewis" .uk Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Caught between darkness and light Date: Sun, 21 Jan 2001 22:59:55 -0000

Tom steps down from the Captain's seat at the Doc declares Janeway fit to take over again. Funny, he didn't spend long there, no more than ten minutes or so, but it felt nice nevertheless. He'd been ribbing Harry for ages abut his growing fondness for 'sitting in the big chair' during the graveyard shift. Now he thinks he's starting to know what Harry sees in it.

He listens as Chakotay and the Doc discuss this 'Nexus' and it's effects on the ship. "Wish I could dream this headache away" he murmers from the helm.

"Why don't you try Mr Paris. It's fast becoming apparent that anything can happen on this ship" the Doc replies, his audio sensitivity having picked up Tom's comment.

Tom shrugs. *Why not, got nothing to lose.* He concentrates on it and is surprised when the heaviness in his head just drifts away. *Wow! There's been a few occasions in the past where that little trick would have come in handy* he muses.

Suder looked at the ribbon that was currently tumbling them along. He looked at the captain frankly and said, "This could be way for Voyager to finally get home.. but then again.  
Consider this, can us shadows find a way to exist OUTSIDE the Nexus? We could warn them somehow and let Starfleet handle the deflection problem."

"Hold on, who says we even are shadows?" Tom pipes up. "As far as I'm concerned, all we did was run slam into a cosmic anomaly and get stuck inside. We get out and we're home free... to coin a phrase." He glances over to the Captain. "Sorry if I spoke out of turn there, but I don't think we should be taking anything Suder says at face value. Especially when we don't know if this version of him is pre or post mind-meld." He looks back to Suder. "No offence!"

*Tuvok must be more twisted than I thought to think this guy back* Tom wonders to himself.

*******************************************************

END WEEK TWO RECAP 01-22-01

{}

WEEK THREE RECAP 01-21-01 {}

From : "Cory Anda"  
Subject: Perception is Relative.  
Date: Sun, 21 Jan 2001 15:14:05 -0000

"Hold on, who says we even are shadows?" Tom pipes up. "As far as I'm concerned, all we did was run slam into a cosmic anomaly and get stuck inside. We get out and we're home free... to coin a phrase." He glances over to the Captain. "Sorry if I spoke out of turn there, but I don't think we should be taking anything Suder says at face value. Especially when we don't know if this version of him is pre or post mind-meld." He looks back to Suder. "No offence!"

*Tuvok must be more twisted than I thought to think this guy back* Tom wonders to himself.

Lon studied the floor and bore no malice, while others considered this angle. Reg subconsciously took a few steps away from the Betazed when the man smiled tiny in an indecipherable way. Then he shook it off and addressed Tom's argument.

Reg held up his hands in a fending off gesture, "I assure you lieutenant, that this ship, and those out there just beyond our hull are phantoms.. Chakotay noticed himself the mass differential and I have seen the real vessels on the Argus Array just before I found you here when the mail went astray.. Scan me..... if you have to. You'll see that my mass is uneffected, whereas all of you,.. weigh ..mere micrograms inside this Nexus no matter how you concentrate or believe otherwise.... That's because that particular manifestation is probably a rule of physics inside the sphere of influence in whatever pocket universe or universes the Nexus contains. You are shadows because you were "caught.." I am not because I transported in mechanically.. using the Array.."

Reginald turned to face Ensign Sudor.."You,..ensign.. I can't explain away.. " He aimed his real realm tricorder at the man who was calmly standing with hands folded behind his back. "You.  
have no mass what so ever... Yet you exist.. even here.. Perhaps your theory about Lt. Tuvok is a distinct possibility.. Maybe.  
you.. are this ribbon's equivalent of a psychokinetic ghost.  
a literal figment of his mind due to your past mental bond with him.. We can't know all the physical laws in here.. I'd say we don't even try to reason them out.... we might upset some natural balance we don't as yet understand. Perhaps Tuvok is even now summoning help from the outside to alter the ribbon's course from Earth's trajectory. I can go look for him when I leave here.."

Chakotay's mouth flopped open.. ::Maybe that's why the ship's computer never registered Tuvok's not being here. He's not inside the Nexus so why should anything that can only scan Nexus internal regions be able to see anything outside of it. Such as our science officer's shuttle. Maybe Lon's creation is an effect of Tuvok being near the Delta Quadrant end of the ribbon and natural "eddies" have the rest of us concentrated in the Alpha Quadrant from another of those unknown physics laws..::

"Your head's not the only one that's hurting, Tom.." Chakotay quipped attempting to make light of the complex theories whizzing around.

The first officer pointed to the screen.. "So let's accept some apparent truths then.. Those ships," he pointed to the now operational viewscreen from Lor's instant repair job, "Have the same mass as us.. even if featherweight.  
So it would stand to reason they are like us in every way,... in their thoughts, feelings, desires.. because we are all accustomed to thinking in old veins, our wants and desires are the same ones that govern THEM. Because we perceive ourselves to BE like them. Like those on the Defiant,  
the Lakul, and the Enterprises, not yet met..A difference which makes no difference IS no difference...."

All on the bridge slowly nodded their heads.. in agreement..

Chakotay turned and pointed to Reginald.  
"He says we are NOT the originals.. So what..?"  
"So, we are real to each other in here and that's what's important.  
Let's act our roles.. here. The same as we would if the Nexus hadn't come along.. This is our universe now so let's be content with that.. Let's leave the outside realm to the real ships and their crew and make our own way.."

He chuckled "I'd say we have a few advantages now. I don't know about you,  
but this instant healing ability and instant thought coming true is kind of interesting.. Let's explore it... and find a purpose for ourselves..

Chakotay warmed to the idea..."We could map out THIS universe's physical laws and then turn them to our advantage.. Let's make this place work for US if we're going to be here.. I don't know about the rest of you.  
but I like the idea of finally having obtained Shangrai La..."

There was a murmur of sighs from almost everyone and the stress level present melted away..

"This is just another kind of journey.. Who's to say that we aren't supposed to find our OWN Earth..somewhere within?"

Barclay smiled, deeply moved, clasping fingers together in his palms and bringing them to his mouth.. bringing clenched knuckles to his lips.  
"I..hope you don't mind if I....stay to share it all with you.. Who knows when the outside will move the ribbon out of reach of the Array.. I've wanted so long to finally meet you in person.. Shadows.....suit me...just fine.." ::A step up from holograms..:: he thought happily..

The first officer met Kathryn's eye with a grin.. "I don't know about you, captain,.. but I'd like to go on a little vacation.. It's easier.  
The ship will still be here when I get back.. And if we all concentrate.. nothing bad will happen to it... I... am taking a sabbatical.."

The first officer winked at his captain.."Call if you need me..."  
"And.. don't forget to take that weekly bath of yours...."

With that.. Chakotay disappeared into a place he wanted to be for as longed as he had been breathing.

-  
(attachments)

Image: Chak and J talking in chairs.

Music: Ethereal icy space music.

Audio: A hawk's cry.

Gif: Four captains and four ships logo.

*  
From: "Nick Lewis" .uk Subject: [voyagerliveaction] The Gemini Disaffection Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2001 17:50:46 -0000

Scan me..... if you have to. You'll see that my mass is uneffected, whereas all of you,.. weigh ..mere micrograms inside this Nexus no matter how you concentrate or believe otherwise.... That's because that particular manifestation is probably a rule of physics inside the sphere of influence in whatever pocket universe or universes the Nexus contains.  
You are shadows because you were "caught.." I am not because I transported in mechanically.. using the Array.."

Tom doesn't like what he's hearing. *I'm not a shadow* he tells himself forcefully. He acquires a tricorder and as Lt Barclay offered, proceeds to scan him. Weight and mass is more or less right for his height and build.  
He then turns it on the others as Chakotay starts talking. It's true that their physical mass is barely on the scale. Finally, and a little fearfully, he turns the tricorder on himself.

The readings all spike up again.

Meanwhile on the real Voyager...

Captain Janeway picks herself up off the floor and glances around her bridge. The Doc is busy running a tricorder over a shaken looking Tuvok.  
The dark-skinned Vulcan appears to be concentrating hard on something, beads of sweat running down his brow. A flustered Chakotay is reading the instrumentation on his chair arm. "Harry, what the h*ll was that?" she asks.

Harry, his hair a little messed up, looks at his console. "The ribbon just threw out a tendril of energy at us, Captain. For a moment there I wasn't sure if we were going to escape it."

"Tom, back us off to a safe distance. I don't want any more surprises like that" Kathryn orders. But she receives no answer. "Tom..." Then she sees he isn't at his usual position at helm. Indeed the helm console itself is a blackened shell. There must have been a h*ll of an explosion to cause that sort of damage. Her pilot is nowhere to be seen on the bridge. "Computer,  
where is Tom Paris?"

"Lieutenant Paris is no longer aboard Voyager."

-  
(Attachment)

Music : (25k)

*  
From: "patti keiper" To: Subject: Ready, Set... GO!!!

Kes only felt a little better now that the word had gone out. ::Earth must be spared.. This Nexus cannot be allowed to reach a populated planet. No matter how badly this crew wants to get home..::

"Neelix. Is there anything we can do ourselves to help alter the ribbon's course?"

The Talaxian's whiskers were limp and still with concern and stress, "I- I don't think so, sweetings.. ah, I mean, how can we? The ship's bound inside, floating along like a boat in the river.."

Kes adamently refused to consider it. She walked away from the astrometrics rail with folded arms in front of her.. "I may be only three, but I've noticed some things happening around here that may be the key.." She smiled and walked back, caressing Naomi's head briefly, "The ribbon gave me that clue." The little girl looked up from the tactical console displaying the ribbon course map with a questioning gaze. "You see, Neelix, I was unconscious on the bridge for a short time,," she shushed Neelix rising indignation at not having been informed of that with a touch.."...and I saw what the Nexus did for everyone effected.. I saw Captain Janeway be with her fiance', Mark on an Earth beach, on a walk, and I saw Naomi bring Chakotay's spirit guide wolf to him on the bridge. And I've seen some visions of people I haven't even met yet.. Benjamin Sisko's baseball, and Garak's Cardassian tailoring shop, he's here on Voyager right now.."

"A Cardassian?? " Neelix said alarmed..."Don't you think we should tell somebody??"

Kes slowly shook her head in amusement... "He's on vacation.. living out a fantasy that he has grown accustomed to from being exiled on a ex-Bajoran station. He isn't going to harm us or anyone, Lore, Data's brother, is an android who's been healed of his schitzophrenia through a new emotions chip. Jadzia, a symbiontless Trill now has a new host.. Seska,.. is now on another vessel..Worf, a Klingon is finding where his heart and home lies. B'Elanna is on another starship with Harry.." The Ocampan's sharing took on a wonderous tone, "Neelix,.. this place is no threat to anyone who embraces that idea. I see Chakotay now, has fully accepted this and is embarking on another journey.. Barclay.. needs no fantasy.. He's real, and visiting us. His ultimate dream made possible by the Argus Array.. Wesley, is doing pretty much the same thing, watching us, protecting us from a new kind of Q , the Gray poking around inside here." She gripped Naomi's and Neelix's shoulders.. "Don't you see? We can do anything we want..Such as halt the ribbon itself in flight just by thinking about it.. The crew's subconscious desire most likely made the ribbon course for Earth in the first place."

She closed her eyes and concentrated.. "I may have had everyone else's fantasies in my head, but no more.. I am going to be this ribbon's pilot.. because I wish it.."

Out in Sector One, in Earth's solar system, perimeter patrols from Jupiter and Mars relaxed.. the ominus appearing Nexus on all Earth's sensors and screens Halted.. after only taking Io, one of Jupiter's moons into its essence... The outer worlds, Neptune, Pluto, Uranus and Saturn had already been swept and left behind. ::No great hardship..:: Kes marveled.. ::There are no people there.::

She smiled as the ribbon obeyed her and banked into a stationary position over Jupiter.. She made sure none of the tendrils touched the starbase on Europa or those in the asteroid belt between Mars Earth.. ::Too many mining facilities and civilian fly ways there.::

She turned her mind's eye inward, and was content to watch the people Janeway desired to journey home to, smiling..

She turned to the little girl and her Talaxian companion.."Neelix.. let's go on vacation.. I've tamed the ribbon's physicality.. It's going nowhere unless all of us wish it as one.. I...want to show you Tahiti.." With a mischievious grin.. she gripped his arm, pulling into the first dream of her own..

Naomi waved them a farewell and walked out of the room to go to another place on Voyager.

---------------------------------------------------------

"Smells heavenly..!" Neelix sighed.."Eh.. what's it called?" he said of a colorful disk decoration on a stick.. He delicately plucked the paper umbrella and sniffed it..

"No silly, that's just for show.. What you want is inside the coconut.." she said of the the fruit husk container he was holding. "Here..." Kes turned the tropical drink in Neelix's hand over so he could see the straw protruding out of it's top. "Taste it.. Tom Paris showed me one of these at Voyager's luau my first year aboard.. Remember that night?" she giggled. "It was when Tom and B'Elanna first had feelings for each other."

Neelix didn't hear her, feeling the sweet pina colada on his tongue and the tickle of the ocean waves at his toes from where they were both sitting on chaise lounge chairs at the surfline in straw hats and shades. Kes was in a becoming sea green one piece and Neelix, in a yellow lifeguard tank top with a big Red Cross on it. He blew the whistle at his neck... "**Whistle** Attention all crew everywhere.. We've tested the waters and everything's swell. Dive right on in.... It's time for a holiday.. so have at it and go on one....Chakotay's got the right idea...!!!"

His jolly proclaimation hit every ear inside the Nexus..

-  
(attachment)

Image: Kes and Neelix in a hug promo

*  
From: "Lil Sister" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] The Elder in the Fires Date: Wed, 24 Jan 2001 20:14:05 -0000

Kes was well. Chakotay was well. It was good.  
And the other ships were not rocking in harm taking.  
The Nexus was quieting.

"I know why. The peoples here have learned what I learn.  
This place makes it happen what is in your head. So in your head, it's the true camel. It will go as you tell it."  
he said to Janeway and pointed to the other ships in the calm place that was growing.

He was troubled by this no more Lor did see.  
So he did something else.

Lor was completed in his workings. The great starship of the red headed captain's was in power again. ::Now the tranzporter disks and the food makers will work. I wanted it so.::

He saw Barclay come to see the ship crew. ::I know him. My brother had times with this man.:: So he went over to Barclay's side to listen to his speakings...

In an hour, Lor knew all the new ideas.. "I agree with ReginaldBarclay. We cannot be the true people if we can travel to our dreams so. For they cannot do these walkings.  
I feel we are in no danger. There is no enemy here if we make it to be that way in our heads. I do not want to fight.  
I hang my head in shame for the fightings I had with my brother outside."

Lor looked at the viewscreen and talked with the one leader left on the Voyager. "Captain, ma'am. Make your ship safe.  
You can. This Wesly man can do it to it, to.  
I have to go where your second went on his journey to the inside.."

With that Lor went. He had heard the sound of the great bird that called to all of them when Chakotay had his leave taking.  
::This man knows there is no danger. He wished to be fully in this new place.. I want to learn with him and go where he goes to learn whatever I can about being self now that I am sick no more.::

The sound of the hunting bird was strange, not a desert one from Lor's home. "I am following you here to the seeings.  
Show me you.." he said to the orange fire above his hair.

The red tailed hawk came into seeing then and met Lor's eyes and began wings moving to where the red skinned man had happenings.

::So many trees in this place. It is the great bird's home. I hear its crys again in the mountains in the night.  
And so much water..there is a noisey tube of it over the rocks in the low places. I will not be thirsty here.::

Then I see him. By a fire in the dirt. He is speaking to another man with silver hair like a woman's in animal clothes. "Long hair? He looks like a seer..of a clan." Lor spoke. The talk were hear by the two men. Chakotay and the other man stood and Lor saw the pipe smoking on the ground..

"Who is this man, second leader. I come to learn why you want to be here in the Place of Angels, the Nexus..and what you want to see.  
May I have foods with you and water? I bring a story in return for your comforts. Allow me this. I only want to see. My chip gifted me not long time ago to have this new thing. I want to be as I should.  
My "father" would have wished it." Lor stood with hands angled in peace offering. "You, the elder one. If you are clan seer I would have speakings with you about being a peoples even though I am not a man."

Lor saw the eyes of the hawk in the elder one. They spoke of wisdom.  
And his face looked like Chakotay's.  
::Who is this I wonder.::

*  
From: "Roxy Dee" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Fast moves and slow grooves~~ Date: Wed, 24 Jan 2001 20:49:24 -0000

Harry hugged B'Elanna back in sheer relief. "Torres. Am I glad to see you! Meet the chief here. He's the engineer on this ship,  
the Defiant and that over there, is Captain Sisko. He's been rather busy and hasn't had the time to talk to me or this Ferengi yet.. so I've been feeling like someone's left heel ever since. I'm nobody important here."

Quark snorted.."Please.. dignify me with my name, HU-man."

The ensign didn't even meet in eye contact.."....I haven't forgiven you for trying to swindle me out of those cufflinks seven years ago. If it hadn't been for B'Elanna's husband, Tom , I'd have been many credits poorer than I am right now.."

Quark huffed and moved off knowing when he was thwarted.  
::No point in beating a dead horse.. He'll come around back to friendly terms.. I just have to find the right angle.. This Harry's my ticket onto Voyager.. Maybe, I can open up a coffee shop and draw in this Voyager captain myself.. I want this Nexus to build me my OWN promenade.  
Odoless! But I need customers.. and that means I get on all of these ships' crews' good sides.. I retreat then, Harry Kim, to when you are in a better mood...::

He moved over to where Chief O'Brien was working on yet another repair for his captain.. Quark noticed he was shaking his head at yet another fantasy vision.. "I'd learn to curb that Chief.. I think I have just the thing.."

He whipped open a heavy jacket laden with cerebral merchandising.  
Biofeedback visors.. White noise maskers.. Wesley's game headsets,  
holo crowns and tin foil antennae.. "For twenty five credits gold pressed latinum.. I can take your worries away Chief. No Nexus tricks when you use these things I've dreamed up. As long as you own one of these.. I won't let it.." he roared heartily.

"Here, try a gamma wave inducer. Will kill those fantasies right off.." Quark stuck a spiked, gaudily blinking sensor on Mile's neck. He then whipped out a datapadd, "Shall we say,  
five credits an hour to start with? No? Ok, two. And the first fifteen minutes, Nexus free, is on me because we've known each other so long, You know, Chief.. I think you and I are going places..."

The Chief began to grumble like a doberman and the Ferengi missed all the signs.

Ensign Kim and B'Elanna Torres were oblivious to Quark's tormenting the Chief. They just wanted to find their own way.

Harry gripped B'Elanna's arm, "You ok? You look like you've just visited Hll...." he sniffed, "Is that fish, I'm smelling?"

Torres ripped free of his hold grinning dangerously with no force.

Harry grinned. "That barge again, huh? I remember that near death stunt you pulled to get to your mother in sickbay. Tom told me about it.. What an ugly afterlife.." he laughed.. "Listen, I've learned a few things. Lore, Data's brother was just here. And he said we can do anything we want in the ribbon. I ...want a good meal.. Care to join me? He held out his arm genteely to B'Elanna..

The Nexus swept him away before he felt her decide to accompany him or not..

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He was in Tahiti.. With a plate in his hand. Thunk!  
A steaming red lobster with spikey crab legs and a whole ladle of mussels and seaweed piled high and the ensign almost lost his place perched precariously on a lawn chair touching the ocean.  
It was night and the moon was so big it filled the sky and lit up all the palm trees ringing the beach..

"Eat up! Ensign!! " a familiar voice chuckled merrily..It was Neelix, with a reed woven chef's cap and grass skirt around his waist in lieu of an apron.

Harry's eyes goggled at the meal. ::This looks fantastic!! He must've been fishing and cooking all day..:: Kim dove in fiercely.. ::I've always wanted a beach kettle cookout...:: In between bites, he choked, and Kes deftly smacked him into order again with a warning grin..

"Chew.." she glared, then smiled.. and Harry did.. Kes was looking fabulous in the glow of the bon fire in her long Hawaiian sari and the Plomeria bloom perched above her ear.

The Ensign smiled.. "God, Tom and B'Elanna would love this place.  
I can just see them playing footsy on the other side of the fire with a bottle of Pinot Noir.."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ (attachments)

Image :Harry on the clarinet.

Gif : Upcoming events logo

Logo: Paramount pictures gif.

*  
From: "Clairissa Fox" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] I want to go on a feild trip!  
Date: Wed, 24 Jan 2001 20:57:29 -0000

I was glad I helped the hollow doctor make Kes all better.  
I was sure I could do it and I did! That trycordr made the counting easy. I got her up and we went into the lift. The hollow doctor didnt come with us.

Then we checked with Auntie Kathy to look at the Nexus in the star lab and then the doors closd.

I went with Nelix and Kes. I played with the controls and made the big movie screen change colors cause Nelix showd me how. It was fun.. Then they went away from me to talk.

I didnt like the look on Kess face. Something was wrong.

I saw the map again. The ribbon we were inside was going to go to Earth. I wasnt scared but I knew Kes was. Why? Why was she scared. This Nexus makes make believe real. If you think realy hard only good stuff will happen.

I decided to ask Bootby..

Bootby! Bootby! Get over here. I want to talk to you about this new place were in.

The simulated consultation program appeared in the grid above the child's head. "Naomi.. You needed me?"

Yes! I do. I know you are just a computr program and cant dream but maybe you can help me with the Nexus were all inside. Now there are more ships in with us. Did Auntie Kathy tell you anything about that?

"No. I was deactivated for a time until Lore reactivated me a few minutes ago. I do have a log showing the EMH going online to treat bridge casualties a half an hour ago. But that's beside the point. I am getting more and more oriented to the situation as I am receiving telemetry on all of Voyager's scans. The captain hasn't updated the logs yet."

Never mind that. Look at this map. Earth is going to be caught! I see Kes and Nelix talking about it right now. What should I do?

"Well. There's nothing I can do until I get all of my information.  
But be assured that Voyager's back up to full power. I'll not let any harm come to you or the rest of the crew. Is that clear?"  
Boothby ordered.

I stood up tall. I was the captains assistent and I wasnt going to be afraid. Yes sir!

Then Kes and Nelix came over to me and I herd her say that she was the ribbons driver like my friend Betty on my school bus.

The ribbon stopped on the map! Kes did it! I was happy. She was no longr scared.

Kes! Kes! You did it! Earth wont be stuck like we are. I turned off the map on the movie screen and turned to face them.

I am going to tell Auntie Kathy that Earth is safe because you are the driver OK? So don't worry.

I left and didnt even see Kes and Nelix go on ther vacation!  
I had to much work to do.

--------------------------------------------------------

I got to the brige and jumped on Auntie Kathy's lap and i gave her a big hug. She was still ok and awake.

Chakoty was gone. He wasnt there. Maybe he went on vacation to. I dont ever remeber him going on one ever since I was born!

And Barkly was ther! He gave Auntie Kathy her afternoon coffey cup for me. That was nice. He then told us all about the shadow puppets we all were. I didn't mind. I still felt like me. Wesly was ther so I took his hand and shook it to get him to look at me so hed hear.

Auntie Kathy! I mean captain! Kes did it! The ribbon is not going to Earth to get all the children scared. She made everything stop by the big planet with the red mark on it.  
So there is nothing for you to do on the ship now.

Can we go to? Can we go on a trip? I want to see for me!

-  
(attachment)

Image: Naomi Wildman with a holocamera.

*  
From: "Cassidy Meyers" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] When the cat's away .. the mice will play Date: Thu, 25 Jan 2001 01:37:42 +0400

Jadzia awoke in Worf's Quarters on the Defiant. She could still smell his pungent scent on the sheets and she smiled.  
::I'm back. This is the new "after my death" life promised to me. I have to tell Captain Sisko that Kai Opaka made me an emissary for the Nexus via the wormhole.::

She arose and realized that she had no clothes on. In this reality, she would have had none following her death. She could feel Dovin-Kah in her belly and felt whole. ::He's not Dax. But we have much to learn from each other. :: She said,  
carressing her now scarless stomach.

#We do, child. Now go. Get your fleshly needs taken care of.  
You are depleted.# Dovin-Kah said.

In a wink, Jadzia knew where to go.

---------------------------------------------------------

The little shop of tailors was filling with a merry humming as Garak swept up non existent dust off the pleasantly roasting rocky floor. ::Ah, finally! I am not cold.. That blasted Sisko had better rethink his environmental protocol for civilians if he ever gets back to the real DS9. If I was unhappy with the temperature there, I wonder how many others were too?::

He concentrated on a spot near his worktable, sweeping diligently with the Cardassion sedge broom until he swept against bare toes.  
His eyes scanned up....

"AH!!!" He caught a hand to his thundering throat.."My dear.." he addressed Jadzia. "You must learn to ring the doorbell.." he gasped, "You sure gave me a start.."

"Are you sure it wasn't the way I am now that startled you?"  
Jadzia Dovin chuckled.

"Certainly not! Humans in the buff do absolutely nothing for me darling. And I'm sure you're warm enough.. I've just boosted the heating stones another notch.. Have a seat... I assume you are here for business.. Care for some tea?'

Jadzia plunked down in the rich embroidered chair, without a care for her birthday suit state. "I'd love some.. Raktajeno, please.."

Garak snapped his fingers and two steels cups of drink materialized in his hands. He gave her the bigger one.  
"So, did you like it?" he leaned over whispering confidentially.

Jadzia blinked.."Like what?"

"My universal clothing shop premiere commercial.. I sent it ribbon wide only an hour ago.. Clever authoring I thought so. Think it'll draw in the business?"

"Really, I couldn't say.  
I was rather out of it lately until the Kai--" ::Wait a minute.  
Garak's a spy. I shouldn't be telling him about Dovin-Kah too soon.  
He's bound to find some twisted motive to report back to the Obsidian Order in it.:: "...told me to come here.." she lied. "She told me what an exquisite tailor you are. She was wearing the gown you created for her.."

"Really..." Garak smiled thinly, knowing Jadzia had avoided a tidbit.  
But his charm never ceased.. "I'm flattered.. Perhaps I can design such opulence for you.." He swept a hand, eyeing up Jadzia's dimensions.

The Trill leaned forward and propped elbows on her knees lacing fingers together in front of her under her chin. "I'm sorry to disappoint you my fine appointed tailor, but one standard teal blue science uniform would be much appreciated. My wishing seems to be limited to locations so far and not to changes effecting my person.."

Garak heaved a big sigh.. and toasted her with his mug. "Science officer to the last.. I salute you..." He cocked his head and asked one further thing, "You've the shape of a goddess, ever considered being a Dabo girl fashion model?"

Jadzia's tea smattered all over Garak's face..

"Guess not.. All right.. I'll get straight to work. No doubt one of the captains will have need of your assistance.. One more thing.. If you see a feline running around here. Could you bribe the creature my way?  
I've a Cartalian Vole Naomi dreamed up in my back store room."

"A feline?..." Jadzia echoed evenly.. "Ok,.. I'll keep out an eye for one.  
The only one I've seen was Spot from my sensor sweeps of Voyager before I was separated from the Defiant. And he's deader than a doornail in the morgue. Or, " she frowned confusingly. "He used to be.." listening to Dovin's inner voice.. She gripped Garak's arm in urgency.. "Can you design a more forgiving collar? I like breathing.."

"No problem.." Garak replied.

-  
(attachments)

Audio: *red alert sound TOS*  
Borg voices: Resistance is futile.  
Beevis : Hehe.  
Butthead : That was cool.  
Kirk : Enterprise out.  
*closing comm frequency sound*

Image: Four ships and captains STV logo in black.

*  
From: Bradley J. Seward  
Date: Wed Jan 24, 2001 4:44pm Subject: Khan's Arrival

Khan was ready to attack the Enterprise with everything he had, when the Enterprise swung around and fired at his commandeered vessel. Khan had been defeated in one swift act. Then he noticed the Genesis device sitting quietly and yet beckoned to him to activate it. Khan crawled over to it depressed a button, and looked at the viewscreen and said to Kirk, "From Hell's heart I stab at thee. For hate's sake I spit my last breath at thee."

Something appeared on the Reliant's scanners just before the ship imploded.  
One moment Khan was facing death, and the next he was standing outside the launch platform of the S.S. Botany Bay. His clan was the last of the supreme humans that spanned a quarter of the earth and now they were hunted. Khan was disappointed that he had to leave his realm, but perhaps he would return. His crew was boarding the sleeper vessel when he heard the sound of a sniper rifle echoing off the buildings.  
As he turned toward the sound he saw his wife's chest explode. He ran to her side but it was to late. Another shot echoed close to him and ricocheted off the concrete near him. Turning from his fallen companion he ran up the platform and into his vessel. On the scanners several fighters were approaching their position, Khan turned to his co-pilot and nodded.

The three booster rockets ignited and lifted the rocket slowly into the atmosphere. The fighters arrived too late, but persistently followed the rocket as it ascended into the high atmosphere. Two of the fighters fired their missiles but Khan's ship had already accelerated beyond their speed.  
Within seconds the blackness of space came into view.

Khan turned to his co-pilot, "What a glorious day. Now the stars are ours... When we awake, our enemies will have perished."

Khan turned in his seat and suddenly appeared on a beautiful planet, "Damn Kirk for stranding us on Ceti Alpha V." Khan paused a moment, something was wrong in his genetically advanced brain, something was telling him that time was out of sync. A strange shape blocked out the sun, it was cubed shaped.  
Suddenly he heard the whine of a transporter activating. Quickly, he dove behind some boulders as the three individuals materialized. The men were dressed in black, they were human but had cybernetic implants. They spoke in electronic type voices. Khan observed them suspiciously.

"Human, advanced genetics, assimilate."

::Assimilate?:: Khan thought, ::They mean to capture us. I need a weapon:  
Khan looked about and saw a sword that wasn't there earlier. He reached for it, and his motion must have attracted the strange beings.

The beings walked into view and said, "Resistance is futile..."

Khan swung the sword which immediately killed the first creature. They were stronger than he imagined. The second creature swung his arm at Khan but Khan ducked and rolled out of its reach. Reacting, Khan swung his sword again and dismembered its legs, but the creature kept coming at him. :: I should have beamed to Kirk's ship with Genesis.:: Khan thought.

His vision dimmed and he appeared on the Enterprise's transporter platform.  
His son, three others and Genesis were with him. Somehow they surprised the transport chief, who pressed the intercom button and uttered, "Intr--"

Khan's son fired his phaser killing the transporter chief. "Father, how did we get here?"

"You, and you secure the door." Khan ordered the others, then turning to his son, "I'm not sure what is going on, but we can relive our past. Even change things the way we could have done things. The enterprise disabled us and you were killed."

Khan's son touched his forehead, "I remember. But we're ALIVE."

"Yes, we've beamed aboard Kirk's vessel." Khan paused and began thinking,  
"But when..." After a second he walked to the door, placing his hand on the one's shoulder, "Ahmahd?"

"Secured, sir."

Khan glanced at the alert light, it was blinking yellow, "Yellow alert?  
Yessss, we ARE one big happy family. The shields are still down. Quickly,  
before their security arrives. Ahmahd, transport Genesis into a storage shed, and mask the transport signature, erect a level 4 security field.  
We'll head to the ship's main shield control and disable them from there.  
Kirk has no idea I'm aliiiive."

"Genesis, safely transported and secured. Security is running diagnostics.  
They've dispatched security to our position."

"Time for us to move, we'll use the Jeffrey tubes."

As the three exited the transporter room a crewman walked toward them, when he noticed the strange people he slammed his fist against the intercom and yelled, "Intruder alert!"

Ahmahd ran to him, grabbed him around the neck, the officer crumpled lifelessly to the ground, "What now?"

"We continue. Kirk knows not who I am yet, we can bypass any fields we come to."

(attachments)

Music : Mutara Nebula from ST-II, the movie

Image: Khan in a rage in the captain's seat.

*  
From: "Nick Lewis" .uk Subject: [voyagerliveaction] The Forgotten Years Date: Thu, 25 Jan 2001 15:52:31 -0000 === Tom looks at his tricorder in relief. He knew he was no shadow. "Captain"  
he starts, but then a sudden pain fills his head, worse than any hangover he's ever had. It's so intense he collapses to the floor.

A spike cuts through Tom's mind, shredding synapses like paper. Thoughts,  
feelings, memories... Tied up in Fair Haven's chapel. Now this wasn't what he had in mind when he wrote the program. *Guess no-one appreciated the cow joke. You'd think the Irish would have a sense of humour.*

Slash!

B'Elanna lying on a biobed. Damn her, why does she have to be so stubborn.  
He respects her beliefs, he really does, but this search for her mother through the Klingon afterlife could kill her.

Rip!

Tom's eyes almost pop out of their sockets as he sees the Captain in Queen Arachnia's costume. She certainly...... fills it out well. *Improper thoughts about the Captain... not good. Think of something else.  
warp-field equations. Arrrrggghhh!!!* Nope, he can't do it, he has to sneak another look. *Woah! Could that bodice get any tighter?*

Tom's eyes shoot open. He finds himself looking at the ceiling, a perspective which is giving him a weird sense of deja-vu. "What am I doing on the floor?" he asks no-one in particular. He tries to remember... *Oh yeah, the Malons* He slowly sits up, then realises he's on the bridge instead of the shuttle-bay. "Captain?" he asks, confused.

*  
From: Date: Fri Jan 26, 2001 1:41pm Subject: Old Friends Thrown Together

Sparks flew from the control panel behind Icheb as Voyager shook violently. Icheb rushed across the bridge to Ops, and began to enter a series of commands. "Mezoti, do we have power to the view screen yet?" Icheb called to her, hoping that she had heard him over the loud hum that had surrounded the ship moments before they lost power.  
"Yes" Mezoti replied as she starred down at the sensor display on her console.  
"On screen" Icheb replied as he took his seat in the captain's chair. The view screen became active and sent a blinding light onto Voyager's bridge, "dim the view screen" Icheb called as he shielded his eyes. The light became dimmer, and there on the view screen was a gaseous cloud with all sorts of colors, a bolt of lightning flew from the cloud and Voyager began to tilt. "Stabilize us" Icheb called to Azan, who was at Helm control.  
"There, we're stabilized captain" Azan replied as he let out a sigh of relief.  
"Captain, I don't recognize this anomaly" said Rebi from tactical.  
"I do" Icheb replied, "this is a species in the Alpha Quadrant called the Calamarian, the Enterprise ran into them once while harboring a Q" Icheb explained to the other three.:But how did they get here, and why are they attacking us?: Icheb thought to himself as he looked on at the view screen.  
"Icheb, shields are down to 21 percent, what should we do?" Rebi asked, Icheb could detect fear in his voice, and felt sorry for him, this was a little over the kid's head.  
"Mezoti, try and find a way to punch a hole through them" Icheb said as he walked over to Helm control, "Azan, try and dodge them as long as possible, and the second you see an opening go to warp, I'll try and figure out a way to communicate with them." Icheb started to walk over to Ops, but stopped in front of the captain's chair, :something isn't right here, the three of them shouldn't be here, and I shouldn't be the captain: "Computer, locate Captain Janeway" Icheb said in a confused tone of voice.  
# Captain Janeway is not aboard the ship # the computer replied, but not in it's normal voice, this was a different one, one that Icheb recognized right away.  
"That voice, it's the collectives" Icheb said fearfully, he quickly turned around to ask Rebi about it, but there was no one there, Rebi had vanished, not only that, but Azan and Mezoti were also gone.:I'm alone, where is everyone? Huh? The humming, it's stopped.: Icheb turned towards the view screen, nothing but stars were there now, and an eerie silence fell over the ship. Suddenly the turbo lift doors opened and what stepped out filled Icheb with terror, but there was something else, a presence he felt, and then she emerged from the turbo lift, the Borg Queen.

********************************************************************** From: Date: Fri Jan 26, 2001 8:39pm Subject: O'Brian Post

Ann O'Brian had a saying, "If two people are talking one should shut up, cause neither is listening. If three people are talking ignore them, they aren't even listening to themselves". With at least six people talking on the Defiant bridge at once Mrs. O'Brian/s little boy decided to heed her advice and turned back to his engineering station with a chuckle. There were certainly individuals who knew more about spatial anomalies like this nexus than O'Brian, and Bashir may have to supply some answers about those hallucinations, but that would be later. Right now there was something that didn't feel right about the Defiant and no one was better suited to solve that problem than O'Brian was.

Ens. Harry, "Harry Kim, USS Voyager" Introduced himself formally at the same time he introduced Belanna Torrres. Voyager? Weren't they lost in the badlands years ago? Rumor said they'd been stranded in the Delta Quadrant. Their appearance certainly raised more questions than they answered. O'Brian was about to ask how they had gotten here when Quark approached him trying to peddle some trinket or another. O'Brian paid him little attention lost for a moment in though until

Quark slapped something on his neck and the universe started to shift again. O'Brian was not about to give himself over to fantasy again he grabbed the sensor off his neck with one hand and Quarks throat with the other. Holding the sensor up to Quarks with just enough pressure so that it indented his skin O'Brian spoke in an icy voice. "Unless you want this attached permanently to the inside of you lobe, Stay Away FROM ME!" his voice gaining volume until as he pushed Quark back he was shouting. Conversation on the bridge stopped and slightly chagrined O'Brian addressed his Captain. "Cpt. Sisko, we seem to be stabilized a bit and I think we can hold our own with just impulse engines". Sisko looked to the helm Officer who nodded in agreement, "Very well" said Sisko "do what you need to, but be ready to break us out of here if we need to". "I don't think that's possible," said Belanna.

"And you are? Questioned O'Brian "Chief Engineer, Voyager, If the Nexus is holding Voyager with all her power I doubt this little ship can break free"

"Ah, well maybe we can and maybe we can't. This little ship was built to go toe to toe with the Dominion, and has the best power ratio in the fleet. But, if you've kept Voyager running for this many years without any replacement parts, I'm sure you'll have a couple ideas" Why don't you link that station there?" Happily engaged in techno babble with the Klingon engineer O'Brian almost forgot his other idea until he saw Ens. Kim smiling at a suddenly useful Belanna. "Ens. Kim, with the Captains permission I'd like you to pull up whatever you can find on Lor from the computer. I know his brother Data's complete schematics are on file. I think the Captain would like to know what he's dealing with".

*  
From: Date: Sun Jan 28, 2001 1:28pm Subject: Weleys idea

Wesley stands on the bridge and listens to all the talk ofreal and not real and shadows. He sighs to himself then speaks to everyone.

"Everyone Listen." He says slightly loader then his normalvoice. "Mr. Barcley maybe right and that He and I are the only people again he could be wrong. Right nowall we know is that we all feel like real people and that are thoughts canbecome real. That is both good and bad."

He looks for Tuvak then says toJaneway. "Captain I have a suggestion. Tuvak is Vulcan and knows medations andsuch to help control his thoughts and emotions. It might be a good idea for himand other aboard who can control thier thoughts and emotions to a great degreeto give some listens to everyone and quickly. It will not be the best but itwill help control what could happen."

"Also I will now go back to theother ship where Harry Kim is. I told him I would bring back data pads of theevents that happen to us while we were trapped by the Q. Speaking of whom Youshall have little trouble with them anymore."

He looks at the cats and smiles."And just in case deside for some reason to cause or not as the Grays aresoppose too you may want to think again." With a blue flash he is gone.

He appears before Sisko. "Sorrycaptain I did not mean to startle you." He turns to Harry Kim and hands himabout 10 Data Padds and smiles. "This in the complete version, from day onetill now. The crew is fine as is the ship."

"Barcley is over there now andclaims to be a real person as I am and that the rest of you are shadows of yourreal selves. I not sure myself. I have information about this place that I amnot sure where it came from, for now I will keep it to myself. Anyway everyonemust strat to control there thoughts and emotions for both good and bad canhappen. The commander was trambled by a white buffolo during areal dream is find but he could be dead if not for others."

"What do wish to dofrist captian?" *  
From: Fran Catrair  
Date: Sun Jan 28, 2001 10:52pm Subject: The Illusion of Another

B'Elanna was happy to see Harry Kim. ::Finally, a 'friendly' face!:: she mused.  
She was grateful for his quick briefing of who was who and what was going on. She was ever mindful of his still youthful exuberance when he spoke of food. It mildly surprised her when he disappeared, but she remembered her brief movings. ::All too familiar. I don't want to be back on that Barge again.:: she thought. ::Oops, that's what happened last time. I've GOT to think of something else!:: she frantically thought.

Shaking her head, she remembered Harry introducing her to O'Brien. She took a step foward and looked at what he was doing. "I find this 'shadow' idea to be very difficult to believe." she stated.  
::I feel real. The places I have been to are real. How can this be?:: she thought.  
"I believe in what I can see...in what my instruments tell me." she stated firmly. "I will take you up on your offer of working at your science station, Mr. O'Brien. Thank you." she concluded. Maybe, just maybe, she could think of a scientific explanation for all of this.

As she was calibrating her readings, she had a sick feeling come over her. This was not good. She felt a sudden connection. One so strong, she felt overwhelmed. She could feel another being's thoughts. ::What the h#ll:  
she thought. ::I'm not Betazed. I'm not Vulcan like Tuvok.:: But the thoughts were there. Someone was calling out to her.  
wanting her help. And she felt herself powerless to deny it. Steeling her resolve,  
she knew what she had to do.

Meanwhile, back on the real Voyager:

B'Elanna woke up and found herself lying on the floor of Engineering. ::What in the world was that?:: B'Elanna wondered. Hitting her combadge, she called out, =^= Torres to the Bridge=^= Got back a cool response, =^=Tuvok here. What's going on down there?=^= =^=Funny, I was about to ask you the same question, Tuvok. Hold on, I'll be right there. Torres out.=^=

Satisfied, B'Elanna looked around and spotted Ensign Vorik. "Vorik, I want you to run a full diagnostic. See how this 'ribbon' has affected our systems." "But we just completed a Level 3 diagnostic, Lieutenant.", Vorik answered. "I don't care about that, Vorik! That was BEFORE this blasted ribbon hit us. I want you to run the diagnostic and inform me of your results. I'll be on the Bridge if you need me." With that, B'Elanna left Engineering and headed for the Bridge.

-  
(attachments)

Image : B'Elanna hard at work at a console.

Image : B'Elanna in a foggy hallway.

*animated gif* Spinning rank pips.. Lieutenant's.

*  
From: "Amiee Jo Fielder"  
Date: Sun Jan 28, 2001 11:52pm Subject: The simple things

Janeway sat on the bridge, watching the goings on around her.  
:: Take a vacation?" she thought to herself. An interesting idea.  
Janeway lovingly sipped the REAL coffee Barklay had given her.  
:: Who needs a vacation when I have this?:: Kathryn chuckled quietly to herself. "Thank you very much Mr. Barklay, this is a real treat."

The captain looked at the young girl sitting in her lap. "You want to go on a field trip Naomi? Where would you like to go on a field trip to?. I have an idea, why don't I finish some of this "captain's work" and then,  
I'll pick you up and we can spend some time on the halodeck in a program of your choice." Kathryn stood up, placing the child on the ground. Naomi nodded her head and wandered elsewhere on the bridge.

Suddenly there she was,, in her program New Paradise with her bath drawn and waiting. :: Well that was easy.:: She immediately noticed the birch bark canoe parked about waist high level.. ::Hmm.:: She walked over to it and sighed. ::Chakotay's carving projects, again? I'll have to admit. They're getting better.::

"Computer." She said to the air. "Access halodeck control parameters.  
Move the canoe to the beach. Two meters south of its current location.=^=

The image of the canoe phased in and then out again precisely the same height it had been when it was on top of the meters south. As ordered. ::Oh no!:: The canoe dropped four feet to the sand, half in and out of the water with a tremendous splash.  
::I hope I didn't crack it.:: She winced. =^=Computer. Is the canoe fascimile still intact?=^=

#Affirmative.#

Janeway heaved a sigh of relief. ::Thank heaven for haloimagery.::

She turned from the beach and padded her way over the grass to the tub,  
loosening the ties to her robe. Something glimmered at her, making her freeze and squint. ::What on earth is that?:: It was something square through the steam.

"Chakotay..." she sighed ruefully, hands on hips.

(attachments)

Image : Janeway taking a bath in her tub.

Image: OOC- comic strip... J- grinning at Chakotay.  
Comeon, Chakotay.  
I've got coffee rations riding on this.  
Just say.. Tuvok is a babe magnet....

*animated gif* Spinning Voyager title logo in red and gold.

*******************************************************************

From : "Cory Anda"  
Subject: The Ways of the Wind .. Date: Mon Jan 29, 2001 01:52am

Barclay began to smile. ::A vacation, huh? To me,  
this IS one..:: he grinned to himself watching everyone on the bridge gathered together in quiet groups to discuss everything that had happened so far. Janeway had the right idea. She just had to listen to her first officer's words to be convinced. Barclay saw the captain turn to leave to go somewhere towards the upper deck. Reg worked through his nervousness with an effort. "Captain, one more thing. Could I.  
uh,.. walk about the ship and ,..uh,, meet everyone? I- I mean to finally be on Voyager, even a shadow Voyager is..."  
he gave a quaint showy bow.

Kathryn held up a hand with a slight smile and dipped her head fractionally, amused, then followed up with an indication wave toward the turbolift.

Barclay was an over eager puppy, "Th-Thank you. You see,  
the specs don't do this ship justice or the records about the personalities of the crew.. I-I'd like to learn how they really are . Those holosimms I used to send you with my holoimage matrix pale against all this.. Thankyouverymuch."

He did not notice the captain speak quietly to Naomi, sending the little child off her lap and then Janeway disappearing off the bridge to somewhere else a few moments later.

He departed, pleased at his not making an embarrassing scene by babbling too much.

Reg headed for the empty mess and rooted around Neelix's kitchen and all the abandoned bowls of foodstuffs and plates of delicacies still laid out for the lunch that was ignored by all since the Nexus's arrival. ::I can't believe people complain about these meals.. I mean, this food came from the Delta Quadrant!  
From places I'll never see in a lifetime of traveling!::

Barclay served himself up a few of the serving dishes and a towel and set out a feast for himself .. He made it a production in front of the replicator when he planned out his first drink order from Voyager's menu matrix. He and Deanna had laughingly discussed what Reg would finally order from her replicators when Voyager got home and they both agreed that his choice he finally chose was the right one.

Barclay tapped his real combadge, which, of course, was already linked into the shadow Voyager's comm system. "Computer, one ice cold, old fashioned, A&W Root Beer float with whipped cream."

The deep remat hum sounded more resonant than the holosimulation's had to Barclay's ears and the glass felt far heavier a few seconds later.

He held it out reverently in front of him never taking his eyes off the sundae. He spent a space of a minute arranging fork, silver napkin and items just so and then he took his first spoonful of the float.. He closed his eyes.. and sighed.. He was home.  
"Here's to you, Deanna. Who stuck by me when no one else would and to all those stodgy admirals who saw my Pathfinder project finally cross the void to reach this lonely ship." He dug in heartily and ate like he hadn't for months.

Then he rearranged a few details like he always did in his Voyager programs.. =^= Computer. =^= It bleeped reassuringly to him.  
=^=Please have commissary prepare quarters for me on Deck Six subsection Alpha to the following specifications, ..." and he began to list off environmental settings, bunk sheets, pillows and the final thing at last.. His single paper copy of A Wrinkle In Time by Madam L'Engle. That would go on a center table that was absolutely identical to the one all officers had in their cabins. A spot light was ordered for the book on the stand.  
::After all, reading THAT children's book was my inspiration for Pathfinder..::

He cleaned up tidily for Neelix, knowing the kitchen by heart and thoughtfully ended the lights in the mess when he left.  
::I know exactly what I am going to do next.. take a nap in my "real" quarters. Then, afterwards, it'll be fun to be the social butterfly and meet all of the crew so I can get to see them face to face how they really are...I don't want to miss a single detail of these crewmen I know so well.::

He got to his "quarters" and the door opened at his touch and personal code.. He surveyed "his" space proudly. It was just like the holosimulation of his dream cabin on the holoVoyager,  
only the thrum through the carpeting was authentic and the smells of upholstery truer to life. He sighed,.. flopping down gratefully onto the bed. ::They can have their Nexus dreams and unreality. This ship is the only place I've ever wanted to be and this is as close as I'm going to get ....today.  
I'll just stretch out here for a few m--....Zzzzzzzz...."

Barclay was asleep in moments, the silver sheet tucked under his chin, smiling like a newborn babe. Out his window.. the Nexus created stars and blackness for him which twinkled overhead.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Chakotay was home, in the mountains of the colony on his grandfather's land in the family sacred grove. His heart was at peace because he had come back to re-live and re-do the night before he left for the Badlands rendevous with his new Maquis raider ship, the Liberty. Leaving his grandfather hastily then, was a decision he later regretted.  
He had said a terse goodbye to Necomah without sharing the traditional meal expected for such a full moon night, spouting excuses about catching the last shuttle out of the solar system. Chakotay had said he would return for the next full moon of the month. But he really stayed away for weeks, then months and finally years until the day came when he heard from his family that Necomah had gone on to the Great Beyond.

The holovid reports were given to Chakotay. They told of his being taken by an unknown lifeform out on a remote world where he had been story telling to young ones. Necomah's body was never found.

::Only now, I won't let that fatal oversight happen again.  
I am here with my grandfather and I will be here for EVERY full moon to hear his stories and be the grandson I never was to him then..::

It was from Necomah that Chakotay had learned soul touching story telling and the rich heritage he never learned from his own father. He smiled and accepted the pipe from Necomah remembering to raise it to the stars in prayer first. Curls of blue smoke drifted into the darkness of the treetops..

"So,.. Chakotay.." Necomah winked through his wrinkles and snowy tresses in a clipped soft, Indian accent, "Do you think she'll find it?"

Chakotay hadn't even bothered to change his starfleet uniform and he subconsciously looked down at his combadge that could link with the one to whom they were referring.

He smiled quietly and studied the bark he was peeling in his hands.  
"It's hard to say. I left the datapadd in the canoe on top of Kathryn's bathtub in New Paradise where she's bound to find it. I worked for weeks thinking what to say and how to say it right according to our custom. I think I've "told the tale" well grandfather. Now, all I can do is wait." he tossed the bark chip into the fire and watched the sparks float up in its wake.

Necomah laughed in his gravelly voice behind a veil of pipe smoke. "If I know women like I know these woods. Kathryn'll be in that place anytime now for that bath.. Women like their water.. Especially hot, steaming water. Lay your doubts to rest, Chakotay. Be patient. ...We've all night."

Chakotay didn't know how to feel about that.

There was a sudden noise from the forest making both men look up.  
Lore disturbed them then and came into the ring of the firelight. Necomah looked up as he heard himself addressed. He waved Chakotay's suddenly gripped use of a log as a club in disgust. "There are no enemies on tribal lands, Chakotay. Put it away."

Necomah turned to Lore and gestured impatiently for him to join them on the blanket. "Come forth, stranger and be a friend.. I am this man's grandfather by blood. Come tell me about yourself, mechanical man..and I will share with you whatever I know about what you seek.."

Chakotay looked once again like a Maquis commander for long moments.  
He didn't like this tactless stranger. But at Necomah's words, he relaxed. ::What grandfather wishes.. is what I wish:  
He offered simple fish and cooked tubers on a leaf to the android, "This should have amino acids compatible to your servo fluids..and we've water.. Take what you need, it is our custom..I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name," he began.

He broke off as Necomah voiced the name of the strange manmade being in front of him..before his own ears heard it first. "Lore..."

Chakotay blinked and stopped his chewing, "How did you know that,  
grandfather?"

Necomah's eyes twinkled..and he took Lore's offering handshake of greeting. "From the Crystalline Entity which came to all of us when you were away, son of my son. This one is the one responsible for my going from this life.."

A bright flare of surprising anger and a twist of sudden hate made Chakotay clench his jaw.. "That horrible entity took you? At the orders of this man?!" He froze, controlling his hostility. He could not react as he wished on sacred land, the eternal truce pact held him tightly. ::I should deactivate him for killing Necomah..:: He shouted aloud instead into Lore's pale face. "You cost me my deepest tie to my bloodline!"

Lore did not blink, nor did he move.

Then Necomah laughed..shocking Chakotay.  
"Believe it or not, I am grateful to you, android.. for instilling in my grandson this fighting instinct." He waved a gnarled hand at Chakotay who stared at it dumbly, not cooling right away. Necomah nodded with conviction, " It has no doubt saved his life long enough for him to find her,.. "The one that matters.."

Lore tipped a quizzical look. Chakotay glanced away feeling uncomfortable with the line of conversation.. "Leave her out of it." he whispered.  
"She is to be my life long Seconah, nothing more.. Kathryn and I have ruled out the other path."

Necomah angled his head, releasing Lore's hand, "So you say.." he grunted, wide eyed."The spirit guides don't agree with that one, Chakotay.."

"Which is why I'll come halfway.. to please them and you.." came his hasty reply.

There was the sound of a hunting owl in the night and Chakotay's combadge twittered just once.

Necomah pointed to his grandson's shiny badge.. "She is come to your special place, Chakotay... If she is truly yours, that which is ordained will come to pass. " Necomah sang a while in an old language to the fire.  
Then he regarded Lore's yellow eyes seriously..

"Android, you want to learn about being alive? There is no greater lesson I could teach you then what is to happen now.. to my grandson and his chosen Seconah..."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kathryn Janeway stood with the silent datapadd in her hand, the towel at her shoulder over her robe forgotten. It had been a simple matter to reprogram the emitters to move Chakotay's carved gift canoe off her tub.

But this, had remained. Suspended in the air from its place where the canoe seat had been. ::What on Earth..?:: she thought, and had plucked it from where the datapadd hung.

She looked about, but no one was there. She sat down upon the picnic table bench without looking and switched on the padd.

It was in simple text. ::It's one of Chakotay's stories. But this one is new:  
Janeway thought. An unidentified sensation coursed through her as that fact soaked in. She turned off the streaming tap to read by the starlight.  
She didn't even know she was holding her breath.

"Achooyemoya. We are far from the lands of our people, Far from our homes. So listen to this one who speaks now in this place under these stars and be witness to my tale. It has come to pass that two great warriors of two separate nations finally learned to work together as one on a long arduous journey back to the land of their people.  
It was after a great battle, where the two leaders had conquered a traitor of their own blood. The clan plaque had fallen and been replaced back into its place of honor by their joined hands. Their common traitor was dead, the suppressed people had been allowed to carry vengeance upon the one called Ransom. It was then that the one who ruled at her side promised to council her ways and obey her needs from his heart to preserve the forged unity of their two peoples. They each pledged to never again disagree how to rule their people.  
For a time, their bond was no more than that. A year past and still he had had no sons and she no daughters, for there never could be..for the two to always lead well. Then he had learned her ways and customs and laws fully. Now, it was time for him to teach her, for him to choose a Seconah in lieu of the spouse and children denied him. In a line from father to daughter, from friend to friend the sacred tellings and teachings would carry on the bloodline and keep alive the meaning of the mark on his temple. She would learn the ways of his people so that those ways would never fade over time. She would be kin of the same house, the same blood...by choice."

Kathryn set down the padd, putting a hand to her mouth, and exhaled with deep emotion.

::He's asking me to become a bonded sister to him... Chakotay wants to teach me his family customs and all of his stories in the old way.::

She read further, reading between the lines,

::For years,... for years, certainly,..:: Kathryn then realized, "..he's wanted me to be the only one to carry on these traditions, to share them with my OWN family, eventually.." She stood in the grass, feeling the temperature of her bath.. without knowing if it suited her yet.  
::His own father and grandfather are dead, and with no child of his own, he has no one else to turn to to continue the bloodline bond,... Except me..:: She sat down on the tub's edge, wrapping the silk robe more tightly about herself against the night chill.  
::And now, he's asking me to consider being his family's next Storyteller?...:: she thought incredulously.. "I think I'm going to need a good long soak to think about that one.." She set the robe aside and got into the steaming waters,  
stretching out so the water's surface was up to her neck. She sighed in luxury..

A small tool made for deep genetic dermal work materialized on the bath's edge when she reached for the soap bar.  
She picked it up the slender silver cylinder and looked at the bluish image manifesting on its bioscreen.

It was Chakotay's tattoo, glowing there, only smaller, made in a downsized design that one could keep private, with a sleeve or lock of hair.

Janeway's eyes filled at the sight.  
Her decision, to become his bond sister would be final, then,  
with any mark she would take on her skin.

Kathryn sat for long moments, deeply moved. Then she tapped her combadge perched on a rock within her reach.

-  
(attachments)

Music : An Indian flute piece.

Image: Redtailed hawk, that led Lor to Chakotay.

Gif : An Indian feather.

Image : Janeway taking Chakotay's offer in a hand pledge grasp.

Bar gif : And indian design divider.  
Image : Chakotay accepting a handclasp from Kathryn.

Gif : Chakotay's River stone, the Chamoosee symbol on it.

*************************************************************************

END WEEK THREE RECAP 01-29-01

()

WEEK FOUR RECAP 01-31-01 {}

From: "robert catrair" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] back to work Date: Tue, 30 Jan 2001 00:38:41 -0000

As worf is trying to accept the information he had receive from the scans he had read,he is walking the station to fine capt. sisko (or commander if you want). Worf walk by the bar own by Quark he hears the normal cheers coming out of there. as he enters the turbo-lift to go down, he is back in his room on the defiant. As he leaves his room and head to the command deck,Worf feels something wrong. As he enter the command deck he observe people on and around the deck he does't know "Capt. who or what is going on" he ask "what are you doing at my post?" as he look at harry. while waiting for the answer from harry, he look at the screen and then it comes back to him. :the ribbon: worf is thinking to himself. :how do I go from D.S.9 to the Defiant and back:  
while he trying to discover the truth he started to have pain in his head the the floor rushes up to worf.  
When Worf was able to get his feet under himself the memories are still there,while lifting off the floor he listen into the multiple of conversation going on on the command deck the ribbon and shadow people are the word that stuck out to back on his feet he approach another klingon or what appear to be klingon. "hello I am LT. Commander worf of the federation star ship Defiant" Worf said to the lady. "what happen to the individual that was at the science station?"  
he ask her.

From: "Myron Ojala" Subject: Ice cream Dreams.  
Date: Wed, 31 Jan 2001 18:30:49 -0000

Lon Suder relaxed as he had been taught to in order to enter a meditative state. ::This might be similar to how Commander Chakotay does his spirit guide experience.:: he mused. As he knelt on the floor of the currently deactivated but occupied holodeck, Lon focused within himself going deeper. He ignored the pulsations of the ship around him. He forget the floor he sat on and the clothes he was wearing. Subtle thoughts crept up around his consciousness and he took notice of them, then he let them go.

He slowly lost the belief of where he was. He imagined that he was on a park bench near one of the many popular museums on Betazed. He saw many people around him on a clear, blue sunny day with picnic baskets filled with Betazed and other kinds of delicacies. As he "searched" he slowly saw things change around him. He opened his eyes and for a moment was totally amazed. Everywhere he looked he felt that he was actually on Betazed. The trees, the grass, and the sun which warmed more than his face. He rose to his feet and noticed that his clothing had altered according to the memories he had of this place.

In a reminiscent mood, he walked slowly across the park to the Detoran Art Museum. Soon, he walked the familiar halls within the building and saw the tour guides and their charges flowing through the area in order to enlighten the artistically ignorant masses. Suder smiled as they passed one object in particular. It was as he remembered it.

It was still resting on its pedestal on its red velvet pillow. ::What was that name of this? Ah, yes... That chamber pot. The Sacred Chalice of Rixx.:: Suder remembered being on such a tour with his parents. They had to drag the rebellious young man through the edifice of boredom. ::I remember the time I was shown this then.:: And the looks on the faces around him. Reverence. Respect. Even awe to a degree.. Then, he had taken a lesson reading a book on early Earth history. ::And this is how I learned the true purpose of this sacred object. The Betazeds still have no idea of what its function truly was..::

He decided that he had enough touching base with his past. He turned to leave when something glimmered in the corner of his eye. Its movement attracted his attention. Lon turned again and it was gone like the will o the wisp. Frowning, he turned to exit the building. A Betazed child came through the revolving doors without looking where she was going. She had a balloon in one hand and a JamJuk cone in the other. And she didn't see Lon Suder standing there. She ran smack into him, cone and all. Lon looked down at his now ruined outfit, frowning even deeper. ::I was never that young or clumsy..:: The ensign closed his eyes and tried to envision clean clothes. He opened his eyes and saw that nothing happened. ::Now what am I going to do?::

He opened another set of "eyes" leaving his trance, he was back again on the empty holodeck. He could still smell the pungent aroma of the Jumjak on him. ::I can't seem to get rid of this on own. Ah, I know just the place.:: Realizing exactly where he needed to go, Lon imagined a door on the side of the holodeck and one appeared before him. He went through it. And there he was. Suder was surprised to not only see a Cardassian working on what appeared to be a Starfleet uniform, he saw Jadzia.

He approached the young woman and said, "Where's the wedding?" He noticed her problem, "Oh. So you can't conjure up clothing either."

He then ignored her and turned to Garak. "Mind making one of those for me?" Suder noticed on the wall a take a number sign. He pulled a number down and looked at it. It said, 5461. The illuminated display above Garak's work counter that said, Now serving, Number 1. "I don't suppose that's you" he said to Jadzia. "I guess I am going to be here a little while. " Lon saw her shrug.

Looking at Garak's shirt, Suder saw remnants of a recently tossed drink. He looked down on his own stain. "On the other hand, maybe we could start a fashion trend.. Food De Art.. and be done with it."

-  
(attachment)

Image : Lon Suder in a mind meld looking in pain.

*******************************************************************

From: "Roxy Dee" Subject: It's all in what you say and how you say it~~ Date: Wed, 31 Jan 2001 19:02:24 -0000

~"Ens. Kim, with the Captains permission I'd like you to pull up ~whatever you can find on Lor from the computer. I know his brother ~Data's ~complete schematics are on file. I think the Captain would ~like to know what ~he's dealing with". {This from O'Brien}

"Ahh!" Harry said as his rear plunked down onto the deck. "My chair!!" The steaming lobster and crab naturally, followed into his lap off his tipped platter.. "AHHH! My *****!!" and he frantically brushed the burning food off his sensitive areas.

"Chief, I guess you Nexus wish that everyone should be working,.. well, if that's the case. Ensign Harry Kim, reporting BACK for duty." He threw Torres a look, "You saw me go.. Why didn't you stop O'Brien from calling me back. I guess rank DOES have its privileges even inside the Nexus. I couldn't stop being dragged back here." his indignation turned to pain as he felt his awkward burns. Then he realized what he was doing in front of the whole bridge crew. Kim recalled where his own hands were and he didn't care. " I've been scalded." Kim stood, grabbing a medical kit and getting out a dermal regenerator.. "Excuse me while I fix a few things. I'll be right with all of you."

An Irish Setter burst into being and happily lapped up the leavings, crunching up the now cooling seafood. "Molly!! No!! That's mine!!" But his discomfort got in the way of his retrieving his meal. He forgot the dog and decided to take steps to preserve his modesty in front of a smiling Torres and others who were now watching him or the odd red dog in their midst.

Kim abruptly turned his back to the amused B'Elanna and the confused Chief so they couldn't see him heal his burned parts. Kim sought to figure out things while leaning over to attend to himself. ::So, other people can enter your dreams and drag you back to whereever they are..:: Harry thought. ::Might be a useful trick later on.::

Moments later, he tossed the tool over his shoulder, trying to look nonchalant but his face was red with embarrassement. "Ok, Chief, Where were we? I think I've managed to...save....everything-g.. And about the food.. I'm sure I can pick up all these legs and tails, and heat them up for dinner later after we're through.. Now what was that I heard before I was yanked back here? Oh, yes.. Find and track down all information relevant to Lor. Yes, sir... Aye sir.." He tried to look cool, running fingers through his mussed hair and he found a seaweed hunk there. He plucked it off.

Kim swiped a crab that had fallen on his terminal off of it and Molly neatly intercepted the morsel before it could hit the ground. Harry got to work. "Yes, Chief,...Lieutenant.." he deferred to Torres and O'Brien. "Uh.. I have the information here.. Lor is definitely the prototype which preceded a one Commander Data who served on board the Enterprise D, under Captain Picard. His creator Noonian Soong, had a few glitches with him along the way that, apparently, he didn't know about. On several occasions, Lor was responsible for deaths on that ship due to his many design flaws. He called the crystalline entity down to try and destroy the Enterprise. And, there's one account here where Lor attacked Soong and fled, reacting to a malfunctioning emotion chip meant for Data. Soong later died as a result of his injuries."

Kim frowned. "This doesn't sound like the Lor who was just here, Chief. Quite the opposite. Maybe Lor's used the Nexus to cure himself of his insanity. He did say that he has a new emotion chip that is now the right one..."

Harry looked up from his terminal to find that only Torres heard his report. O'Brien was nose to nose with Quark, who was up to something once again. Kim watched Miles pluck off what looked like a dream inhibitor and then throw the Ferengi across the deck, ordering him to stay away from him in a loud ruckus.

Harry threw up his hands. "Now I know why I didn't sign up to be in engineering, especially where an Irishman commanded. Too hot headed.."

Kim caught Torres ironic look concerning that observation. "Well, umm you are different. I- I- I mean. There's human hot headed.. and and Klingon hot headed. And Tom's told me how I am supposed to handle you...so. no sweat.." Kim bit a knuckle. ::Oh.. Ankle in mouth up to the knee. Now why did I say that??! Guess I'm still a little hungry.::

Torres eyes lost their amusement and began to swell. She seemed to focus inward, searching for Tom's whereabouts.

Then Worf was suddenly there and demanding Kim as to why he was manning Worf's station. Then Worf's eyes were pulled away toward Torres, naturally. And their eyes locked.

Harry retreated to Defiant's command deck to redeliver his report to Sisko and again to the Chief using the two Klingons' daze stare to melt into the background.

~"hello I am LT. Commander worf of the federation star ship Defiant" ~Worf said ~to the lady. "what happen to the individual that was at the science station?" ~he ask her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Quark wheezed a little from his place on the floor, pulling his collar away from his throat so he could get to the air around him. "Heh.. loud and c-clear , Chief. Although just words would've sufficed."

Quark watched the Chief listen to Harry Kim give his report on Lor once again and he decided to mosey on. "I'll just take my wares elsewhere.." he shrugged to Torres and those watching him. "Can't blame a guy for trying.. " He spat his next words loud enought so the Chief could hear him.. "I was trying to HELP YOU.. BLOCK the Nexus effects buddy.. Believe me... I WON'T try again!!! I'll let you see if your absent doctor can do any better. I don't see Bashir around here anywhere. Se La Vie!!" He snapped his fingers and was elsewhere.

He was in Garak's shop on the holodeck on Voyager. He goggled at Jadzia's pristine skinful beauty.. "Now this..." the Ferengi drooled lecherously, "..is more like it.." Quark flopped down into a chair and grabbed a Nexus created sherry glass and just took in the whole scene between tailor and customer and applauded when Jadzia let loose her mug of Raktajeno into Garak's face for inpropriety.

He began to laugh uproariously when Lon Suder showed up in a matching soiled tunic looking for a new one. ::A Trill, A Cardassian and a Betazed.. Better than a soap opera on Rom's holovid..::

-  
(attachments)

Image er.. spoof.. Of the X-files saying "No sx files, Trekkers here" in the style of the X-Files videos with Mulgrew as Muldahr and Beltran as the mysterious silohuette.

Image : Harry playing Kaltoh

Gif : Creation Entertainment logo

Gif : Paramount logo.

Image : Someone's scanned photo of the Deep Space Nine cast leering at the camera out of character while in makeup. Interesting photo.

**************************************************************

From: "Cassidy Meyers" Subject: The Gathering....TANDEM POST Date: Sun, 04 Feb 2001 01:20:06 +0400 From : "Cassidy Meyers" Subject: The Gathering.... Date: Feb 02 Sat 13:13:46 -0000

TANDEM post between 'Patti Keiper' AND 'Cassidy Meyers' VIA Secbot OVERSEAS link SECBOT888****Co-Link established 10:17:33GMTUSA***TERMINATED 12:41:26 02-03-01GMTUSA

Garak blinked a few times at the tiny human child's disappearance. "That's one way to drum up some business. I don't think I've ever had an order for fairytale gowns. My dear," he said watching Jadzia finishing putting on her pips and communicator pin onto her new science blue uniform. "I have that human child's sizing already.. got the information the minute I laid eyes on her.. What do you think she might like for design? Usually, I draw upon a client's personality. But that Naomi came and went so fast, I haven't a sliver of impressions yet."

Jadzia grinned and went over to the fabric catalogues and began leafing through them.. "You've quite the inventory here.. Catellian glow silk, Eldeberan Silver Flow,..Cashmere.. hmmmmm.." The Trill thought, actually having fun with "shopping" for a child again. She felt Quark and Lon get curious about what she was doing and they looked over her shoulder at the book. "There!" Jadzia said, stabbing a finger down on a page, "This is the fabric.. Mood Caftkan.. Changes color with the mood of the wearer... rainbow iridescent, soft.. Perfect.." she beamed at Garak the tailor. She ripped the material swathe out of the catalog and beamed. "Make this into the design in your crafty little mind Garak. I see you already have one.. Your forehead scales wrinkle when you have a good idea..."

Garak flinched as the page ripped,.."Don't worry.. I can always wish up a new catalog..." he said sardonically. "And yes... I have a fashion in mind... I read up once Mudd's women.. A divine group of feminine forms to say the least.. They even got through to Kirk with their dresses.."

Jadzia glared reprovingly..

Garak put up innocent hands, "All right. All right.. I'll tone down the sensuality quotient.. You warmbloods seem to think that the alluring charms of love seeking should only come after one comes of age.. Strange concept.. But I'll abide by this one.. Ahh..." the Cardassian sighed.. "Now here is a design the girl might enjoy.. It's from a human tale called.. The Crusades..." garak ripped down some golden chains from the wall behind him made of a fine link. "I need to make some mail to go with the outfit.. Tell me all, have you ever heard of one named.. Joan of Arc?"

Jadzia began to smile, "That's more like it Garak.. I think Naomi's new gown will be just stunning with this Mood CaftKan..." At her touch, the silk turned neon yellow at her pleased mood. Lon felt the material and the silk turned metallic blue black under his fingers, ::I am feeling doubt:: the Betazed wondered. Garak swept up the chain links and the silk and said grandly, "Shoo!! Out all.. I've work to do.."

The Mood Caftkan turned water clear in Garak's hands, Unreadable.. And Jadzia marvelled yet again at the levels with which Garak kept himself from others. "Give a shout when its done and I'll fetch Naomi for a fitting Garak.."

Then the Voyager gave a little shudder even from where they all were in the holodeck. ::What was that?:: Jadzia thought.

She felt her Pah Wraith symbiont react. #This place has thought transference matter transmutation properties.. I believe someone just converged several starships into one by their bridges.# Dovin-Kah remarked.

Jadzia spoke again, aloud, "Where are we now?" she asked the symbiont.

Garak and Lon and Quark all answered together.."In my humble establishment." "That might be difficult to explain..." "In a holodeck."

Jadzia shook her head, placing a hand at her stomach."I wasn't talking to you gentleman.." She smiled. "It seems that all of our ships are now joined.. by all of our bridges and DS9's Ops station. I am going to take a look. Care to come? Now maybe we'll see just how many of us are in this Nexus Ribbon..."

She felt Quark and Lon fall into line.. Garak.. as usual, stayed in his own little world, quite content to live out his heaven of tailoring Naomi's new play dress.

Jadzia's stomach rumbled... "ooo, I'm getting hungry.. Don't know when the last time I ate was..." #Too long from what I sense inside your body..# Dovin-Kah chuckled.. #But isn't that seafood I smell through your nose?#

Jadzia sniffed.."So it is.. Detour boys.." she said to Lon and Quark following her. "Follow me..."

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Jadzia, Quark and Lon landed in Neelix's Tahiti.. Naomi was there with Quark and Kes over a steaming kettle of delectables. Flaming torches kept out the warm nighttime darkness of the beach and the bonfire was warming.. She saw Quark and Lon angle over to the flames and the banquet set out before it on long bamboo tables.

Jadzia felt a wave of dizziness she couldn't explain and Neelix and Kes suddenly were there, lowering her into a chaise lounge chair.. "Hey,..." Neelix cried out, "You just set yourself down right there Ma'am.. Whatever it is, we'll set it to rights. Kes here's been working with an emergency medical hologram on Voyager. And no doubt she'll figure things out in a moment.."

Kes smiled at Jadzia.."Hello.. I'm Kes..an Ocampan, and Neelix a Talaxian.." she suddenly had a medical tricorder with her and she began scanning Jadzia carefully. "I've never seen your species before.. Are you from the Alpha Quadrant?"

Jadzia closed her eyes, "I'm fine really, I think I'm just hungry. You see..my real symbiont, Dax was taken from me and now..I have a new..." The Trill saw Lon study her from the fire and was struck with a need to keep Dovin-Kah's true nature a secret. "...adjustment to make now that he is gone.." she finished.

Kes was intent on her readings, "You are a joined Trill? I am only detecting one heartbeat.."

Jadzia stroked her stomach thoughtfully, ::Wormhole entities do have no bodies.:: "Every Trill is different in my race.." she deflected. Kes nodded, studying her readings of Jadzia." and yes, I think you're right.. Your blood sugar is low.. Food will correct the problem.." she closed her tricorder and it disappeared into thin air.. Naomi had noticed Jadzia's near faint and had come by with a tall drink of coconut juice and a bowl of pineapple rice and roasted cod for her as soon as she heard Kes decide what Jadzia's difficulty was..

Kes grinned, rubbing Naomi's hair affectionately.."Thanks loves, this will make her better very quickly.." She took the food and liquid and handed it over to Jadzia who began to eat hungrily. Naomi plunked down in the sand with a questioning look at Kes. Kes spoke to all of them. "Naomi Wildman and I were just talking about the ribbon and what it's true purpose might be.."

Neelix sat down next to Jadzia, handing the Trill a cloth napkin and a food tray. "Tricky business , heh , heh, heh,.. But not as long as you keep positive thoughts and memories.. eh Sweetings.. like this wonderful Earth Island,, Tahiti.. Even better than my kitchen..but I wonder where our affiable Mr. Kim went off to.. He was hardly two bites into his meal when he disappeared.. hmmm."

Kes beamed, "I'm sure he'll turn up. He's figured out how to stay safe and nightmare free in this Nexus, like we all have here..." she indicated, watching Lon and Quark join their little huddle around Jadzia on chairs of their own.. They were interested in the conversation now that they had explored the banquet and the beachfire.. "I have my own thoughts about this place.. and why it is malleable to all of our thoughts and desires. I believe.. the Nexus is a created thing, its purpose lost.. I believe it is a conduit from another dimension.. Only in our galaxy and universe, it has the side effect of creating shadows to those whose ships are captured in its matrix as it journeys.. I am in control of its flight now... And have stopped it for the time being.. We are in Captain Janeway's home system, Sol III. Over Jupiter. I will not allow any more Earth vessels to be caught.."

Neelix frowned uneasily.."Y-You are in communication with this ribbon?"

Kes took Neelix's hand, "It is not alive, this Nexus.. No more than a shuttle is.. only this shuttle is like the inside buffers of a replicator and a transporter rolled into one.. Coherent thought is made into dreamscapes with matter we can touch and eat... and places we can go, like inside a holodeck. " she held up her coconut drink.."Quite a useful physical combination of forces if you ask me.."

Jadzia finished the last bite of her food and wiped her mouth with her napkin.."Ah,, that was good. But there has been a change we need to address.. One of the people here has done us a favor... All of our home vessels, the Enterprise, the EnterpriseD, the Al-Eurien vessel the Lakul, DS9, Voyager and a Maquis Vessel, the Liberty.."

"Commander Chakotay's old starship is here too?" Kes asked.

"Yes,." Jadzia said. "..now only have one common bridge between them. All five spaces have been combined.. Now maybe we all can talk and see just how many shadows and real people we have with us here.. Ready to go?"

Lon, Kes, Neelix, Quark all set down their empty plates nodding..

Jadzia rose to her feet. Her strength had returned.."Then let's go." Tahiti disappeared and a new place reformed around them...

-------------------------------------------------------------------

It was the common bridge Dovin-Kah had told her about.. It was immense. It had elements of the two Enterprises designs, and Voyager's, and even DS9's Ops. Each area was like it had been only the outer walls were down between all the command areas..

She grinned... This ship design alterer had even thought to ring all the captain's chair's into a circle with a meeting table between them with enough chairs for dozens of officers.. "A Round Table. indeed..." Jadzia smiled. On an impulse, she asked a question to the air.. "Computer,... list all bridge officers on board this vessel..and their locations.." The mechanical voice which issued out sounded like a blend of Kirk's computer and the later versions of the three later eras of computer vocals she was used to from the Enterprises, the Deep Space Stations and Voyager's lineage..

#Captain Janeway is on holodeck one. Commander Chakotay is on Holodeck Two. Captain Sisko is on the Bridge..# Jadzia startled,, sure enough, Captain Sisko was in one of the captain's chairs surrounding the "round table" looking mildly confused as if he had just arrived..

Harry Kim whooped and made his way over to the Voyager section of the common bridge and Quark went back over to the Defiant section of the room. Jadzia listened as the list went on and then asked a further question. "Computer,.. who is on board this joined vessel..?"

#Occupants of the CommonShip comprise of all people contained within the dimensional distortion classified as the Nexus Ribbon.. Three lifesigns manisfest as normal mass, Reginald Barclay, Thomas Eugene Paris and Wesley.. all others negligiable readings.. designated as Shadow status.#

Neelix smiled... "Well, now we can all see and talk with each other face to face... Now that is what I called progress.... heh heh heh.."

Naomi Wildman gave a squeal of glee when she saw a smaller chair child size to the right of Captain Janeway's empty chair. "I've got my own chair..!!"

Kes shrugged, "After all, you ARE the captain's assistant.." she chuckled.. "Go try it out.."

All watched the happy little girl in the red fairy gown try out her tiny command chair with a child sized terminal displayed next to it. They waited for all people to gather on the common bridge.. the Nexus's new common stage.

Jadzia tapped her combadge and it sounded Nexus and Ships' Wide. "ALL beings within range of this message Please report to the BRIDGE.."

-  
(attachments)  
Image : Happy Neelix

*animated gif* Flickering campfire.

Image: smiling Jadzia

Image : Kes out of doors.

*animated gif* Pulsing explosive sun "glob".

Gif: Line of ships divider.

*animated gif* Blue tracing stars of electrical energy.

*************************************************************************

END WEEK FOUR RECAP 02-03-01

{}

WEEK FIVE RECAP 02-04-01 {}

From: "Nick Lewis" .uk  
Date: Mon Feb 5, 2001 3:44pm Subject: Completing the jigsaw

Tom's eyes shoot open. He finds himself looking at the ceiling, a perspective which is giving him a weird sense of deja-vu. "What am I doing on the floor?" he asks no-one in particular. He tries to remember... *Oh yeah, the Malons*  
He slowly sits up, then realises he's on the bridge instead of the shuttle-bay. "Captain?" he asks, confused.

Tuvok looks down at the Lieutenant. "You collapsed momentarily, Mr Paris.  
How are you feeling?"

"Er... fine I think, Tuvok". He picks himself up, then gapes at the vision of ethereal movement on the viewscreen. "What is that?"

Tuvok raises an eyebrow. "It is the anomaly we ran into earlier,  
Lieutenant. Do you not remember?"

"Anomaly?" He turns to Tuvok. He stares around the bridge. "What's going on here? I... was in shuttlebay two, working on the new shuttlecraft design. Why am I now on the bridge? If I collapsed, shouldn't I be in sickbay?"

"Shuttlebay two?" Tuvok queries and ponders Tom's bewilderment regarding his surroundings. "Mr Paris, what is the current stardate?"

"Stardate? What... you're kidding right?" Tuvok stiffens his posture.  
"Ok, ok, you're not kidding. It's 52102.8, why?"

"The construction of the Delta Flyer" Tuvok says in a tone that could almost be considered surprise for the stoic vulcan.

"Tuvok, you're losing me" Tom tells him.

"That stardate was almost two years ago, Lieutenant. It would seem that your memory has been affected by some unknown factor, possibly related to this anomaly, however that conclusion would be conjecture at this time."

Tom is stunned as only a person who's been told that their most recent recollection is two years out of date can be. "That's not... possible."

"I assure you it is, Mr Paris. Feel free to check my statement with the computer."

Tom does so, his heart sinking as he sees the truth. "Two years" he says quietly to himself. How much has he missed? "What's the current ship's status?" he asks, trying to get his mind off the subject.

"We collided with this anomaly thirty minutes ago. Current understanding is that it is a known phenomenon called the Nexus, a place where thoughts and dreams can become a physical reality. There is also some speculation that we may not in fact be real, merely 'shadows' of the real Voyager crew who I'd assume is somewhere outside the confines of this Nexus." Tuvok patiently explains, sitting in the Captain's chair.

"I see" Tom says, not completely seeing at all to tell the truth. "And where's the rest of the bridge crew? The Captain, Harry..."

Tuvok thinks about that one. "Dreaming" he says simply.

"So what do we do in the meantime?" Tom asks.

"Any suggestions, Lieutenant?"

Tom has none. In the past he's been drunk enough not to remember the previous night, but two whole years. Both anxiety and curiosity dwell within him... both of them having to wait as something new happens.

The deck lurches beneath him, but in seconds it's all over... and the new sight is very strange indeed. The bridges of five starships and one space station slotted together like a jigsaw. Tom stares at the newly arrived Starfleet officers and other aliens all staffing this massive 'multi-bridge'. This is turning into one hell of a morning.

#Occupants of the CommonShip comprise of all people contained within the dimensional distortion classified as the Nexus Ribbon.. Three lifesigns manisfest as normal mass,  
Reginald Barclay, Thomas Paris and Wesley Crusher.. all others negligiable readings.. designated as Shadow status.#

He blinks as the computer reads his name out. He's normal mass and all his crewmates are... shadow mass. Okaaaay! So does this mean they aren't really his crewmates? He can feel himself getting into a very metaphysical argument.

Tuvok gets out of the Captain's chair, disconcerted with this changing of reality, although it would take someone who knew him well to spot it in him.  
He approaches the trill officer standing before him who has made the shipwide call. "Lieutenant...?" he enquires, seeing her pips, but fishing for her name.

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From: "Bradley J. Seward" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] "The Paradise Trap"  
Date: Mon, 5 Feb 2001 19:11:53 -0800

Khan was visibly upset. He ravaged the Enterprise, tortured everyone he could but he didn't find Kirk anywhere. This reality suddenly shifted. He was on the old Enterprise when he first met Kirk, then he was aboard the Botany Bay again. Suddenly everything went blank as he began to concentrate. He pictured a darkened room, with a bed, and one hanging light.  
He paced the darkened room. He pondered about what transpired in the last few days. :: How long have I been here? :: He paused, :: Where am I? :  
The room started to shift again, but this time Khan kept it steady. :: Concentration. I must keep my mind focused. Wherever I am, it is a paradise trap. One could get lost in pleasures. Why didn't I see Kirk?...:: Khan laid on the bed, contemplating all that he knew. :: Perhaps one needs to be in this realm before he can be confronted. Perhaps Kirk isn't here. But how would I know? I must find someone in this realm to assist me:  
Khan knew he had conjured up his son, but that was impossible, his son died before encountering the energy wave. Then Khan decided his son was just a figment of his imagination. :: How would I know if someone was really in this realm or not:

The timeship jumps to warp. Starling glances at the monitor. The Voyager was catching up to him fast. ::Janeway was persistent.:: Starling activated the time jump sequence, "My ship has something yours does not." That's when a torpedo ejected from the Voyager and began to follow the timeship and gain on him. Just as the timeship entered the rift a strange energy-like tendril shot toward him from the other side. That's when Starling said, "uh-oh." -  
Starling was sitting on his balcony on his second story home sipping a lemonade. He was glancing at a PADD and making notes in his notebook. Suddenly the air in front of him began to shimmer. -  
Khan kept trying to conjure up Henry Starling, but he kept coming up empty. At times Khan would materialize someplace where they had met but he wouldn't be there. Finally Khan remembered where they had a meeting once and said, "Henry Starling, home balcony." Suddenly Khan's environment began to change. He materialized in front of Starling.  
Starling threw the PADDs in the air and jumped to his feet and exclaimed, "Kh-Khan, I thought you left?" "Quiet, little man. We need to discuss something."  
"S-sure, what's it going to cost?"  
"You've got it all wrong this time. Here, we don't need money." Khan thought about money and hundreds of thousand dollar bills materialized on Starling's table. Starling grabbed a handful, looked at Khan, and then back at the money. Immediately, the bills disappeared. "But first I need to explain why I'm here."  
After Starling listened to Khan's story, Starling exploded into laughter. Angrily Khan lifted the man by his smoking jacket. "I could kill you instantly. But I know you know things that I am not capable of. The future. I need you to come with me."  
"Where..." Before Starling could say another word they materialized into his office. "H-how did you get us here? Only Voyager or people from..."  
"I'm telling the truth, I am inside of some sort of virtual environment. I need your help."  
"If you're telling the truth I could materialize a super model and..."  
The air shimmers and suddenly a gorgeous woman materializes and says in a sexy voice, "Hello handsome."  
Starling's eyes bulge out and he waves his arm making the woman disappear. He turns back to Khan, "Wow... Incredible. Just think what I can do."  
"First things first, we need to determine who is real and who is not."  
Starling sat in his chair, "I know exactly what we need. A temporal scanning device." Starling opens his desk drawer and pulls out a small dollar-sized device. Activating it he points it at Khan, "I'm detecting hardly any mass. You don't exist. Now my turn." After a moment Starling frowns, "I don't exist either." Starling scans the rest of the room, "Everything else has mass."  
Khan begins to pace, "Interesting. I know I exist. What we conjure becomes real to us. Truly fascinating. That Vulcan Spock would be interested in this."  
Starling's eyebrow raises, "That's it. If I was affected by that energy wave, perhaps Voyager also was. Khan, what do you have in mind?"  
"With your technology, and my knowledge of rulership, perhaps we can conquer this realm together. Now what is a Voyager?"

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(attachments)

Image : A bluish green rift in outer space..

Image : Starling in profile (from STV's Future's End)

Image : Starling in front view.

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From: Fran Catrair Subject: [voyagerliveaction] The Hodge-Podge Date: Tue, 6 Feb 2001 23:05:45 -0800 (PST) B'Elanna was still slightly dazed from her inner thoughts by the sudden re-appearance of Harry. ::That's odd, he came right back. I guess we can 'call' people to us all well, eh?:: she thought. ::Hmm...that might be useful later on:: she thought with amusement. This shadow world sure had its advantages.

She watched in amusement at Harry's belated attempts to restore his embarassment. Harry had matured over the years she had known him, but even now, he could still pull out some unusual, endearing quality that belied his youthfullness. ::Ah, what I wouldn't give to be like that again.:: she thought. But as she noticed the covered grins, including her own, she decided she was happy just where she was. As Harry verbally stumbled, one sentence caught her attention, and her good nature changed.

Harry threw up his hands. "Now I know why I didn't sign up to be in engineering, especially where an Irishman commanded. Too hot headed.."  
Kim caught Torres ironic look concerning that observation. "Well, umm you are different. I- I-  
I mean. There's human hot headed.. and and Klingon hot headed. And Tom's told me how I am supposed to handle you...so. no sweat."

::Tom told him how to 'handle' me?:: Torres wondered.  
How DARE he! It appeared she would have to have a 'talk' with Tom. Her nostrils flared and her eyes flashed in anger. "Harry" she growled menacingly,  
but before she could continue, he quickly scurried away to speak to Captain Sisko. "Coward." she muttered. Turning slightly, she was hit by the voice again. It hit her almost as hard as a physical blow.  
Sharper. A male voice, asking for her help, calling her name, telling her he needed her. ::What is going on now?:: she wondered. She was beginning to feel like she didn't like this Nexus anymore. She didn't like being in control of herself. She didn't like having her emotions controlled.

Taking a couple deep breaths, she slowly regained control of herself. She suddenly felt like she was being watched. Her hair stood on the base of her neck. She slowly lifted her eyes and met the gaze of a full Klingon in Starfleet uniform.

"hello I am LT. Commander worf of the federation star ship Defiant" Worf said to the lady. "what happen to

the individual that was at the science station?"  
he ask her.

Lt. Commander Worf. She had heard many things about him at the Academy. He was truly a legend for those of Klingon heritage attending the Academy. Looking back at him, she replied, "Lt. B'Elanna Torres, of the Federation Starship Voyager. I'm not sure who normally mans this station, but my fellow crewman,  
Ensign Harry Kim, was manning that station and is now speaking to your Captain, sir." She noticed him frowning slightly. "I know it's strange, but it appears there are many of us here who have just been thrown together. You are missing some of your crew, and people like Harry and myself are here on your vessel." she concluded.

As she was speaking to Worf, she felt the ship jerk suddenly. "What the h#ll is that?" she asked. She noticed Worf was as confused as she was. Turning back to the science station, she suddenly saw saw a bright flash of light, blinding her and a disoriented feeling came over her. ::Not again.:: she thought.  
::Wonder where I'm going now? Funny, I wasn't even thinking of anything.::

When she finally could see again, what she saw made her jaw drop in disbelief. She couldn't believe it.  
::This has GOT to be a hallucination!:: she thought.  
All around her, she noticed what appeared to be a hodge-podge of different ships. She recognized the old Enterprise from pictures at the Academy, Picard's Enterprise, the ship she was currently on, Voyager,  
and, surprisingly, her old Maquis ship, the Liberty. There was a 'round table' of chairs in the center, and she even noticed the small chair next to the one she knew as Voyager's. ::Someone sure didn't miss a detail.:: she thought, thinking of Naomi and smiling to herself. Coming out of her observations, she heard the hail.

Jadzia tapped her combadge and it sounded Nexus and Ships' Wide. "ALL beings within range of this message Please report to the BRIDGE.."

She was confused when she noticed the woman she had met earlier on the bridge of the Barge of the Dead was now in the center of the hodge-podge Bridge,  
organizing everything. ::Wonder where Captain Janeway is:  
B'Elanna wondered. Straightening herself, she went over to the center area to report in. "I don't believe we've been formally introduced, Commander." she said to the Trill. "My name is Lt. B'Elanna Torres, and I'm Chief Engineer of Voyager...what's left of it that is." she added with an ironic smile, gazing around her.

-  
(attachments)

Image : A Good promo season three of B'Elanna gray background.

Image : Voyager by a frothy nebula and rust planet.

Audio : Torres - I'm Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres. Of the Federation Starship Voyager...

************************************************************

From : 'patti*mimic*keiper'  
Subject : Bubbles.  
Date : Wed, 7 Feb 2001 13:06:45 -0800 (PST)

TANDEM post 6 Ways... between... "Amiee Fielder" >,  
"Fran Catrair" , "Lil" >,  
"Cassidy Meyers" , "Cory Anda"  
and "patti*mimic*keiper" VIA SECBOT*overseas*Phonelink and HOTMAIL messenger service Chat window..

Characters involved are:

Garak, Jadzia, Chakotay, Janeway, B'Elanna, Lore, Kes and Neelix.  
Temporary character (Necomah, Chakotay's grandfather)..

-  
In the Nexus forest, on Voyager's holodeck two, the sacred fire was burning down into embers.

Chakotay couldn't stand the silence that stretched after the computer announced that the New paradise program had been activated.. ::Just how long does it take her to take a bath anyway?::

He looked at Nacomah, his grandfather, and wondered if he chose well with Kathryn. It wasn't easy adopting a new member into the tribe. Especially if that one wasn't of the same blood ties.. Necomah sighed.  
"I am patient, son of my son.. You should be too."

The first officer looked up in surprise.

He thought of who Kathryn really was to him but the commander had absolutely no idea how she would take this new level of friendship.. ::Would Kathryn consent to be in my family? To be my Seconah? Learning a whole new culture is just the tip of the iceberg...::

------------------------------------------------------------------

"I don't believe we've been formally introduced, Commander." she said to the Trill. "My name is Lt. B'Elanna Torres, and I'm Chief Engineer of Voyager...what's left of it that is." she added with an ironic smile, gazing around her.

"Lieutenant, please. Garak here just failed to replicate any rank pins of mine.." Jadzia said with a grin.. "So, how do you like our solution?" She swept a hand over the much widened bridge..

"This was YOUR idea? I'm impressed. I knew Trill were a unique species, but I didn't know the extent of your capabilities." B'Elanna told her.

"Once I figured out what the Nexus could do.. I improvised.. Your disappearing off the Barge clued me in.. Torres. is it?" Jadzia held out a hand.. "I think the captains of these vessels are indisposed or they may soon arrive.."  
"It appears we are in command then, doesn't it? This should be fun." B'Elanna remarked studying all the faces ringing hers.

Garak moved from his place and scrutiny of the main area of all the bridge. He swept up a hand as if searching for dust on the console nearest him.. ::This is all convenient and nice.. I wonder what I can do now?::

Lore appeared in the command place.. "I hears your call." ::Where is this placings? It is differenting.:: Lore walked over to the station table and looked at the recordings there.  
"I know you.. you are the engineer people for Voyager. But your head is differenting than the others." Lore pointed a hand to the Klingon one.

B'Elanna bristled. "Who are you?" she growled. She didn't recognize him, and she didn't like being insulted, especially by a stranger.  
"It sure appears that way, doesn't it?" B'Elanna accepted the handshake. Lore felt a new feelings he did not know. He looked at the peoples coming. "I am Lore. From the Place of Angels. I was fighting with my brother and the tranzporter sent me to nothing.  
But I am here now. "

"So, we should get organized, then, Lieutenant. I'm sorry, but I didn't catch your name." she said, ignoring the android for the moment. "And, I REALLY don't know if I want to know who this Cardassian is." she concluded, glaring distrustfully at him.

"Please call me Jadzia. And this, is Garak,.. DS9's most excellent tailor.  
Her only one for that matter."

Garak gave a little bow and didn't deign to say anything.  
"And I am Lore please. If you so nerveous me. Bring a guarding to watch." Lore moved his hands into the surrender showings. "Another man, another engineere on the other Defeant say I am bad. I do not do this."

B'Elanna turned back around and glard at the android. "Look, I don't know you, and I'm really not interested in talking to you right now. If you want to be friendly, insulting others is NOT the way to do it.!" she spat. ::Security risk indeed. I wish Tuvok were here to handle him..::

Turning back to Jadzia, B'Elanna decided it was time to get organized. "I suggest we catalog who arrives; gives us an idea who and what we are dealing with."  
Garak just smiled watching the tensions build in the Klingon woman and started walking.. "Interesting.. isn't it? We are all here on one big happy ship.. We have no idea just who we have on board now.. Maybe some great enemy lurks in the background.. Maybe security should come and deal with it.." He inclined his head gallantly."I assure you. I am no great enemy..." The Cardassian glared at B'Elanna." Unless provoked.."

B'Elanna's patience was almost gone. She had had enough lately, and this Cardassian's game was getting on her nerves. Pulling out her phaser, she levelled it at Garak intently. "I don't know what kind of game you are playing, Cardassian. But I would have no problems killing you where you stand."

------------------------------------------------------------------

Janeway, relaxing in her tub, contemplated the decision before her. She rolled the "branding" device in her hand.  
But her face was far from relaxed.

Janeway read the data pad from Chakotay in disbelief.  
:: Me? In chakotay's tribe?::

She couldn't help but get a picture of an old wrinkled self with this tattoo.

Janeway's eyes filled at his offered gesture.  
Her decision, to become his bond sister would be final, then,  
with any mark she would take on her skin.

Kathryn sat for long moments, deeply moved. Then she tapped her combadge perched on a rock within her reach.

=^= Janeway to Chakotay =^= she said, with more confidence then she felt.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Lore studied the green one with a puzzle head under the woman's phazer lining ::It is a reptil people. An enemy? But his has no weapons.:: He turned to B'Elanna. "How can you have angers for this man. He has no phazer."

Lt. Torres quickly glanced at Lore, (over her aiming site)  
"Do you want to join him, android?" she growled. She heard the voices in her head again. ::No, I don't have time for this.:: she thought. :: I have too much work to do. :: And since she was the 'senior' Voyager officer on bridge, she knew she needed to stay focused. She pocketed her phaser once more, taming her urges. The bridge, such that it was, needed a commander.  
Garak turned and saw that indeed, none of the ships' captains were present.  
He found that interesting.. No Janeway, No Sisko, No Picard.... He wondered where they all were.

Then he thought of the Cardassian automatic sensors DS9 had before O'Brien had managed to deactivate all the boobytraps. He cast eyes ceilingward fearfully.. "Is there an automatic guard in play?" he said aloud.

Torres watched Garak get nervous about a computer sentry that didn't exist. And she smiled.

Lore looked for the seeing screen. "Where is the window to the Place of Angels.? I cannot see."  
Garak threw his hands into the air.. "Well, just "wish" one for Drathie's sake.."

Lore watched the Voyager engineere people. Torres. "There is no troublings with the ships. Why have you anger now?"  
B'Elanna was irritated. The Cardassian was talking nonsense and her new-found Starfleet ally Jadzia, was strangely silent. She decided for now she would back off. The situation was confusing. But she would be sure she would keep her guard up around this Cardassian. Turning to Lore, she said, "There are some things you just don't understand, and I really don't want to explain them to you."  
Jadzia lowered her head as Dovin-Kah spoke to her from the inside.  
::Isn't it time to get things done child?:: Jadzia agreed with her new pai wraith symbiont.. Jadzia spoke her mind.. She looked up.  
"Torres.. We are all shadows here. There is nothing that can happen to us that we could permit if it is harmful.. Show some respect for your fellow man.." She clapped a hand on her fellow man's scaly reptilian shoulder.. "I'm sure I know this guy as well as I think I do.. He and Julian go way back.." she said of the Cardassian tailor. "So relax a little."

"Look, Lieutenant, I don't have respect for Cardassians. They are NOT my 'fellow man'. And, this 'Julian' means nothing to me. But, as the current ranking officer of Voyager, I will work with you all. I think we really need to account for who is actually here in this ribbon, and on this -- this this --combined ship. We should have a quorum before we do anything.", B'Elanna concluded, taking a seat in a Voyager chair.

Garak noticed that there was none for him or any of the non officers.. He willed himself a wooden bench discreetly placed against one wall so his back was guarded.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Lore respectfully withdrew to the lifting door and wait for the new peoples to come to there. ::I am not a high rank. I cannot say what to do on these ship:  
Neelix and Kes entered from the turbolift and the Talaxian jumped when he saw Lore's white face stare curiously at his own spots.  
B'Elanna brightened when she noticed Kes and Neelix enter. She called over to them. "Kes...Neelix! Care to join us?"

Kes just chuckled.. then she saw the changes around her.. "A merged meeting place.. This is just what we need.. Neelix. Isn't this terrific?"

Neelix beamed, recovered from his fright.. "It sure is sweeting.. But I don't see Captain Janeway anywhere.."

Kes answered.. "I think she said she was going to the holodeck for a respite.. I don't think we need to disturb her at the moment.. "

--------------------------------------------------------------------

The fire had died, only the moom illuminated the two native men on their sacred land in the Nexus and Voyager's other holodeck.

=^= Janeway to Chakotay =^= she said, with more confidence then she felt.

Chakotay shot to his feet.

Necomah set a gentle hand on Chakotay's arm.. "It is for the spirits to decide.... Answer her.."  
Chakotay felt his mouth go dry but on an impulse he opened a channel.. =^=Chakotay here, Captain.. You needed something?=^= =^= Yes, I need you to meet me somewhere.=^= her voice said quietly.

"I am alone... except for....family..." ::You needn't worry about baring your soul to me Kathryn. I have done so for you.:: he thought privately. But aloud he said, "Come meet my grandfather then when you're dressed.."

=^= Your Grandfather?=^= Janeway puzzled.  
: : I guess anything really is possible in this Nexus. : :  
Chakotay smiled.. "Yes... I....had a chance to relive a moment of my life I'd thought I'd lost forever.. I joined the Maquis and didn't make it back to home before he died.."  
He could almost hear her thinking, with a concentration so fierce, he could feel it through the comlink.

=^= Meet me in my quarters =^= and the line went dead. Chakotay let out the breath he had been holding eyeing Necomah's beaming smile. But he did not feel like smiling himself yet.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

"Uh, ah... Lieutenant..?" Neelix stuttered.. "Who's done all the remodeling?" he asked of Torres.

"I'm not sure, Neelix. But I've learned a little.  
I think it has something to do with our android friend over there." she said, pointing over to where Lore was standing. "And this Trill,  
Jadzia. It seems they somehow 'merged' all of the ships."

Neelix went over to the Voyager pie wedge of the command area and noticed Naomi's tiny chair.."Oh, She is going to love this!! Who thought of that detail??""  
"I'm afraid my Symbiont did, Mr. Neelix.." Jadzia admitted.  
" He's a real softie at heart.. ::That is if he had a body to HAVE a heart.. Wormhole entities don't have corporeal form.:: Jadzia thought to herself. "He thought of it in Garak's clothing shop when I was ordering a play dress for Naomi."

Lore did not need a chair. But he used the Place of Angels power to make a window to the fires around the same ships place so all could be seeings.

"What I would like to know" B'Elanna stated, looking around her. "Is where are all the captains of these ships? Isn't it unusual that a few of us are here, but the captains are strangely absent? Is this process selective? ...or, if we are truly 'shadows', as some of you believe, maybe some just choose not to be here." she concluded, confusion etched on her face.

Garak conjured up a holoimager to record the configuration of the new bridge knot. ::One never knows if this design might be useful to the Obsidian order... :: he schemed. "I know I don't want to be here, but I am..." he grumbled.  
"I don't think our captains's absences are odd.." Jadzia replied.. "If the Nexus can't harm all of us without our consent why do we need a command structure in place every second? We're all adults.." she pegged Garak a stare, "At least I think we all are....."

"You're right, Lieutenant. Except it's always important to follow what is familiar; command structures and the like." B'Elanna contradicted.  
Neelix went over to Torres's side.. "I am glad you approve of all of this,.bridge redecorating, lieutenant,.. or shall I say acting captain..?.... So tell me... eh.. did you see how we all got in this ... eh... eh?..."

Kes answered, "Nexus...."

Neelix grinned, "yes, Nexus... place? It seems rather like the Earth concept of heaven..I've heard so much about from the doctor's lectures to Kes."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kes smiled and went over to Lore, letting her two crewmates talk.

Lore saw the new woman come near hiim. "Hello. I am Lore. I just comes to this big ships. You are crew to Defeant? I sees and have speakings with the leader of there but he no talk much."

Kes smiled.. "Hello Lore. I am Kes.. I chose to be a member of Voyager's crew a few years ago. But now, I am under Captain Janeway's EMH's tutelege in the medical bay.."

Kes drew Lore into the ring of command chairs and one by one, the gathered few sat down to await the next possibility.

Glancing at Neelix, B'Elanna smiled. "You're right, Neelix, it is like heaven in here. But with the way it's been explained to me, we really don't exist here; we are shadows."

Neelix leaned forward to the Voyager engineer... "Is that fish I am smelling?" He sniffed presumptiously.  
Torres diplomatic mood changed and she glared at Neelix. "Don't start with me, Neelix." she growled. She decided the best thing for her to do was to continue. "What we need to do is to find out what our next step should be. If we are to carve out an existence here, how should we go about it.?"  
Neelix didn't bat an eye.. "My mother used to say.. If the cooking fire is too hot or it's too smoky to see. Get out of the kitchen.... heheheh... In other words, lieutenant.... Why do we have to stay in this Nexus place anyway..." The Talaxian kept a cautious eye on his Kes while she spoke with the strange android across the room.

B'Elanna too, kept an eye on him. She overheard a bit from the conversation between Kes and Lore. He said one thing which drew her attention.

"...I have many question. But why do we stay in this Place of Angels? We are bore of the stars, yes. It is there we should be to go..."

B'Elanna thought about this. :: Why indeed.:: No one had even considered the idea of actually leaving. ::Guess we've all been too involved in our personal travels, eh?:: she thought. "You have a good point there, Neelix. I wonder if our bridges are merged, what does engineering looks like?"

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Before she knew what was happening, Kathryn was in her quarters, fully dressed, and still looking at the small silver dermal device. :: So much for a long relaxing bath:: she thought to herself. She glanced around her room, not quite knowing what to do with herself next.

:: Perhaps I'll start dinner:: She thought as she walked over to the replicator.

There was a soft tone at her entryway. Someone was at her door. The tone sounded again.  
:: Here already?:: Kathryn thought "Come in" she said as she turned towards the door.

Chakotay waited a long time before he entered. Inside Kathryn's quarters, the lights were barely turned on.. He saw the candles she had in her hands and quickly asked the computer to raise the illumination in the room. "Special occasion, Kathryn?" he quipped placing hands folded behind his back.. He was still in his soft medicine quest tunic of white hide and beadwork.  
Kathryn nervously juggled the candles " Don't we normaly enjoy each other's company by candle light?" She grinned.

"We do." he said simply, catching one that fell from Janeway's grasp.. "Only it's usually over crew evaluations and mundane topics as that.." His eye fell on the DNA dermal tool still illuminated with the tattoo image of his tribe. The device was still powered up.. Chakotay's heart took a leap..

Janeway blushed at her own clumsieness, and followed Chakotay's gaze.  
"I've been thinking about your offer..." she said, looking up at him. "We've been a big part of each other's lives for the past 7 years. We couldn't help but become close could we?" She lit the candles one by one.  
Then she faced him.

Chakotay's eyes twinkled. "We have been through life and death together.." He recalled the few times he had almost lost Kathryn to that place most final in death.

"It takes a lot commanding a lost ship and her crew." Kathryn poured them each a glass of champagne, she concentrated on the tiny golden bubbles as they floated to the surface and burst in tiny little explosions. "Even more to find someone to rely on off duty.."

Chakotay looked uncertain, trapped like a buck in a lightbeam. ::Where is she going with this?:: he thought with alarm. He almost looked away from her blue eyes. Almost.. ::Time to clear the air once and for all:  
he thought. ::About her and me..::

"I think we should have things be as they have been, Kathryn. There have been times when I was there for you and even saved your life and vice versa but, on another note, the time when we could have been together as a couple is long past. We both know it. So I have come up with an alternative solution. This," he held up the tattoo maker. "..is just another step along the way for us but in a new direction."

::We have been through a lot haven't we?:: She thought with a shock. Then a further revelation. He was right. There was no room for romance here with him. Not any more.  
"I do consider you part of my family, Chakotay." she admitted to herself and him. ::Was I flirting just now? It didn't feel like it.  
God I hope he didn't see it that way..::

"And I you.." Chakotay said taking a larger than normal sip of champagne to cover his nervousness.. ::A far cry from my usual tea...:: He concentrated and his champagne flute became a tea mug and Kathryn's a coffee mug in kind..

"I do have one question for you though.." Janeway smiled at her own little joke. "If I decide to do this," she gently took the dermal tool from his hand. "Does your mark have to go on my face?"  
"Not if you don't want to..." he sighed in relief. " I hear Albebran fashion thinks wrist marks are sexy.."

Janeway blushed, then laughed at her dearest friend. "Leave it to you to break the mood Chakotay" she raises her coffee mug "Thank you.." ::I was beginning to feel awkward:  
She watched Chakotay regain his own balance. "I... I mean,.. THEY thought it might be ...sexy.. umm.. welll,.. " he took another sip of tea.  
Kathryn laughed in spite of herself. ::Now who's awkward..::

Chakotay took Janeway's hands in his own in a friendly hold.. "So.. You read my story.." he said selfconsciously. "I thought I made a pretty good storyteller in that datapadd, all things considered.  
Grandfather seems to think I have a gift... I can't see it."

Chakotay waited for Janeway to reply to his implied question..

She laughed at his comment and her look told him she liked his stories. A lot.  
Chakotay laughed along with her, but then his face grew serious and he gathered her attention fully with its quiet power. "What is your answer, Kathryn? My grandfather stayed behind to give us privacy.."

For a moment. Chakotay closed his eyes and heard his grandfather's words in the back of his mind..

Necomah pointed to his grandson's shiny badge.. "She is come to your special place, Chakotay... If she is truly yours, that which is ordained will come to pass. " Necomah sang in an old language to the fire...

Dimly, Chakotay heard the echoing cry of the red tailed hawk in his family's woods.

A long delay stretched into a minute behind his shut eyes.

"Chakotay, I would be honored.' She said with a punctual nod of her head.  
Janeway stared as her coffee turned again into champagne at his will.  
Then he opened his eyes again, strangely reborn, and stared in wonder anew at his friend and captain.. His mug also transmuted back into champagne, this time, through her wishes.  
He smiled ironically."Won't be so bad..being an adept in my family.. Kathryn Janeway Necomah Kolopak Chakotay.  
Destined to be the next great family storyteller... You've a new title now.  
Seconah... or medicine woman. And after you've studied my people's ways, I promise I won't make you smoke any peace pipes if you don't make me dance any wampahs.."  
Janeway laughed.  
"Can I meet your Grandfather now? Or is there some ritual for that too?"

He chuckled quietly "Nothing special for that..Necomah won't be expecting us until morning.. He thought we would be doing other things right now..along the path that COULD have been.. if you catch my drift."

Chakotay leaned foward whispering in Kathryn's ear... "So,... tattoo on the wrist or not?" Then he chuckled in his warm quiet way.. and just as suddenly, he leaned away again, stroking his own face mark in jest.  
He drew in a large breath and let it out again.  
"I'll help you with it but that'll depend on where you choose to wear your tribal mark, I wouldn't want to chart forbidden territory without my captain's consent, now would I?" he mischieviously chinked his glass with hers. "Just kidding.. I'll settle for showing you how to begin this marking ceremony..of ours."

He folded his hands in prayer in reverance briefly,  
in a catching silence, but then spoke.  
"This tool is better than my grandfather's iron brand.. You won't have the pain I did when I took my storyteller's mark.. " He took up the tool. "Ready?"  
"How about, one more glass of champagne first?" Kathryn laughed. "This is almost better than coffee."

"I'd be delighted.. Kathryn-sabe.. My new sister in blood.."

"If I'm your sister, does that make you my LITTLE brother?"  
Janeway said with a smile on her face, trying to hide behind her thin glass of transparent champagne.

It was a true statement. Janeway was three years older than her first officer.  
Kathryn's "brother" didn't deign to reply but his look told her everything..

First officer and captain shared refilled glasses together and the ghostly image of an aged Indian grandfather looked on with a wolf and gecko by his side from the window...

She added fervently,.. "This is nice. But I can only think of one thing right now... Let's get ALL of us out of this god forsaken Nexus!!"

Chakotay frowned ruefully, "Must be the champagne talking.." and he took away her glass. "Duty calls then."  
"We'll reschedule your tattooing before daybreak ..It must be done on the night of pledging answer."

-------------------------------------------------------------------

As the only engineer currently accounted for, B'Elanna made a decision. #Computer, what is the location of engineering?# she asked. The computer, in mixed voices, gave her a location actually near the location of Voyager's engineering. :: Should be an interesting expedition,,,locating engineering..:: she thought.  
"As the lone engineer at the moment, I'm heading down to engineering to see what we're up against." B'Elanna announced. "Mr. Neelix, I trust you will represent Voyager well on the Bridge?"

"You can count on me, sir...eh I mean maam.." Neelix sat up straighter in his chair.. "But what is there to figure out in engineering anyway Lieutenant... The ship is having no difficulties.."  
Jadzia.. said, "Neelix, don't pry.. Klingons feel useful taking action.. Let her go.." she whispered.  
Garak was pleased with himself and was content to wait where he was.  
No doubt developments were afoot elsewhere on the ship. He'd have need for equally twisted allies soon enough.  
B'Elanna looked around the chairs, nodding at each individual, glaring at Garak. "If you need me, I'll be in Engineering. I hope." she concluded. Turning, she exited the hodge podge bridge.

Kes turned to watch the engineer go.. "There's nothing to fix B'Elanna why don't you just stay h-" she broke off when the lieutenant disappeared into the turbolift.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Janeway waited for Chakotay to change from his ceremonial skins to the uniform she replicated for him.

Together the two of them headed for the bridge.. Little did they know how to react when they saw all the bridges blended as one.  
They just stared around at everyone seated in the ring of command chairs.

Janeway laughed when she saw the tiny chair she assumed was for Naomi sitting next to Voyager's center command seat.

"Now I know that one isn't mine, captain..." Chakotay said.. "I'd never fit.."

-  
(attachments)

Image : Briefing room of the now common bridge round table.

Gif : A stone carving of a black painted Indian gecko.

*Movie* Janeway and Chakotay in off duty clothes exchanging knowing, embarrassed looks.

Gif : Blue Indian design banner bar.

Image : Garak smiling.

Image : Kes, with actress name and logo photo.

Image : Neelix in the transporter room.

*Movie* The Delta Flier and Voyager angling away from each other.

*  
From: "Roxy Dee" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Going In Circles~~ Date: Sun, 11 Feb 2001 08:39:28 -0000

Ensign Harry Kim blinked a few times, hearing a woman's voice whom he did not know but one that came over Starfleet frequencies on his combadge. ::Report to the bridge? That's an understatement::

"I am on every bridge.." he chuckled, seeing that all the ships were now mishmashed as one great command pie and he went over to the Voyager slice happily. "Glad to see you, Captain, Commander..." he said to his superiors Janeway and Chakotay. He gladly took up his ops station, discreetly kicking off a stray shell or two off of his pant legs while he walked. All he got was a straying eyebrow from Janeway at that one.  
::She must've figured it out.:: Harry thought. ::She's not asking me why I smell like Nine Lives Catfood. I think I'll make myself useful here until I learn more about how all of us are going to react being on the same ship.:: "Or even how the ship(s) itself will react." he added in a whisper. He quickly scanned crucial systems. Life support, tactical, shields, deflectors, the main power grid, all was as it should be.. The only change Harry could see was the fact that all the bridge stations seems to be linked with a special computer in the center of the round briefing table surrounded by all the "captain's" chairs. ::Now that, is odd.:: he decided.. "Captain, Commander.. That new terminal in front of you has an incredible amount of gigabyte memory.. It's as if it holds five starship's computers's memory and information within it.

Harry saw all those in their center chairs ringing the table look at the computer in a new light. Jadzia was the only one to reach out and touch the new computer. There was no keypad.

"So how do you access it?" Kim said to her and to all at large.

"How do you access what??" Another voice inquired. It was Quark.

Half a dozen people sank in their seats at the sight of him.  
Quark grinned, "What?! I heard the summons to the bridge and I came. What's so odd about that?"

"It's not you, Quark. It's that newly made computer in the round table's center there. It's configured strangely and it has super capacity memory filled with some information I can't reach, apart from information already inside Voyager's main frame." Harry announced to the Ferengi. Quark reached for the smooth letterless keypad and was slapped by a resilent Naomi Wildman who appeared to have never left the chair made for her. Quark sucked his fingers.. and Naomi waggled her finger at his nose.

"Ah, ah, ah Quark.. You don't have clearance to access any kind of computer on the bridge, even one unknown like this one." Kim admonished.

"I was just curious. Can't blame a guy for "reaching" out once and a while" he grumbled, "Well, if there isn't a pressing need for me to be here. I am going elsewhere, perhaps the holodeck to share a glass of sherry with Garak. I'll leave the pure speculation about what that is up to the experts, then.." he said, pointing to those around him. "Too bad Torres isn't here. She'd love the interface I see on this thing.." Quark said squinting at the activated glowing screen on the new terminal. "Hey, it's saying something.... It's it's ..it's... in Vulcan?  
I see letters here.. T....U...V....O. Hey, who here know's Tuvok? Whoever he is, he's just sent a message to us on this screen... My High Vulcan is rusty.. can anyone else make it out?"

Quark and five heads leaned in to study the script on the odd monitor.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(attachments)

Image : A green fisheye lens view of Lore's. Tuvok with a tricorder, Janeway looking on and Seven waiting in the background with a tool box.

Gif : The official Paramount logo.

Image : A black star poster of the crew collage and a nice Voyager.

*****************************************************************************

From: Save Address - Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Re: O'Brians Suprise Date: Sun, 11 Feb 2001 21:32:46 EST

Without the usual shifting he'd come to associate with the phenomena O'Brian noticed the universe had changed again. From his station at the Defiant's engineering console he noticed that the available power supply had increased exponentially there was a new configuration to parts of his board that linked to other power supplies that were separate but part of the same vessel. Shield extension range had pentupled and although according to the internal sensors mass had increased there was no proportionate drain on the hull integrity field. It not only felt wrong it was physically impossible. "Captain, I have some unusual, belay that, some just plain weird impossible readings from the interior sensors and monitors" O'Brian attempted to report. Then as he looked around for Cpt. Sisko he noticed how unusual the "new" Bridge was. "Holy Hannah, what a piece of work" he muttered taking in his surroundings for the first time. The command area was empty, the entire bridge was empty. "Computer, where is Captain Sisko?"

=^= O'Brian to Defiant, Anyone?=^=

::Curiouser and curiouser::

"What?"

"Well, mass without equal weight or comparable structural integrity. That's a fine kettle of fish. I'll need someone with an alphabet full of letters behind their name to figure this one out" said O'Brian to no one in particular.

"I may be able to provide some assistance with your calculations using non-euclidian geometric, Einstinian/Hawking temporal constructs within the variable limits of a Koparian multi-dimensional mechanical construct".

O'Brian froze then slowly turned to his right. Turning from an old style science station, a Vulcan dressed in Kolinar robes looked at him then spoke in a slow precise manner. "I am Spock, if I am to begin my calculations I will need our current position".

::Ambasador Spock:: O'Brian thought to himself, but he looks younger, I wonder how he got here.

"I do not know, and yes I do seem to be reading your thoughts Mister O'Brian." Spock paused for a moment. "But you apparently do not read mine. Curious."

"and Curiouser" said O'Brian.

Again Spock paused. "I was reflecting on the works of an earth author in my meditations"

"Carroll" supplied Miles.

"Yes, I find his illusion and reflection quite mentally stimulating useful in some forms of Vulcan meditation, I was meditating at my parents estate on Vulcan. Then I found my self here".

"Well welcome behind the looking glass, Sir" chuckled Miles.

Spock raised an eyebrow quizzically, then returned to his staid Vulcan expression as a reminder.

"Ah, well, where we are, that seems to be a bit of the problem," explained Miles.

*************************************************************************

END WEEK FIVE RECAP 02-11-01

{}

WEEK SIX RECAP 02-12-01 {}

From: "Clairissa Fox" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Send something out of here to the moon.  
Date: Thu, 15 Feb 2001 15:51:54 -0000

I was very ecited. I had my own chair! Auntie Kathy!  
Auntie Kathy! Who did this? Now we can all talk and find out why we are in this place. I got out my own computr screen and I looked at all the map of it. It was big! But I saw a pikture of a moon I knew! It was Eoh! The one by Jupeetr. We were near Earth. Then I knew what I had to do. I knew that Kes had stopped the dream river so it wouldent eat any more peopl.

And Barklay had thought up a thing to. That we werent the real people or the real voyager. Could we leave and still be alive? I wanted to know. I had to see for me.

So I lookd at Eoh and saw that some of it was not in the nexis, but outside. Then I knew. We could try to send something growing out there to the part of the moon that was still free. So I told Chakoty that I had a plan.

Chakoty! Chakoty! I am going to try something. I am going to the garden room. Can you wait until I get there? Ill call you when I do.

Then I left the bridg. I couldent wait. I took the lift to the ponicks bay and I found a rosebush that was in its own pot. Kes wouldnt mind, I knew she had a lot of klones of this one all ready. I ran with it over to the transportr and set it down. I called Chakoty.

Chakoty! Chakoty! I have a plant on this pad by me. We havent tried leaving yet so why dont we try? Eoh, Jupeeters moon isnt all in the nexis, And how do we know we cannot go?  
I read on the computr at my chair up there that Captain Picard once was in the ribbon and then left. He got out! So try with this rose. See if it can get outside.

I waited for an answer. Then I heard a lot of talking up there on the bridg. It was Barklay and Bootby and Auntie Kathy and from all the others who were now up there in the big brig.

Jadzea was the loudest. She said that a new idea came from her belly friend about leaving. That a speshial shild might make it ok for peopl to leave the nexis. Then I thout of more.

We dont wey anything in here but we dont know if we cant be normal outside and wey what we should. Maybe if we get out of the nexis place we go back to our old bodies and selvs. We would go back home to voyager. I know that Tom is still him. And Barklay. So I know this plant would go to. If we put a messege in it for the home voyager where Tom came from, we can tell the others wher we are and where Tom is for them. Didnt Tuvok send us that messege wondering who and where we shadow peopl are? So lets anser!

I am putting a pin on the rose. Go and try to send it out on the part of the moon that is still outside. It is set to all of our communicatr pins. Naomi out. If it is true that once we get out we go back to our homes, then they will find it and know where Tom is! Lets try it.

I waited for the bridg to try my idea. It just had to work. I knew it.

(attachment)

Image : Naomi with her mother Samantha in a hug.

*******************************************************************

From: "Cory Anda" Subject: A Flight of Flutes Date: Thu, 15 Feb 2001 21:59:24 -0000

Chakotay almost laughed warmly at the pure unadulterated joy on Voyager's littlest crew member. She was ecstatic about the events unfolding in their situation thus far.

::I'll let her enjoy herself. This is the safest I've ever seen the ship since we began this journey. And her plan is not that far off the mark for how I was planning on proceeding. Experimental transporting with our shadowed biomass just may be a way for us to get back to our original vessels. But... if there is a way for us to drag those vessels here to Earth's solar system, and then make the return to our Non Nexus states, we'd be home. It's worth checking up.::

Commander Chakotay looked at Captain Janeway who sat in a center seat around the ring of command chairs represented from the Defiant, the Lakul, the Enterprise, the Enterprise D, the Liberty and the Ops section of DS9 strangely enough..

::I wonder if part of the Nexus ribbon has reached the real Deep Space Nine..:: Chakotay mused. ::And that's the reason why we can all see it now.. :: He saw Barclay nervously ringing his hands and he seemed not sure where to head nor to which part of the common bridge. Chakotay waved him over to his side. ::He's desperately afraid that the ribbon is going to flow away from the Argus Array and take us with it out of his reach of his using the apparatus to visit us.::

"Reg." Chakotay used his first name to make the nervous lieutenant more at ease with a sense of familiarity.

Lt. Barclay moved, stumbling only once to see what the commander needed.

Chakotay covered a grin and a look to Janeway warning her to go along with his tactic with Barclay.

"Yes, ah,... commander... captain. Y- you needed to see me?" he stuttered.

"For a moment.." Chakotay told him. "Did you hear Naomi's theory concerning a way for us to restore to our natural places outside the Nexus?"

Barclay leaned on the rail, folding his arms over his elbows trying to look comfortable but it looked awkward. But, thinking about something actually made the bumbling man relax as he thought back. "I - I caught every word, commander.. Beaming a living botanical specimen with a modulating transporter frequency moded for expulsive tachyonic conversion might get it to revert back to to..." he fluttered his hands expansively, "Well, go back to the way it was before we got inside the ribbon.. sir." Reginald speculated.

"And you feel we should give her idea a go? Adding a message beacon to the bush we send out so the original Voyager knows where their helmsman went to?"

Barclay nodded in exaggerated agreement.. "Oh,.. absolutely.. Maybe if the shadow plant gets back where it was spliced from, our message beacon will remain since it was created inside the Nexus and has no real world counterpart. I'm sure Mr. Tuvok will catch on fairly rapidly.."

Chakotay caught a subtle nod from Janeway and smiled, "Let's work on it then.." he tapped his communicator to the little girl waiting near the hydroponics bay transporter.. "Bridge to Naomi Wildman. Your suggestion is a good one. Mr. Barclay is coming to you to help you work on getting that rose specimen ready for transport to Io outside the ribbon's vicinity. Stand by.. Lt. Torres may just want in on this little project as well. I will inform her of all that's transpired here. Chakotay out." He nodded to Barclay to carry out his plans with the little girl and any who came to assist him in the botanical bay. He had confidence that Barclay could come up with a message beacon that was concise enough for the real crew on the original Voyager to spot. All he had to do was wait.

"Captain.." He said, his eyes wandering over to that area of the common bridge that was achingly familiar from his Liberty, his original Maquis starship. Its command chair was empty and he knew why. Its commander was now first officer of Voyager. :: I wonder if she was captured by the ribbon before it blew up against the caretaker array or whether or not someone else dreamed her up.. Either way.. I don't care. I want a return visit.. I left rather suddenly and I would love to see my cabin again. I left a lot of personal belongings there leaving in such a hurry. :: "I'd like to visit the Liberty for a while if you don't mind. It's... nice seeing her again even knowing that in the real world, she no longer exists."

Janeway gave him an understanding look. "I would do the same thing, commander. Permission granted. Keep an open channel to the common bridge if you go below decks on the Liberty.."

"Thankyou, Kathryn. I won't be long.. I feel I have someone over there I should meet. If the Liberty was indeed dreamed up by someone, I feel Seska is responsible. I feel I owe her a visit.." he replied. "I will be back before ship's night watch so we can keep your tribal marking ceremony. Don't forget." he teased. "We continue where we left off.."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

He left the Voyager part of the bridge in Kathryn's capable hands . He paced across the Defiant's area where Sisko and the others were still coordinating their information for the mass briefing of all the ship's heads that Jadzia had called for. And on across Kirk's bridge which was strangely empty.. ::I wonder where the crew is here?:: When he came to the Liberty's stark iron decking, he actually hesitated stepping onto the grilling.. ::If I go back, will I be tempted to be a captain again?:: he asked himself. With a shudder, he dismissed that wandering thought and went fully inside Liberty's section of the common bridge. He paused by his captain's chair there but did not sit down. He rested his hand on its scorched leather for a moment but then turned and left for the turbolift and Liberty's lower decks.

67 H. It read. The sign on the cabin was crooked, knocked from its place in the precursors of its ramming into the Caretaker array. ::Seska must have willed the Liberty here just before her destruction but not before some damage had been done. I hope it's still safe..::

Chakotay hurriedly release the security lock on his old quarters and went inside the darkened room. The power was on for the lights went up instantly at his command to the computer. The only sign that was out of phase with his memory was that the computer acknowledged him in the voice of the Enterprise/Voyager/EnterpriseA's voice in a three way meld of sound.

He moved into the sleeping alcove and straight to his nightstand. The simple wooden furniture had toppled onto its side but Chakotay righted it and drew open its top drawer. ::It's still here..:: he said.

With trembling fingers.. Chakotay drew out a wooden flute from Kolopak, his father. The eagle feather was half burned away in the partial fires which had ravaged his cabin before Seska wished it elsewhere but the instrument was untouched by char.

He brought the slender pipe to his lips and began to play.. A haunting melody that seemed to be echoed by a second flute, a silver one in another set of hands on the Enterprise D. The same haunting inner light music. Chakotay saw through his window another cabin of a strange captain, one who was balding and playing a flute melody that harmonized with his!

Both men looked up from their playing and their eyes met through the window.

Chakotay heard a howl and suddenly, Matseyeho was at his side, his brindle coated spirit guide from the forest. ##Speak with this man, Chakotay. For I am the one who has brought you together..## she said.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

(attachments) Image: Chakotay in his quarters reverently seated.

Gif: Blue Indian band bar.

*animated gif* A wolf, panting and pacing toward you.

Music Midi: Native American flute music.

Gif: A wide bar design in earth tones of native american art.

**********************************************************************

From: "Cassidy Meyers" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] It comes down to who's fist is bigger.  
Date: Fri, 16 Feb 2001 11:46:55 +0400

Jadzia turned as people gathered one by one onto the huge melded bridge area. ::I wonder what we should call our new joined ship.  
If what Miles is saying is true with the quintupled shielding and massively boosted computer power, not just any name will do. How abou--..::

##A change!## Dovin-Kah warned..##Another reality wrinkles.## her wormhole symbiont sent.

Jadzia crouched in warning whirling in the direction Dovin-Kah turned her. A calm Vulcan stood regarding her.

Tuvok gets out of the Captain's chair, disconcerted with this changing of reality, although it would take someone who knew him well to spot it in him. He approaches the trill officer standing before him who has made the shipwide call. "Lieutenant...?" he enquires, seeing her pips, but fishing for her name.

Breathing in recovering defensive reaction, Jadzia straightened.  
"Jadzia, Lt.. I am a joined Trill but to Dax no longer. I have only that single name. You seem familiar to me but I can't place your face, sir.."

She and the new Vulcan, dressed in the mustard version of her own science blue uniform cocked an ear at a new development at the round table in the middle of the new bridge. Everyone seemed to be gathered around Quark and a strange highly powered computer screen..

"Too bad Torres isn't here. She'd love the interface I see on this thing.." Quark said squinting at the activated glowing screen on the new terminal. "Hey, it's saying something.... It's it's ..it's... in Vulcan?  
I see letters here.. T....U...V....O. Hey, who here know's Tuvok? Whoever he is, he's just sent a message to us on this screen... My High Vulcan is rusty.. can anyone else make it out?"

Jadzia put two and two together.. "Tuvok!" she shouted aloud, although only Tuvok heard her at the moment. "That's right. Of the Starship Voyager.. but I wonder if--" she reached out .. and poked him in the arm with a finger..

Tuvok's eyebrow went up and he rubbed his arm thoughtfully. "May I ask why you did that just now, Lt?" he inquired. Jadzia ignored him.. asking while she eyeballed his build. "How much do you weigh? Now? Er.. I mean this morning or whenever the last time you weighed yourself?"

Tuvok regarded Jadzia with only dry logic which couldn't help but come across as condescending to anyone not familar with Vulcans. "I fail to see what that information has to do with our current conversation.."

Jadzia rushed him along hurriedly. "Just...ok, it's like this. We are in Guinan's Nexus, the same one which led to the death of James Kirk in that reality. Heard of it? Well I and most everyone you see here on this thought combined ship are shadows of the real persons on these vessels you see represented here. I need to know if you are a shadow or not. I am not real and my mass is negligible."

Tuvok slowly took in the sight of everyone around him calmly, as if huge sweeping changes in his reality happened everyday. Jadzia couldn't help but admire his cool. "I weighed 29.37 Kilos last measurement two standard months ago."

Jadzia held out her hand and a tricorder appeared in it. Tuvok's other eyebrow rose but he permitted her scan.. "Interesting.." was his only comment.

"You are most definitely real." Jadzia said excitedly. "I get a ballpark 29.62 kilos mass on you right now. The Commander would love to see this.." She searched around for Chakotay but saw his back retreat into Voyager's turbolift across the command area from her place on the Defiant's section of the bridge. ::Damn.. well, I guess he'll find out later..:: she shrugged.

Tuvok suddenly walked past Jadzia to the group clustered around the newly discovered computer terminal with its message in High Vulcan.. "Excuse me captains, gentle beings.." he said of all in front of him. "But this is the beginning of a test screen Vulcan algorithm of a matter/ antimatter mix I sent to your mainframe which allowed my transfer on board to arrive safely among you.  
I received telepathic impressions from my helmsman, Thomas Eugene Paris and Lon Suder from my past and speculated as their true whereabouts. And so, I come to be here with you now."

He turned to the two captains present, Janeway and Sisko and addressed them. "Now that I am aware of your existence. We should work on freeing everyone from the Nexus's influence. Its proximity to Earth and all points along the line trailing into the Delta Quadrant is causing the space/time continuum to reject our universe's laws of physics.. We must remedy the problem as soon as possible or there may be dire consequences."  
Tuvok's eyes were drawn from the ship commanders over Jadzia's shoulder to Obrien, now addressing another suddenly appeared Vulcan.

Jadzia celebrated, "Ambassador Spock! What an honor.. You're just in the nick of time.. Meet one of your kin, Tuvok, and then come help us poor shadows solve our little quandary. Hmm? We have quite the puzzle for you..You see? We need to link up again with our real selves and ships outside this ribbon somehow."  
she glanced up and down recognizing Spock's religious robes.."This will make your Kolinahr disciplines tasks seem a bit simple.. Are you game ambassador?"

The Trill lieutenant watched Spock and Tuvok exchange Vulcan greetings with that curious salute of theirs. ::The sooner these two compare notes, the better.:: she surmised. ::I want Dax back and that means returning back to Julian's sickbay BEFORE my surgery where I lost him. And with these two by my side. I just may accomplish it.::

##Don't worry, child.## Dovin-Kah said, ##I am here to help you do just that. I must right the wrong the Pah Wraiths did by killing you.##

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Garak watched the two Vulcans arrive and smiled even bigger. "This is more fun than watching Gul Dukat squirm under Tobrin's firm hand. Two stoic Vulcans ought to figure out things in record time, no doubt, far faster than that Ferengi bar rodent over there.."

Quark whirled around, his huge ears missing nothing at all. "I heard that!" he complained. He shoved his way through Spock, Janeway, Tuvok, Quark, Lore and Jadzia in front of the intermix monitor of Tuvok's Vulcan figures and stormed over to the Cardassian' side.

::Oh goody!:: Garak thought, straightening to his full height. "I love a good fight, Ferengi.. Come and get some! I've been sewing all day on human costumes and my fingers need a little workout."

He egged Quark on, challenging him to a physical confrontation.

-  
(attachments)

Image : Jadzia and Sisko together by a console.

Image : Tuvok in a foggy hallway.

Music Midi : the Voyager title theme...

*  
From: "Lil Sister" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] The new peoples in peace.  
Date: Fri, 16 Feb 2001 08:05:59 -0000

Lore watched all this happenings in his eyes. And then the big ears one have angers to the reptile. "It is not honor to do this thing peoples."

He held up peace hands and held them by the chests apart each from the other. "Quark and Garak. I beg of you for the captains.  
No. It is no place for battlings. There is much problems. We do that firstings without evils to each other, yes?"

Lore sees the others listen to him. The two market keeps settle into peace for him and no fight now. But Lore knew the Garak one would chose soon to fight again when by himselve.

He use his strength to make the others stop. "I will not permit." he say.

He watch Quark and Garak go to another place with much distance between the two as they obey him. "I am sorry." Lore said.  
"But we must act as men in this place or bad things happening,  
yes?"

Then the artifisial man went to Jadzia and Spock and all by the screen peoples. "The child is right. We must do this thing and go back to our houses. I have heartings now but I permit myself to die to have things right as before the Place of Angels.  
So I help with the plant tranzporterings. I go there to her now."

Lore leave the command center and the captains to the Vulcan new ones and go to the garden bay where the little one be.

"Hello, Naomi. I am here to help you with this all. We have new Vulcans Spock and Tuvok with the captains and this second man has a math that use energy to come here. They see now on the screen.  
Now we come up with the answer for the returnings for all ships.  
We will have the message communicater go to your real home like you say. I leave the message here."

Lore touch the communicater and say, "We are in the Place of Angels.  
Your people Tom Paris is here and Tuvok is here not harmed to.  
You can speak only near the border fire where we are and where you are with these pins. Go there . We try to leaves here soon. Stand by for speakings from Tom, your missing people. He know more."

Then Lore save the recording until the plant go to the moon.  
"I have it, Naomi. We now work on these things with the ship enginneeres to send it. Obrien and Torres may be here to help soon.  
We wait,yes?"

Lore sit down by the child and she and he look at the moon map in and out of the fires and the math of Tuvok of the energy which brought him heres. "Let us study. We can learn much of this coming way from the world where our homes are Naomi. I know somes about engine petrole so we can help see new ideahs to help the captains."

Lore set the roses planting on the tranzporter with the communicator and recording he make. "We set here." he say. "It is up to the leaders to say what to do."

Naomi came to the artifishial man and read with him to pass timefall.  
The numbers made simple to Lore and he show the girl what they meaned and how Tuvok came as real still to the ship. She learn fast as anything and he have pleased heart with her. ::She is a good crew people even as she is so young. I wonder who her parents are:  
"Naomi, is your mother science fields?"

He wait for the child or the captains or any people to have speakings with him.

********************************************************************* From: "patti keiper" Subject: Prime point proved, picked, paired and pickled.  
Date: Fri, 16 Feb 2001 08:22:25 -0000

Neelix missed nothing. He was relieved that Janeway had returned from her little sojourn to whereever that had been. She and Chakotay seemed more at ease now. ::Probably because of whatever transpired between them when they were off the bridge just now..:: he guessed. ::Good for them. Captains and commanders get too few breaks anyway.. I'm glad Captain Janeway and Chakotay found time to take one. I just wish I could've cooked their evening meal for them to save them even more work. Ah, well...:: he sighed. He was very glad that Kes had moved away from Garak. ::That fellow gives me the creeps even more than Suder does. And that's saying alot.:: He leaned over to Kes as she watched Naomi mumble something and slip out of her chair to leave the big bridges level via Voyager's section.

"Sweetings.. I hope that cold blooded Cardassian didn't say anything to offend you. I know what I've read in the database about them. If he is anything like what Seska tried to be, masquerading as one..."

Kes smiled at her companion and smoothed her pink tunic down thoughtfully, "Why Neelix.. Are you jealous of my making conversation with others? This is the first time I've been with so many people who are not part of Voyager's crew. I am three. I think I know how to watch out for myself around strangers..." she chided him, smooching the Talaxian on his cheek.

Just then, Naomi's voice came over the intercom.. to Chakotay. Chakoty! Chakoty! I have a plant on this pad by me. We havent tried leaving yet so why dont we try? Eoh, Jupeeters moon isnt all in the nexis, And how do we know we cannot go? I read on the computr at my chair up there that Captain Picard once was in the ribbon and then left. He got out! So try with this rose. See if it can get outside.

Kes cocked her head and said aloud, "Now that sounds intriguing. If you'll excuse me for longer than two seconds, Neelix, I am going to where Naomi is to help her organize the experiment. Come with me or stay if you'd like. Things are bound to happen in both places." She left him to his own devices as a commotion from Quark drew his attention away from her. Kes slipped away quietly in the bluster which arose following Spock and Tuvok's sudden appearance on board. She saw Jadzia introduce one Vulcan to the other and smiled.

::The bridge situation is certainly in good hands now. I am best needed with Naomi.::

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Kes called out to the tiny captain's assistant in front of the botanical bay's transporter. Kes saw that she had been mindful enough to leave the dematerialization pads unpowered and one of Kes's cloned rose bushes now sat on a nearby disk. The light from overhead made the combadge pin nestled in the potted plant's stems flash. ::So that is her message beacon she talked about.::Kes realized. She saw that the usually silver chevron arrowhead was now gold and the hollow frame rectangle behind it was its silver counterpart. ::Could work with the badge like that. It is truly Nexus created. The rose bush will return to be its true form since it matches the one outside, but this badge HAS no real world double. It will be an anomaly the real Voyager can't fail to find on board once we transport it from here.::

She gave the little girl a hug and nodded to Lore, standing next to her. She then noticed Tuvok's fuel formulas on their computer screen and watched as the android taught the child basics about intermixes. She busied herself with scanning the rose bush's genetic makeup with her medical tricorder she had been carrying with her. "Naomi, you were very careful not to damage this one so it still matches the real one outside the Nexus. I see it is still like the other clones I have over on the tray. Thank you for being so careful. You are a good scientist."

She saw the tiny girl beam with pride. Then Barclay came into the bay to assist them with proceedings. Kes tapped her own badge and said to the air...

SEE SOUND BITE..

She waited for the holodoc to fully form in front of her. "Hello doctor. I was hoping you and Boothby could help us with taking bio readings of this plant specimen once it arrives on Io outside the Nexus." It only took a short while for her and Barclay and Lore to explain to the EMH what it was they hoped to accomplish.

He asked a question when they were through. "But how will the real Voyager pick up Naomi's transmitting combadge from the surface of the moon when the shadow rose bush rephases back into its real counterpart in Voyager's hydroponics bay?"

Kes grinned, "Easy doctor.. Ever heard of how old Earth short wave radios sometimes extended what frequencies they picked up based on refractions of the waves hitting Earth's ionosphere? Well, the real Voyager's proximity to the Nexus ribbon in the Delta Quadrant will allow this signal of Naomi's combadge on Io's surface in the Alpha Quadrant reach her by skimming along the interface of the ribbon itself much like the ionosphere did for that radio technology back then.. Voyager will hear the message Lore left for her to find bouncing at them even though the signal itself normally wouldn't carry farther than a few hundread kilometers away. They will then know about Tuvok's successful arrival here and Tom's. I am sure that Captain Janeway is frantic over Paris's status. She doesn't like having missing crew."

"How well I know that.." the EMH harrumphed in his throat. "Very well. I will assist you with your task." The doctor called up Boothby who had been having fun whizzing around all the other ships' corridor monitors in a much more greatly expanded range than his computer matrix normally had on his usual Voyager.

"Whhooo weeee!!" the holoconsult program exclaimed as he was activated by the EMH.. "That was invigorating.. Captain Janeway will be pleased to know that I have all knowledge of every ship merged with Voyager right now, including Mr. Tuvok's novel enhanced computer terminal in the middle of the common bridge at the round table. I can do anything now."

"Somehow,..." the EMH remarked dryly, "I doubt that.."

Boothby seemed to get bigger on his computer screen and his graying face scowled under his straw hat. "Try me..." the simulation growled..

"Ok, " the EMH said folding his arms together. "How about getting us all out of here, Einstein,.. and make it snappy."

"Done.." Boothby said. And he blinked like a genie...

Nothing happened.

The EMH tapped his foot on the deck plating beneath his holofoot. "I'm still waiting, Boothby.."

Boothby's face did a passable impression of someone going apoplexic and he turned red as a beet with the effort of concentrating.. Then the holoprogram let out his ancient breath in a huge simulated sigh.. Whoosh!! "I.....can't.....*sigh* I am not a living being so I can't use the Nexus."

The EMH was heartless, "Exactly..so hush up and help me with this rose bush's bio readings. Your feelings of omnipotence are merely illusions, Boothby. Snap to." And he snapped his fingers in rude command.

Kes admonished, "Doctor! How could you?"

"Why should either of us care either way, Kes. We have no feelings to bruise. We're computer holoprograms.... no, even less than that.... we are shadow holoprograms on a shadow combined ship created by the living shadows of real people who aren't even here.." He frowned, confused by his own line of reasoning.. "I think..."

Kes sighed a huge sigh. "And I am the unreal pilot of this Nexus so that makes me more significant than you at the moment and thus your superior and your boss so obey me, doctor. Concentrate on the task at hand. Now...." she said a little loud.

"I protest, Kes! I am not inferior just because I--" the doc insisted.

Kes leaned in a bit mischieviously, "Pretty real reaction for someone who has no feelings whatsoever.." she winked at him. "I think someone's been wishing a little humanity on the both of you.."

Naomi Wildman just giggled behind her hands. One of her secret Nexus wishings had been truly found out.

-  
(attachments)

Image : Kes and the Holodoctor in a fading out frame.

Audio : Kes- Computer, activate emergency medical holographic program.

*animated gif* A flowing EKG graph in green over black.

*animated gif* An Energize warning in red with white lettering in a computer lcars bar.

*animated gif* A three dimensional rotating rose blossom and stem.

Gif : A combadge on a bar painting gold to silver left to right.

*  
From: "Roxy Dee" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] More than one kind of flow~~ Date: Sat, 17 Feb 2001 07:24:08 -0000

Quark still burned out to his very lobe tips. ::The nerve of that guy is apalling. I don't know why he's even here in the ribbon. A corrupt Cardassian like that is bad for business.:: The Ferengi only backed down his physical reaction to the insult he overheard from Garak when Lore stopped them from getting down to business.

That android was nothing to trifle with and even Quark's sense of self perservation won out over stung pride. He went over to the center computer where Tuvok's algorithms lay. He first pitched his head one way, and then another,  
a finger thoughtfully on his knobby chin. "Hmmmmm." he grunted.

From Ops, Harry Kim said, "Psssst.! Quark..."

Quark didn't look up from his scrutiny of the figures in front of him even if several other people did. Including the Voyager captain. Harry said, "Oh. uh. Not you, captain.  
I was trying to..g- Never mind. I'll come down there." he said. A fill in took over his Ops controls, Harry looked at the young man, "I am cataloging all changes in ship structure integrity and trying to help get heads or tails with the engineering systems. It seems there's some blurring there,  
too with boundaries." The blond Terran nodded. "Understood, sir."

Then Harry frowned and came a few inches away from Quark's face,  
studying him as intently as the barkeep was studying Tuvok's equations. Then he tapped Quark on the shoulder. Twice.

"Ah!" Quark jumped, "Don't do that. You could have just called out loud or something. I was just...just eh,.. what is this stuff on the screen anyway? Earlier, I got some high Vulcan but things are changing even as I watch.."

The boyish Ensign Kim grew alarmed, "Impossible.. Tuvok sent them here right before he "transported" aboard twenty three minutes ago." His change in attitude attracted all the captains' attentions and that of Tuvok and Ambassador Spock. "How can fixed mathematical calculations change on their own on a frozen screen?"

Tuvok frowned as well. "There are new developments. Has anyone touched any of the computer controls since my arrival?"

All heads shook in the negative, and from one corner, Garak started laughing. Garak held up innocence when Janeway turned exaggeratedly to look at the tailor.  
Tuvok spoke aloud, "Captain. He has not moved from that wooden bench since the android ended Quark and Garak's confrontation.  
But I would recommend posting security on the bridge until we know more about how our ships operate."

The ginger haired captain nodded, pointing to the Ops lieutenant who relieved Harry to get on it. Harry was not surprised when Captain Sisko followed up likewise from his Defiant section of the room. Spock had gone over to the original Enterprise bridge with his arms behind his back, thoughtfully circling the ring of bridges. Then Tuvok noticed what he was trying to ascertain as well.  
"What time is it, ensign?" Tuvok asked Harry. Kim shrugged,  
glancing at a nearby chronometer on a science station. "It is 1709. Beta shift. Almost "sundown", Earthtime."

Then he looked again, voicing what he saw happening. "1708.  
1602. Time's flowing backward according to the ship's computer.  
And accelerating. But how can that be? I am thinking forward and..." He took a stylus off a table and dropped it from his fingers..It thunked to the carpet two seconds later.  
"Gravity's still working.."

"Perhaps the laws of physics inside the Nexus are rewriting themselves due to the distortion its size is exerting on the space time continuum. Animate objects lose mass here. It is not illogical to assume that inanimate objects can't lose time in the same relationship. My equations are based on time as an intermix variable. If time changes, so will the inanimate computer illustrating it."

Harry goggled, "So that's why Naomi said the ships don't need to fly. She most likely noticed changes in Voyager that we missed."

The holographic physician drew out his analyzing tricorder.  
"Time is still normal in both your shadow and real bodies."  
he told listeners. "Your hair is still growing, the diurnal cycles inside your cells are still circadian according to each of your species. Whatever this new effect is, it's global."

Tuvok inclined to agree. "I concur. The Nexus is ruling as it must. Perhaps we are beginning see the full effects of its influence only now. I know how attractive mind over matter has been thus far. I still see it at work."

Kim balked, "But why is time flowing backwards for the ships?"

Tuvok countered, "Why does time flow forward for the rest of the galaxy ensign?"

Jadzia Dovin had been considering that angle carefully. ::I wonder if Dovin-Kah can sense the time disparity. He is a wormhole entity, not limited to perceiving linear time.::

Quark slapped his hands down on the tabletop where the computer monitor was changing. "It looks like our minds aren't the end all/be all that we thought they were. This river's really taking us for a ride. And I for one, don't want to wait around for the rapids. Just show me to the preverbial front door, Mr. Tuvok, and I'll just hop on out to merge back into my real self back on the station, ok?"

Tuvok folded his hands, "I am afraid I did not have a contingency plan for exiting the Nexus. I was unaware of the incongruity of the physics governing the inside and outside of the ribbon when I carried out my away mission."

"Oh, great." Quark moaned, "Even the Vulcans are making mistakes. I have had it. I am normally useless on a starship bridge when I belong in a bar, so a bar is where I am going to go. Only I'm not going to be the one serving. I am going to be a customer. Call me if you all come up with any bright ideas about delivering our rears out of here, hmm? First one who does,  
drinks free at Quarks for a full year." he said sarcastically.  
Then he left the bridge via the Defiant's turbodoor.

The holographic doctor scoffed, "Typical Ferengi. Avoid the problem by heavy substance abuse." he turned to Garak, "Or,.in the case of others, implant abuse. No wonder he's been laughing.." he said, still watching bioreadings on the crew.

Garak's smile wiped clear off his face at that breach of doctor patient confidentiality.

Harry told the bridge. "I'll go get him. Last thing we need is a drunk Ferengi wishing up fantasies around here.."  
Kim followed Quark to whereever he headed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Quark was in the Defiant's messhall, which had somehow grown a Morn, complete with his stool.  
"Hello, Morn.." Quark said. "Mind if I take a seat here?" he asked pointing to the place next to the mute alien. Morn dipped his great body subtlely. "Thanks.."

Harry Kim hurriedly entered the room and saw that he was still in time. No bottles were down yet from the glass shelves. He irritatedly sat down on Quark's free side. The Ferengi said,  
"Look, Morn.. I've got a "tail." He grimaced in disgust when the giant actually leaned backwards to look at Quark's butt. "Not that kind of tail," then under his breath, "..idiot."

Quark said, then he slapped the bar.."Hey... Barkeep! He shouted to the empty doorway over to the right.  
"What does someone have to do around here to get some service?!!"

He never even expected who showed up behind the counter to serve him.

-  
(attachments)

Image :Rumpelstiltskin from DS9's If Wishes Were Horses show.

Image : An imbibing Morn.

Gif: The official Paramount logo.

************************************************************ From: "Nick Lewis" .uk  
Date: Sat Feb 17, 2001 5:19pm Subject: Dancing on the light from star to star

Tom has been sitting back thus far, letting the rest of the crew take care of things. They obviously know more about what's going on than him. Quite frankly, Tom feels a little out-of-place since Tuvok told him his memories were two years behind. No... more than out-of-place. He feels like he's been scooped up and dropped in the middle of a nightmare. These people look like the people he remembers, but they're not. They're shadows of people two years ahead of him, hell they might as well be aliens for all the connection he feels to them right now.

*So if they're not my crewmates, then I don't have to have anything to do with them.* Tom realises in the back of his mind that something's wrong.  
But at the moment, all he wants to do is sort his head around everything that's happened and sitting here isn't going to help him do that.

So... where else is there to run from the future, than to the past. Where indeed!

And with a flash, Tom disappears from the bridge, the Nexus granting his wish...

Tom opens one eye and smiles. His favourite window seat, a black hole sitting in a glass in front of him. A voice from behind startles him.  
"What are you looking at?"

Tom sees the familiar purple robes of Guinan the bartender. "Just appreciating the familiar, Guinan" he says, turning back round to look at the stars.

"You never tire of them do you.... the stars."

"Should I? Each star represents a new place, a new challenge. Sometimes I can look out there and see all the possibilities playing out in front of me... like dancers on a starmap of the future."

"Doesn't the future ever worry you? There's a lot out there that we don't know... that we perhaps shouldn't know."

Tom puts his surveyal of the streaking stars on hold. "I get the feeling you know more than you usually let on, Guinan. What's out there?"

Guinan shrugs, then spies a newcomer to Ten Forward across the room. "I'll leave you and Ensign Jackson alone."

Tom jumps up as Erin sees him. *Now here comes a particularly alluring star* he thinks appreciatively. It's midway through their date though when the nagging doubt at the back of his mind returns to give him grief. *What am I doing here?*

*You're reliving a pleasant memory* he tells himself, but his mind rebels.  
*On the Enterprise? I never served on that ship?* A flash and Tom suddenly finds himself outside his quarters. Great, first Tuvok tells him he's lost two years, then he starts remembering things that never even happened. What the hell is happening to him?

He shakes his head as if trying to clear the cobwebs. He's tempted to go into his quarters, but detours instead to the mess-hall in the hope that Neelix has something. His stomach tells him it's past lunchtime anyway.

It's dark though as he enters the mess-hall. "Neelix?" he calls. The affable talaxian mustn't be here. He's about to leave when the lights suddenly flick on and there's a tremendous chorus of "SURPRISE!!!" Tom is initially confused until he sees the cake. *Oh god! The birthday party they threw me during our second year out here. I remember.*

He grins as he relives the party. His friends hand out various presents and they all swap old stories. It was a perfect night, made even more special afterwards when Kes and himself ended up standing outside his quarters again, giggling. "Wanna come in?" Tom grins.

"It *is* your birthday" she whispers in his ear. She presses the plate allowing entry. Almost skipping in, she collapses on the couch. They're both just a bit tipsy.

Tom saunters in and puts a privacy lock on the door. He sits on the couch and smiles at Kes. In a sudden move she wraps her arms round him and falls backwards, Tom lying on top of her. She giggles again, then sighs as Tom lightly presses his lips to hers.

*THIS DIDN'T HAPPEN* a voice in his mind shouts at him. Tom breaks away from Kes for a second and looks confused. Kes frowns. "What's wrong, Tom?"

He dismisses the voice and leans in to the lovely Kes. How can he ignore her. "Nothing. Everything's perfect" he whispers. She smiles as they kiss...

********************************************************************************

From: "robert catrair"  
Date: Sun Feb 18, 2001 9:07am Subject: back ground check

Worf Has left the bridge to try and think what to do and how to handle the problems at hand. Who is real? who is a shadow person? how to handle the people that have been the cause of pain in his life from the past. So he went to the gym to work out and to keep in shape for the fight yet to come. while he was going though his work out and practice his fighting style. he came to the conclusion to look into the logs of the people he did not know.  
Capt. janeway her first officer Chakotay the brother of data lore whom try to kill himself as well as fellow officers on the enterprise the new klingon half-breed B'Ellana Torres a person named Neelix and kes what to do how to handle the need to keep total security control on the combine ships

After returning to what look like his quarters worf started to look at the mission logs of all the ships and notice that the only one with a past was the defiant

*  
From: Date: Sun Feb 18, 2001 1:35pm Subject: Spock & O'Brian

Spock looked around the huge bridge. "The levels of design and redundancy as well as the oddly configured command center lead to the conclusion that this ship belongs to some sort of alliance. I would assume by extrapolation from known design that the console area there and immediately adjacent mine are of Federation design, but seemingly advanced by decades over what I am accustomed to." "Well they are all Federation designs, 3 of which I am familiar with." Said O'Brian, "The Voyager section," O'Brian gestured over his shoulder "is the newest, but parts of this bridge are from my ship, the Defiant, as a matter of fact the Defiant's whole bridge is here but it has been been integrated with the rest of this".;  
Spock pondered this for a moment, "and this integration was what you were studying when I arrived?"  
"Yes, er, I assume so, Spock, I merely turned around in response to your voice and found you at that antiquated science station." "Fascinating", Spock turned back to his old console and began running a diagnostic program he had written, peculiar he couldn't quite remember when he had written it. "Unusual" he said aloud.  
"Ambassador Er, Mr. Spock" O'Brian started, "You seem much younger than you were on the Enterprise and with the unusual hallucinations and popping in and out of phase that seems to be going on, " O'Brian ran out of words.  
An unasked question hung in the air.  
Spock spoke in Vulcan, "Sorat benocka septui. Thought is born from sentience."  
Said Spock. "To answer the obvious with the obvious answer"  
O'Brian chuckled, " Cognito ergo sum".;  
"I think, therefore I am" translated Spock ::Vulcan Logic to the rescue:: though O'Brian. "But that leaves a couple other questions, why and where chief among them."  
"We must also consider at some point, Who is responsible, but first let us work with the information we can gather" Spock turned to his console as O'Brian watched.

After several hours of intense work O'Brian pushed himself back from the station. "I don't know about you Spock, but I'm getting hungry and could probably use some coffee or a RaK'tageno". Spock nodded, "I have almost reached a working hypothesis, perhaps an informal exchange would be of benefit".;  
I suppose that means I should find the replicator thought O'Brian. You would think with 4 combined bridges there would be one some where.  
"I believe that would be an excellent design addition," added Spock to O'Brians' unspoken thought. When there was no response Spock turned slowly to see O'Brian frozen in position.

O'Brian's universe flickered, wobbled, and blurred then sharpened around him like a display screen with a slow autolock. He noticed there was a cup of RaK'tageno in his hand.

The bridge, which had been large and empty, was full of people. He recognized several from the Defiant crew as well as Ens. Kim although the Klingon engineer from Voyager was missing. Another Vulcan came forward from the group and held his hand in the Vulcan greeting and from behind he heard Spock's reply.  
Soon the two Vulcans were exchanging theories and spatial differential equations quicker than seemed possible. A small crowd gathered around the science station that displayed Tuvok's high Vulcan glyphs and watched with amazement as the language of logic united two of her more fluent sons. That many among the united crews were able to follow, even peripherally, stood as a testament to the intelligence of the crews.  
O'Brian had a headache.  
As the assembled crowd nodded in agreement with the Vuclans preliminary conclusions Janeway noticed that a new hypothesis was drawing near. "Tuvok, there seem to be three separate hypotheses' in those equations, do they overlay atop a non linear curve?"  
Spock raised a single eyebrow at Tuvok.  
"Yes, Captain Janeway is often extremely intuitive in matters of logic, although quite often I am at a loss to follow her deductive leaps."  
"I have found that a trait common among excellent Starfleet officers," stated Spock nodding to Janeway and the crew. "That is a trait which may require a bit of exercise if we are to extradite ourselves from this situation, should that be the proper course." added Tuvok. "I presume the final course is dependent on the different hypothesis'?" questioned Dax.  
"Exactly," replied Spock. There are at least three separate ways to account for our current circumstance, all or none are possibly true and none can be empirically proven at this point."  
A roaring silence greeted this explanation.  
"Quite simply put, unless we can obtain verifiable, independent data our current situation is immeasurable. Without the ability to identify where, and when we are it will be extremely difficult to leave, assuming we should even try to do so," said Tuvok.  
"According to a filtered analysis of the combined sensor readings from all 4 ships we are currently encased within a protonic/chronoic energy medium varying from a diameter of 11 meters to 360 kilometers, that stretches across 3 different quadrants for a distance of over 120,000 light years. Unfortunately the interior time scale can be measured at over 500 years, a time distance ratio unimaginable even through ultra/warp space calculations." "This is compounded by the inability to trust the measurements by which these figures were arrived." Added Tuvock by way of explanation, which explained little.  
"I'm sorry, I speak a different type of techno babble," said O'Brian, l "I think I'll head down to engineering in case we do decide to leave. We'll probably need reliable engines up and running. Is that where Torres went?" he asked.  
"I'm not certain, perhaps she followed Lor and that little girl. "Said Garak.  
"Lor! You let Lor wander around with a child?!? Computer, What's the location of the Android Lor!?! "  
"Lor is currently in the botanical bay on level 16"  
"I'm going there! Captain, I may need some help!" Sisko looked to Janeway who nodded her concurrence. "Take a security team, but Chief," Sisko looked straight at O'Brian, "you are not leading a group of villagers with torches, if you feel the situation requires it restrain Lor, but I would prefer you request he consent to an examination by several of our experts".;  
"But, Naomi's safety is our prime concern" said Janeway to Sisko.  
"Agreed, and chief, be careful".;  
"Aye, Sir." said O'Brian gathering several people for his security detail and leaving. The bridge's attention slowly turned back to the two Vulcan's as the security detail left. Dax decided to start what she was sure to be a long round of questioning. Taking a sip of RaK'tageno she cleared her throat and nodding to Cpt. Sisko began. "I've done a few tests on the combined sensors myself, outside of some irregularities possibly combined by misalignment and the difficulty of integrating such diverse systems they seem to operate within the specified parameters."  
Sisko winced at the statement, if anyone could match logic with a Vulcan it was the old man, he understood the situation perfectly "you feel the sensors are unreliable because of there very existence" Sisko added.  
"Exactly" stated Tuvok, "how this ship came to be, the altered reality and our altered reactions are being controlled and altered constantly by as yet unknown forces. For example several hours ago you measured my weigh in an attempt to establish my reality, Lt. Commander Dax. But the device used and the circumstances under which it was used are suspect."  
"Since we are using objects within the Nexus to measure other objects in an area where reality itself is suspect there is no established benchmark to govern those measurements." Spock paused then slowly released his first bomb. "This leads us to hypothesis one, Since there are no measurements within this place that are not affected by it's uncertain reality, unless we can establish an outside benchmark there can be no reliable physical answers.  
"I see," said Janeway then after a moment of thought, " That of course leads to the question of what or who created this conjunction of ships and for what purpose. Since the reality of all of us has been drawn back into suspicion there is no way to know if it was created by any of us here and if someone were to claim credit if they are being truthful."  
Spock raised another eyebrow. "That of course leads into the second hypothesis that some or none of us are real and may or may not be responsible for our current situation. We could all be shadows and this merely a gathering of disembodied Ka's. This of course is also unknowable by traditional scientific means. Possibly by using some specific Vulcan mind control techniques more information may be gained"  
"But, such information would of course be subject to the same reliability as the possible existence of the examiner," added Tuvok. "A double blind system could possibly be utilized, but that would of course be dependent on the subjective reliability of the observers."  
The silence that followed Tuvok's remarks was long and pregnant as each crew member searched for an solution while doubting their own existence. Finally Sisko voiced the thoughts that were on several minds, "Real or unreal, substance or shadow, I will find a way to solve this dilemma and return as many as possible to their proper reality. I will take actions according to what I believe to be right, and Damn the Consequences!"  
Several of the crew nodded in determined agreement.  
"Well spoken Captain," said Janeway with a nod. "I believe there is a third hypothesis?"  
"Yes captain", replied Tuvok "but I suggest we take a little time to absorb and discuss the first two before continuing".;  
"I agree," stated Spock, "to use an old Earth expression, we can convey the appropriate information but both the format and substance may be unpalatable".;  
"I can tell you but you ain't gonna like it", Sisko translated.

*  
From: "Fran Catrair"  
Date: Sun Feb 18, 2001 11:05pm Subject: Engineering Overload

B'Elanna was glad to be off the combined bridges. She knew she should have stayed, as the current senior ranking officer of Voyager, but she just couldn't take it anymore.  
::Diplomacy was never my strong suit.:: she mused. She was angry with that Cardassian and the annoying android. She found a new appreciation for the captain and commander, as she reminded herself that Chakotay and Janeway had to be diplomatic every day. ::All things aside, I'm NOT putting in for a command position any time in the near future:  
she concluded, a grim smile on her face.

Grimacing, B'Elanna continued on through the hallways.  
She noticed some paths that were familiar, and then she would take a turn and she wouldn't know where the heck she was. As her frustration increased, a thought came upon her. ::I am in a 'shadow universe', right? I 'thought' myself off that Barge, I bet I can 'think'  
myself into engineering.:: she thought. Concentrating,  
she began to think about engineering. She felt a faint stirring. Opening up her eyes, she was not prepared for what she saw before her.

She was in engineering alright. It was huge. The neat layout of the bridge was not the case in engineering.  
::Guess that android or symbiont or whoever didn't really thing of EVERYTHING now, did they?:: she thought.  
Something was not right. There were instrumentations all over; the worst part was some instruments were not in the right place. At least what was normally the right place. Edging cautiously forward, she finally made her way to the warp core.

The warp core was huge; at least 3 times the size of Voyager's core. It was glowing a brilliant shade of blue. It hummed. Going up to the instruments surrounding the core, B'Elanna reached out and touched one.

And got an instant surge of pain up her arm. Looking down, her arm appeared to be going in and out, in a state of flux. Groaning in pain and gritting her teeth, she grabbed her arm, finally able to gingerly grab it and control it, pulling it to her midsection and holding it protectively. Calming her breathing, she finally became aware that the humming in the core had dramatically increased. Looking at it further, it now glowed a deep shade of violet. ::Uh-oh,  
this isn't good.:: she thought to herself.

Suddenly, the voice started in her head again. It was too much. After the pain she had suffered with her arm,  
her defenses were just unable to cope and fight anymore.  
(OOC - See sound bite) =^= Torres to Bridge.=^= she gasped,  
gritting her teeth. She needed to get this out before she lost consciousness. =^= Emergency...in...Engineering!  
I need...help...problems...with...core... Need...medical.  
assistan....=^= she finally lost consciousness, amidst images swirling in her head.

---------------------------------------------------------------

(attachments)

Image : Torres at a console.

Image : Torres in a close up looking up at a glowing engine core.

Audio : B'Elanna- Torres to Bridge.

**************************************************************

END WEEK SIX RECAP 02-19-01

{}

WEEK SEVEN RECAP 02-20-01 {}

From: "Myron Ojala" Subject: The one over us all-  
Date: Tue, 20 Feb 2001 19:18:12 -0000

Lon Suder was speculative, the immensity of his thoughts filling him with a sense of wonder. He was calm inside while everything else around him was chaos. Usually, the emotions of others around him built to levels which drove him to watch any violence being committed around him by crewman and civilians nearest him. ::My counselor told me Hell's kitchen syndrome.. What does he know? Overcrowded rats in a fire do shred each other for escape but so do ones not burning alive.. Why is that?::

Then the Betazed realized he was alone in Garak's tailor shop and he feels where the crew of all the ships had gone. Most were gathered on the bridge so he went there in a blink. "Hello, Tuvok." he said to the man with another Vulcan near the cluster of officers. "I wanted to thank you personally for bringing me back into existence with your thought, sir. I was told by these," he flicked a hand toward Janeway and Neelix, "that I was dead. My guess is that somehow, our past meld outside has made it possible for me to live again in this Nexus."

Tuvok's face showed an emotion, that distressed Captain Janeway. ::He's been wounded by this..:: she thought. "Tuvok?" she whispered.

Tuvok closed his eyes, shutting out Suder's black ones, "I.. must admit to a transgression, captain, and Mr. Suder. My...deepseated attraction that I felt for your violence hunger back then has never truly been conquered.. Or I would not have pulled you here from death Suder. That mind bond should have been severed. Forgive me. I.. have committed an atrocity upon you, Lon, for not letting you go entirely."

Lon thought carefully about that and stared unblinkingly at Tuvok and the discreetly averted Spock as this admission played out. "Forget it. You're a Vulcan with emotions in spite of what you may think. Strong ones would be compelling if one is used to supressing them. Now that I am "alive." I want to do more. I remember how I died trying to save Voyager from those hijackers."

Lon inside felt Tuvok's mind briefly before it hastily slammed into silence.. Suder looked around at Spock and the others there in front of him. "So,.. am I a shadow? .Or real..? " He crooked a finger out the viewscreen at the storm of the ribbon. "Past that, I am nothing. Dead. Except to him." He swung a finger at Tuvok. "Just where does that leave me, captains? " he said to Sisko, Janeway, and another balding captain he sensed newly appeared with a flute only in his mind. "Do I die once we escape from this Paradise? I for one.. am not going to find out.."

Suder frowned and ran out into Voyager's elevator and vanished. Tuvok started to go after him but Janeway stopped him with a hand. ::Let him go.:: her eyes seem to say.

Tuvok drew himself away from his mentor, Spock, who had seen his inner shame in Suder's words. The ambassador pretended interest in the theories lying within the calculations on the screen before him offering polite distance to the younger Vulcan.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Suder wandered, searching for anything that was not shadow. He could feel the emotions of those real more clearly now. Wesley was nearby, just watching out of sight. Barclay was in full swing lecturing to Lore and Naomi and Kes about theories. Tom was..... amorous with a figment in his cabin. Lon pushed these three away looking for something different within his empathy. ::There must be another here..Just like Spock says. Or why have a Nexus at all. It is too ideal for people to have just happened on its own..::

He found his way to engineering and a source of subtle violence. He saw B'Elanna Torres by a pulsating, hideous purple warp core and her emotions were of fighting pain. Lon was drawn to her hungrily drinking in the emotion. ::I shouldn't be feeling this, she is just a shadow.. There must be a real presence at work for me to feel pulled to her.:: Suder sensed the duality in the Lieutenant from the doorway.. Then her hand was twisted in an effect and the thrill of shock coursed through Lon as well. ::Dimensional angst..ahh! She must get away from the core!::

Suder rushed towards her just as she sent out her frantic call to the bridge.

=^= Torres to Bridge.=^= she gasped, gritting her teeth. She needed to get this out before she lost consciousness. =^= Emergency...in...Engineering! I need...help...problems...with...core... Need...medical... assistan....=^=

Suder saw her crumple to the deck in a heap. He got to her side and reached as if to check her vital signs but his hand trembled and rested instead on the side of her face. He was lost... ##Compel. Contact. Link broken. Reset...biological...## something said in her mind. ::What is this?:: Lon thought. ::This aspect isn't Torres emotions here at all..:: he frowned to himself.

Then she gasped and Lon shook out of his empathetic sense. She was in trouble medically as well. Suder swept a hand down her body, looking for injury and his palm sank into the area where B'Elanna's hand was phasing in and out of reality. The fingers were elongating and twisting nauseatingly. But Lon's were uneffected.

Suder thought a moment and dragged Torres away from the darkened warp core. Her hand didn't seem to want to be freed from whatever it was that held it. A stream of energy seemed to be stretching from the console she had touched earlier to the limb. Then it gave with a plasmic snap!

Lon and B'Elanna fell to the carpet. Suder stared at the place in the air that was still wrinkling, sobbing with pain. ::That voice.. It is coming from there!!:: He ignored the tears flowing down his face and he pulled B'Elanna's head into his lap, feeling for her pulse. It was wavering. He willed a cortical stabilizer into being and placed it on her temple, leaning close to her ear. "I know it is there, too. Don't give into that voice. It can't hurt you anymore Torres. Don't let it. I will make you stay while you fight it. You won't die like I did."

The engineer was deeply out and that hand was glowing purple, like the angry core humming above them. "Hold on.. the others are on their way.." He cradled her into a better position so she could breathe more easily.

#Seeking parameters... Specify.. Specify..Specify..#

"Why don't you just ShuT UPPP!!!" Lon said to the same voice now is his own head, too. He clenched his nails into his own palm so hard that blood trailed down..

Under his hands, Torres convulsed. Suder held her cushioned, until it passed. Then blood flowed from her mouth and he brushed it away. Its scent brought down the violence hunger in him. The same one which Tuvok had cured from him.

Suder closed his eyes and saw a blurry image from the future.. ::More violence is coming? And that face.. he is the one bringing this here. His eyes match the warp core. They're lilac. And this Nexus is.... his??"

---------------------------------------------------------

(attachments) Image: Close up of Lon Suder, intense.  
Image: Paris and the EMH over a critical B'Elanna in sickbay.  
Audio: Computer-One minute to Auto self destruct.

Image: Violent looking Tuvok.

Image : Explosion with two women.

Image : Paris and Chakotay doing triage for injuries on downed crew.

Image : One of those down is B'Elanna.

Audio : Computer-Authorization denied.

Gif- A flaming fuse crawling on a bar.

Image : A grinning Vorta, Weyoun.

*  
From: "patti keiper" Subject: Here's to spinning heads. TANDEM 3 Way.  
Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2001 23:05:23 -0000

Tandem post between "myron ojala" and "fran catrair" and "patti keiper" VIA Hotmail Messenger..

Lon looked up at the sound of running footsteps coming towards him and B'Elanna beneath the angry warp core.. She was still holding on.. ::Now we can get her some help:: "Over here.." he shouted..

Kes and Neelix burst into the eerie light and knelt next to them with a double set of medkits.. "How is she?" Kes asked..

Lon replied, "I'm not sure.. There was a strange energy phenomena that came from the core. It grabbed her and now she is as she is.."

Kes said, "Don't move her yet. I have to check something." She swept a med tricorder over that area of B'Elanna's hand that was phosphorescing.. "This is why she is sick.. Thoron radiation... Kes to the EMH. Report to engineering at once. We have a massive outbreak of radiation.. Evacuate this deck. Notify the captains immediately!!" ::I can always decomtaminate later.:: Kes thought. ::Neelix too.::

She saw that B'Elanna was post seizure but her throat was clear.. Lon had made sure of that. She injected a radiation buffer into Torres's arm."She'll wake up very soon.. Now, you..." she aimed her scanner at Lon.. But he was clear!

Lon said, "My hand didn't change like hers did for some reason.. Maybe you and Mr. Neelix here have the same immunity. If you spread the readings out, it may be that the radiation is localized.. I am getting no distressful feelings from the crew in the other bays near here." ::That appartition over there seems to indicate that there is something or someone endangering the ships and crew..::

Neelix shuddered.. "You mean this isn't one of the nightmares from one who hasn't figured things out yet?" the Talaxian said. He helped him roll B'Elanna out of Lon's arms and lower her to the deck. The engineer began to moan once the counter medication began to do its work..

Kes worked for a few seconds making sure that B'Elanna was in no danger.. The EMH came into being but his matrix sputtered into being.. "Kes! The radiation's too high..Get out of there!" the EMH said before he winked out again..

Kes tapped her combadge.. "Kes to the EMH.. we're all right... we aren't being contaminated..!" Neelix added, "Only B'Elanna showed signs and Kes fixed that already. She's awakening.."

Torres started to move around and stretch her limbs reflexively. She felt strange. Looking down at her hand, she noticed it was no longer in a state of flux. With her physical state appearing normal, she looked around at those gathered there. "What do you want with me? Leave me alone!" she said, jerking her body away from them. Torres coldly glared around the room. "You people want to hurt me! I just want to get home!"

She was able to get up onto her feet and back away from them, toward the warp core.

Suder envisioned in his mind an engineering tricorder which then appeared inside of his hands. Making a full sweep of engineering, he discovered that there was a pinhole sized rift in the local space time.." Don't go over there!!"

Kes and Neelix froze in place, "No! Lieutenant ..come back to us.. And we'll bring you to sickbay.."

Neelix tried to smile at B'Elanna, "The transporters won't work because of this radiation you've suffered. Let us help you.."

The purple core slowed as the engineer drew close to it.. The wrinkle in the air solidified and they could not believe what happened next..

B'Elanna continued on, her voice cold and calculating. "No, I don't know any of you. You can't tell me what to do! I am alone, and it is the fault of you and because of those like you. Go away!"

A hand was slowly coming through behind her like somebody being born.. She actually began to relax. She reached out a hand to meet the one coming out of the core. Their hands touched.

Suder lunged towards her, not knowing if there was danger. He grabbed her away but the grip could not be broken. It was done. Weyoun was suddenly alive again ..

Kes discreetly summoned security.. Neelix stood in front of Kes shielding her activity from Weyoun's eyes.

There was a bright burst of light, filling engineering. "She" felt strong and powerful. The energy coursed through her body. It felt omnipotent. ::This is it. I'm free!:: the triumphant voice in her head shouted.

Lon approached the Vorta but he didn't know who he was. Nor did he say anything to him. ::Ahh! :: Lon knew then. "It's here. This is the voice."

Turning to the others, an evil smile came onto her face. "Ah, it feels wonderful to be alive again. I waited a long time for you all. Thank you for your help. This being will be a wonderful body."

Kes scanned the room again.. the radiation was completely gone.. ::That danger is over, at least.. I am not so sure about this new one..::

Weyoun looked around the room. It appeared bright and glowing from the after affects of his 'arrival'. The warp core had settled into a faded, relaxed violet color. She was quite pleased. ::Yes, this ship will do nicely."

Neelix said, "uhh, sweetings? That's, eh.. not B'Elanna..."

Suder approached the former chief engineer, peering into his/her eyes, "Who are you..? I've felt you before your arrival. You were torturing this woman.." ::I have to be careful.::

Weyoun eyed Lon distrustfully. "Thank you for your help. The rage in you is quite strong. I knew I wanted to be in this realm after getting a taste of your rage...your power." he oozed.

Something inside Lon withered.. he was seen through so clearly.. "W-what? I don't understand what you are talking about."

Neelix motioned the security team at the door to a halt with a gesture.. But they didn't know where to aim phasers.. Neelix told them.. "It's Torres. Something is inside of her."

"Come, come now, my dear boy...surely you don't think I don't know of your past history. Your rage. Your anger. You think Tuvok brought you here? You're wrong; it was me!" he concluded with a satisfied smile.

Kes palmed a hypo,, whispering to them.."The radiation is gone.. if I can get close I can--" A loud rawkcious laughter broke her sentence..

Lon felt a cold dread wrap around his stomach..

He locked down his thoughts :: I have to control myself..::

"Join me, my brother. You don't need to prove anything to anyone. Join me and we will feast on your rage together. You will live forever!" he coaxed softly to Lon.

Kes edged nearer to B'Elanna/Weyoun.. she kept to the darkness beneath the warp core which was silent now..

Suder, "I maybe be a little emotionally confused at the moment but I am not stupid." told the joined being.

Neelix talked to the guards, drawing Weyoun's eyes, when they started to move. Weyoun noticed the security team at the door. "I wouldn't if were you!" he warned. Suddenly, a beam of core energy shot from his eyes to the security team. One guard, the one closest to him, was immediately disintegrated.

Lon looked at B'Elanna who's eyes were now lilac as the core was during Weyoun's coming.

Suder felt that death like candy.. It was slowly bringing out the violence hunger..::I feel as if I want.....more.:: "NO!!"" he said aloud.

Kes screamed.. Neelix looked away.

Kes dropped her hypo to the carpet when B'Elanna saw right through her ploy..

Lon laughed..

"We will enrage together. You will live forever!" Weyoun coaxed.

Kes edged nearer to B'Elanna/Weyoun.. she kept to the darkness beneath the warp core which was silent now.. she was intent on saving B'Elanna.

"Foolish people! Don't mess with me! You don't want to try!" He glared at Kes and he heard her scream. Turning back to Lon, he continued with his persuasion. "Don't tell me you didn't FEEL that. That you didn't take pleasure in that pain jolt just now."

Lon shook and sweat, then he spoke. "We are in the Nexus..Weyoun. We are who we imagine ourselves to be. And I am imagining you... out of B'Elanna.." Suder's arms sank into her up to his elbows.. He gave a huge tug and they were suddenly ...two..

One Torres and one shaken Vorta.

A security guard promptly stunned the Vorta..

B'Elanna felt suddenly weak. She felt drained, and passed out on the floor in a heap.

Kes sobbed in relief and let the guards take custody of the strange man. She went to reach for B'Elanna.. "Lt... are you all right now?" she prompted.

Her scans showed that the physical trauma Torres suffered in her seizure was now gone. The Klingon woman was awake already. ::Odd.::

Neelix hung back.. Suder looked strange..

B'Elanna looked up slowly at Kes. She looked down at her arm, which appeared to be back to normal. She quickly swerved her body around and noticed the warp core was back to normal. Turning back to Kes, she said, "I'm fine, Kes. Thanks. I'm glad you were able to hear my distress call. That energy burst sure felt odd."

::It's still there..:: Lon gasped mentally. ::I thought it was gone..my ..illness. I felt it control me again when that guard died....::

Kes took B'Elanna's arm gently.. "Let's get you to sickbay." Upon seeing the relieved looks on the faces of Kes and Neelix, Weyoun's aspect looked again at Suder. ::Yes, he did feel something. I will need to work more on him. Looks like Tuvok has accomplished alot in their exercises. Nothing that I can't handle, though.:: She slowly got up and smiled again at Kes and Neelix. ::For now.:: He took on the face and manner of B'Elanna.

Lon watched B'Elanna acquiesce to the young woman's attentions. "Yes, Lt. that would be best..she's still not recovered .." Outwardly, Lon felt calm, inside he was still felt the repercussions of the security guard's death and then, he knew Tuvok knew it too.

"Let's go to the doctor first, and then ,.. I think we all need to talk to Tuvok..

--------------------------------------------

B'Elanna patiently waited for the doctor to finish. She would just bide her time. ::Patience.:: she reminded herself. Looking at the doctor, she said, "I'm sorry, doctor, it's been a long day. If you are finished, I think I'll go back to the bridge and report our findings there."

"Hmmm, seems like none the worse for wear.." the EMH frowned. "But hold on one moment, I'd still like too do a feinberger." ::I should like to analyze her personality profile.:: the holodoc thought.

Kes smiled at Torres, "It won't take long.."

B'Elanna glared at him. "A what?"" she fumed. " I told you, doctor, I feel fine." She flexed her previously afflicted arm reflexively. "See? Good as new."

"That's physically... But Kes and Neelix here says that upstairs may still be less than stellar." he said gently.

B'Elanna was irritated. "I told you, I feel fine. I'm a little fatigued, but I'll stop by the mess and grab something to eat and I'll get my energy back in no time!" she concluded. She slid off the medical bed.

"No.." the EMH locked her down.. with a forcefield. "You aren't going to do a disappearing act on me until I say so.."

Neelix said, "B'Elanna...The good doctor hasn't cleared you yet. Let the man do his work..." he encouraged. Then Neelix shuddered. ::I wonder where Suder went off to?::

Lt. Torres would hear none of it. Suddenly, she altered. "Doctor! You don't have a right to do this! Let me go!" Torres shouted, Struggling against the bonds of the forcefield.

Kes thought. ::I have much to get ready for the doctor.:: "Seems her encounter has effected her worse than we thought." She handed the doctor the scanner for the prelim feinberger. "B'Elanna, what's the last thing you remember.. Has this voice been in your head long?"

B'Elanna still fumed. "I don't know what you're talking about!" she spat at the Ocampan.

Neelix said, "Of course you do.. Tell her what you said to the guard before he was killed.. I tell you doctor, it was most striking coming from the lieutenant. Made the hair stand up on the back of my neck."

Kes nodded in agreement. "Just help us help you... and answer him, B'Elanna."

B'Elanna felt tired. She knew she couldn't get away from this. Sighing, she spoke finally. "I have heard him for quite some time."

Kes frowned "You mean that horrid man with the violet eyes?

Neelix said, "I saw his kind once in a book in the the library.. it WAS a Vorta.."

B'Elanna thought about Kes's question. Weyoun made her sound like the engineer they all knew. "I don't know. I think so. It was a male voice. He kept saying he needed help. Strange. I always seemed to hear him whenever I was fatigued or stressed."

Kes "reached" with her sense.. "I still feel a duality in her doctor.. But it's not so strong anymore.."

The EMH looked up in surprise. It wasn't often his assistant used her own latent powers. It was an interesting topic he would later bring up to the captains or even the two Vulcans now running around on board.

B'Elanna, her own self, suddenly felt a dark anger come over her. "Let me go! " she roared. "You can't keep me here!" She desperately began to struggle against the forcefield, her body writhing desperately. She cursed some rare Klingon phrases. Finally, she let out one last, desperate scream. "N-O-O-O!!!" and collapsed into unconsciousness.

The doctor crossed himself and said, "Domine deus estraeu, Patris." he stared wryly at the rest of the crew around him, "Did that strike you as a little ridiculous? Sorry, I'm a doctor not a..spiritual counselor.."

Kes smiled. "No, you're not, now, that would be Janeway's department.. Chakotay just made her into one for his own people."

"Until our fine captain gets here, maybe now Torres'll get the detachment she needs and let the rest of us work on her." then,. "hhmm... I wonder if Captain Janeway's ready to tackle her first case..."

-  
(attachments)

Image : Voyager enveloped by purple light.

*animated gif* Spinning medical tricorder.

Image : Kes, the EMH, and Neelix discuss tricorder readings in sickbay.

Gif: A blue band bar terminating in gold combadges.

*  
From: "Roxy Dee" Subject: Diaper Capers~~~ Date: Fri, 23 Feb 2001 05:18:16 -0000 Harry blinked and rubbed his eyes, peering at the man pouring Quark his drink. He stood all of two feet high with a hat of red felt and a troll's beard.  
"Uhh,.. Quark? Do you see the same....little man I see right now uncorking that mead?"

Quark grinned, "Yeah, so what, Hu-man.. Why don't you go back and look pretty on the bridge or something..I'm im-bib-ing...." he enunciated very clearly on the word while he drizzled the astringent beverage from its musty, spiderwebbed clay jug. The chains on the mead rattled as Quark swallowed. Chink Chink..Chink.. It was hypnotic..

Finally, Harry pulled it away, disgustingly wiping off the ancient cobwebs sticking to his fingers on his pants leg. Quark let out a yeasty belch..

**Glad you like it...** Rumplestiltskin grinned, ignoring the young ensign still fantasy shocked. **And I have a LOT more where that came from friend.. Got the King's daughter for good this time.. See?** He held up Chief O'Brien's tiny daughter Molly by the scruff of the neck where she lay sleeping in a mass of hay at his feet. **This one knows how to spin GOLD..** he winked..

Quark, plastered from the first moment, grinned jerkily.  
"R-Really?.. That's.." his face fanned excitedly.."that's"  
he frowned..ruefully in the next instant."...almost like gold pressed latinum.. How much has she woven?" the Ferengi asked.

Rumplestiltskin crooked a finger out the window of the Defiant's mess hall bar entryway. Half a shuttle sized mass of filaments winked golden in the fire of the common ships running lights.

"Oh, my mother's ears!!" Quark gasped.. "H-How did you get the little tykette to weave so much?" he asked the short little bartender..

Rumplestiltskin shrugged, "I told her her mommy was coming home one day sooner for every bushel she made."

Harry shrieked, "That's cruel! I overheard the chief saying that he had just left his wife's quarters discussing her three month away assignment with her school children. Which began YESTERDAY I might add."

**Exactly.** the troll smirked.**All the more incentive for the stinking child to work for once. Never fails. Just wave a parent's absence or two in front of her.**

Harry drew up an angry sleeve..

**Ah ah ah..** Rumplestiltskin waggled a finger. **My other friends may not like it too well if you resort to fisticuffs.**

"Who?!" Ensign Kim roared.

**Them...** the quirking barkeep angled his hat. Harry saw four sets of gnarly feet ten feet high that he had mistaken for part of the cave like grotto scenery surrounding all the bar stools.::ohmygod, they're giants...:: he quailed.

Molly awoke, "Is mommy home yet?" she asked beguilingly of her troll captor. "My fingers are getting sore.."

**Hush. You've plenty more to do in the morning before you see a hair of your mother, monkey eyes.** Rumpletiltskin threatened.

Molly began to sob, "But I don't want t- too h00000oooo..*sniff*

Harry couldn't stand it and swiped off Rumplestiltskin's cap, making the little man snatch for it using his superior height. **Hey, Earther.. Give that back.. You know I can only act like I am supposed to act here. And your fairy tale SAYS for me to be snivelly. It's my nature.. So give it back or you are no better than I am.**

Kim dropped the stinking hat back onto the counter. The sight of the gnome's warty head was making him nauseated. "Take it.  
Just...Peeeyoowww.. Fah! What a stench."

Quark grunted from his second flask of mead, sniffing. "What?  
Nice aftershave..? Your sniffer has got to be off."

Harry swept up young Molly O'Brien in his arms occupying her away from her tears with a shiny bar drink decoration,  
foil peter pan tinkerbells. "At least, let me get her back home to her father.." he reasoned with the two amazingly troll like visages staring at him. "She needs changing.."

**Eooww.. I forget. Humans aren't litter trained until they reach four or five.** Rumplestiltskin said, rubbing his hands onto his tunic vest. **Take her then.. I can always hold the father over a barrel later, for her, using my giants...**

Harry blinked askance.. "Thankyou.. er,.. I think. That is very considerate of you.." he said uncertainly.  
"But tell me one thing, Rumply."

**That's Rumplestiltskin!!** he shivered in disgust at the mispronunciation. **Get it right Harry..or I'll-**

"..or you'll what,little troll, bury me alive in a hill of ants? I don't think so. You weren't written to act that way.." he said smugly, crossing his arms over his elbows in satisfaction.."You can only bluff terror into your victims."

**Curses.. ** the barkeep snapped. **Quark!**

"What?" the Ferengi answered back,

**I quit!** With that, the tiny troll like man untied his Starfleet apron, and thunked it down onto the counter where clouds of fairytale dust made all of them cough.. When the dust had cleared, Rumplestiltskin was gone.. and so was his child tricked hoard of gold.

With him went the hairy feet, too.

Quark fell off his barstool. "I'm ruined.. again.  
Twice in my life I see the light at the end of the great treasury and each time.. it slips right out of my gr--" he fell off his barstool like a sack of peasant grain, out cold at Harry's feet..

The signs of everything fairy faded away.. all except the Defiant's messhall, foosed up Ferengi, and tiny curious little Molly O'Brien in Ensign Kim's arms.  
The odor of ripe trainers made her all too real.  
Harry sighed.. "Come on, angel. Let's get this worthless dreamer to his quarters." he said nudging Quark with a toe. The move made the blacked out DS9 scammer fart and Molly laughed like tiny glass bells. "Yeah?" Harry said smooching the top of her head, "He's not the only one who smells like that. Let's go.. time for a BATH.."

-----------------------------------------------------------

A half an hour later.. Harry had made it to sickbay with his freshly powdered burden.. He tapped his combadge,  
=^=Ensign Kim to Chief Miles O'Brien. I found her for you if you're still looking.. It seems that our resident Fer--" Harry broke off realizing that paternal ire just might mean the END of Quark if the Chief found out exactly what had transpired with his daughter and the troll from Mile's worst nightmares.

Kes took the little girl into the doctor's office to replicate her a barrel of monkeys to keep her happy.

Kim brushed off the remaining baby powder off his uniform absently..

The EMH was scanning B'Elanna in her surgical restrained bed,  
but he was grinning thoughtfully at the ensign when he noticed what Kim was doing.

"What?" Harry said a little defensively.

"Nothing ensign.." the EMH turned back to his console, "It's ...just that you are going to make a wonderful father someday.  
I've learned that Molly O'Brien is usually quite the handful."

"Don't rush me!" Kim scoffed. "Libby and I hardly got off the going steady stage when I was suddenly whisked away..."  
Kim leaned in, brushing some hair out of Torres's closed eyes, "Speaking of whisked away... how is she doing? I've seen that purple eyed midget in the brig and he looks mean. I wouldn't want him mad at me."

The EMH said, "Easy to curb him. Just find a Founder..."

Harry looked up from the datapadd he was fiddling with,  
"Pardon?"

"Vortas think they're gods.. and that way we can keep clones such as him at bay without any problems..."

Harry squinted in confusion but didn't deign to reply to that.  
::Too many weird things have happened already to worry about anything more.. I just want to get out of here.:: "See ya doc."

Ensign Kim left for the hydroponics bay where the head of the great escape transporter plan of Naomi's was underway.  
Harry entered that room and saw the tiny flaxen hair captain's assistant rush up and into his arms at the sight of him talking a mile a minute about the rose bush and the beacon to be beamed to the surface of Io with it. Harry grinned, smiling at how comfortable he realized he actually was around kids.

He thought. ::Maybe I should have a few some day.:: He held up a hand to the air around him. "Don't rush me..!" he said to the Nexus blanketing the common ship. "I know you can't do anything at all unless it is my or somebody else's idea and believe me.. I am not going to tell a single soul about THAT passing thought."

Then, just as suddenly, Tom Paris was there, helping him sift through data getting ready for the trial rose bush beaming.  
Harry found himself face to face with his old roommate.  
In his hands, was a tiny knitted baby sweater in powder pink.  
::Oh no!!:: Harry gasped, warding off the ghastly sight.  
Deep down he knew he had to give in to his best bud in the end.  
For unlike the shadowed Harry Kim, Tom Paris was entirely.....100 % real.  
"Tom,.. now, I'm WARNING you.... I know where your favorite socket wrench is...." he trickled.

-  
(attachments)

Image : Rumplestiltskin from DS9's If Wishes Were Horses..

Image : Tom Paris stern.

Image : Keiko O'Brien looking lost.

Image : Odo in a frame.

Gif: The official Paramount Logo

Gif: Creation Entertainment logo in silver.

************************************************************

From: "Clairissa Fox" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] We sent the message to home. Date: Fri, 23 Feb 2001 19:40:23 -0000

I was all set. Chakoty had told me to do it.  
My rose bush was ready for the beam to Eoh. It just had to work! Now, more of my friends were here. Barklay and Lore and Harry and Tom all helped.

I turned on the communicatr pin with Lores message for the other Voyager. It said Tuvok safly landed. Paris alive. The way home is unclear. Please assest. And it had a record of everything we did so far inside the ribbon so they would know. The real Auntie Kathy wouldnt like us being here as shadow crew and would try to get to us to make things all bettr.

I had heard about Belanna. Is she ok Harry? I heard her talk on the computr to get help. What was wrong?  
I saw the lights go dim.

Bootby answerd me.

"Hello, Naomi. I see your work on your experiment has been authorized by a first officer and that you are set to go. To answer your inquiry, a reincarnated clone of a species called Vorta has taken over B'Elanna's personality seat. She is being treated in sickbay and is sleeping. This Weyoun himself is in the brig but his mind still has control over Voyager's engineer in a way we do not understand yet. He claims to have created this Nexus and he claims to have brought Lon Suder back from the dead. Weyoun made Tuvok feel deep shame by fooling him into thinking that he brought Suder back when it simply wasn't true." the consult addressed the tiny girl by the transporter pad.

Oh. That is bad. Why did Weyoun do this? All we want to do is get out of here and be ourselves again. I am glad the docter is trying to help my friend. If I can do anything.  
Let me know and I will.

The image on the screen smiled, "You will be the first to know. We are still waiting for all the common ships' captains to address these issues. So far, they are not reacting to the situations at hand."

Auntie Kathy and Captin Sisko and Captin Picard are not doing what they have to? Why? The rest of us are trying to solve the problem.

"Who can say.." the wizened computer program said. "I am keeping the joined ship safe and there will be no more surprises like Weyoun's transfer into the Nexus using the crew's engine core emissions and mental realms. I've rounded up off duty crew to keep thinking about such protection for us while we work to free B'Elanna. I will see if Chakotay will take over head of the commonship until the other captains return. It may be that the others are ensnared in their own imagined affairs and cannot fulfill their Starfleet duties right now."

That isnt right Bootby! The Nexus is good if you make it be.  
Why arent they trying to help the ship? I know the dreams are strong and make one not work so I am keeping at it.  
I want to get out. So lets do this now. Lets send the rosebush to the outside on Eoh.

"All right. I am getting a go ahead from engineering, Naomi.  
That earlier funny business with the color changing core tap portal has now been cleared up. Let try the beam out now."

I ran over to the big computr screen by Bootby and pulld a levr. The roses went away and so did my messege pin!  
I wonderd if they got outside of the ribbon?  
Bootby! Bootby! Did it work? I know its hard getting out through it there to space.

"I believe it did Naomi.. There is an imprint of the rosebush on the moon's soil just before natural laws remerged its shadow essence back into its real form. I am showing it in Hydroponics on the real Voyager in the Delta Quadrant. The meniscus of the Nexus is carrying your signalling combadge well to her bridge. We should know soon enough if the real crew learns to bounce their reply back to us off Io in the Alpha Quadrant."

I hope so Bootby. I want to be back the way I was. I dont like being a shadow anymore even if it means I wont be near earth anymore. I lookd and Harry and Lore and Barklay and Tom and they all listned to the air for the computr to send back an answr.

Then we heard one and Barklay told us what it was.

-  
(attachment)

Image : Naomi close up.

************************************************************

From: "Nick Lewis" .uk Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Mind Games Date: Fri, 23 Feb 2001 22:17:25 -0000

Tom wakes up in his quarters... but is this his real quarters or nexus dreamscape quarters. He tries to remember what happened earlier, but can't.  
These memory losses are fast becoming a common occurance. And this deja-vu is driving him crazy....... what if he is.

"Arrgghh" he groans through gritted teeth. He feels he's on a cosmic merry-go-round, being pushed around faster and faster. What does the universe want with him?

Then, just as suddenly, Tom Paris was there, helping him sift through data getting ready for the trial rose bush beaming.  
Harry found himself face to face with his old roommate.  
In his hands, was a tiny knitted baby sweater in powder pink.  
::Oh no!!:: Harry gasped, warding off the ghastly sight.  
Deep down he knew he had to give in to his best bud in the end. For unlike the shadowed Harry Kim, Tom Paris was entirely.....100 % real. "Tom,.. now, I'm WARNING you.... I know where your favorite socket wrench is...." he trickled.

Tom drops the sweater as if it has the plague. "Er..... sure thing Harry"  
he says warily. He looks at his surroundings, now very confused. How did he get here? His breathing becomes shallow. *Okay Tom, calm down* he tells himself. He's far from calm though. On impulse, he feels for his commbadge and activates it. "Paris to the Doctor. I'm having... problems."

He can feel Harry staring at him. He probably doesn't know what the hell's going on. *He doesn't know what's going on?* his mind mutters to itself.  
He shoots a semi-panicked glance at his friend, then collapses to his knees as a spike of pain lances through his head. Blackness soon claims him.

OOC: Ok, the following is a tandem between myself and Samantha Paris (Seska) via MSN. I had to rerig the beginning a bit though and tag the above on for it to fit in with the last couple of posts. Hope it works.

Also I've been assuming thus far that when a character dreams themselves elsewhere, they disappear into their own personal nexus dreamscape. That's how I've been writing it anyway. Just thought I'd say just in case - the last "Boothby Report" had Tom's location as still being on the bridge.

BIC === Tom wakes up and stares at a ceiling for what feels like the millionth time now. *Not again!*

"You're awake" comes the familiar voice of the Doctor. "How do you feel?"

Tom is ready to say 'lousy', but to his surprise he doesn't feel too bad at all. He sits up, experimentally. Nothing, his head feels fine. "Wow,  
whatever you did Doc, it did the trick."

The Doctor looks seriously at Tom. "It's not going to last forever though,  
Ensign. When you said over the comm that you had problems, you weren't kidding."

*Don't say that* Tom thinks. "What's wrong with me?" he asks slowly.

The Doctor motions him over to a console. "That's your usual brain pattern on the bottom, Mr Paris." The Doc presses a pad. "And this is the one I took thirty minutes ago."

Tom pales. He hasn't been the Doc's part-time assistant for the last few years without picking things up here and there. "That isn't supposed to look like that, is it!"

"Very observant. You've got a second brain pattern, Mr Paris. I very nearly didn't spot it, it's almost the same as your own, but it's definitely a seperate signature. I've seen this several times over the years, the most significant time when an incorporeal alien was invading Captain Janeway's mind, manifesting itself as her father."

Tom nods. "I remember." He turns to look at the Doc. "Is this the cause of my memory losses?"

"I believe so" the Doctor replies. "There's several instances where the invading pattern manages to temporarily suppress your own. This is.  
different though."

"Different? How?" Tom looks concerned. "You can get whatever this is out of me, right?"

The Doctor looks uncomfortable. "I tried various ways of coaxing it out,  
all of which have been successful in the past, but this pattern, whoever it is, is proving the most stubborn I've ever seen. If I didn't know better,  
I'd say it was you."

"Not funny Doc."

The Doctor's face twitches. "Sorry!"

Tom is a little surprised. It's rare that he gets an apology out of the Doctor.

"I've suppressed the pattern using a synaptic sedative" he continues, "but I'm afraid the invading pattern is going to resurface eventually."

"What happens then?" Tom asks, not even sure he wants to know.

"To be honest, I don't know" the Doctor admits.

******************

Meanwhile...

Seska glares up at the small security detail bearing down on her. Their phasers are set and aimed at her. One thing is off though, their uniforms are nothing like those on Voyager. They're from a different ship. Without a word, one of the officers grabs her arm and pulls her to her feet. Soon the small group is walking down the corridor to what Seska knows has to be the brig.

As they round a corner, she slams herself into the officer behind her,  
grabbing the tip of his phaser rifle and sending the butt into his stomach.  
The man doubles over in pain. Seska taking the advantage, topples him over and into the rest with a swift kick to the shoulder. "Thanks for the escort, but I think I can find my own way from here."

With that she takes off down a seemingly familiar corridor. Taking a sharp turn, Seska notices another group of officers clad in security uniforms heading her way. Thinking quick, she ducks into the nearest room.

******************

An agitated Tom breaks off his 'discussion' with the Doc and glances at the new arrival as she comes in. "You?" He groans. "Great! As if there aren't enough maniacs on the ship already, someone has to dream Seska up."

The Doctor is also mildly surprised to understate the expression crossing his holographic face. "Seska... what do you want?" he asks suspiciously.

"Nice to see you too, Paris" comes Seska's quick witted response. Looking at the hologram a sly grin crosses her face. "It seems that I'm being followed by a security detail. It's like they've never seen a Bajoran on a starship before."

"Maybe they haven't" the Doctor says. He wonders if Seska knows she's just a shadow created by the imaginations of one of the Voyager crew.

A flash of suspicion comes across Seska's face. She turns to Tom, who is standing by one of the biobeds. "What does he mean by that?"

"Oh haven't you heard?" Tom feigns surprise. You're on a Federation megaship. Five starships melded into one, it's pretty awesome, the size of a small city." He puts on a fake smile. "Impressed yet? Y'know the security team for a ship this size is pretty large. Once they get mobilised you'll have nowhere to hide. So whatever you're planning to do, I guess you're going to be disappointed."

"Megaship? Really, I think Janeway can do better than that. Besides, what makes you think I'm planning something?" Seska motions to the yellow and black engineering tunic she is wearing. "We're all one big happy family now, Maquis and Starfleet." The disgust is evident in her voice.

"You're always planning something Seska. That's how you died in fact. A kazon raid on the ship... unsuccessful of course. Don't you remember?"

"I remember nothing" Seska stammers out quickly. This entire situation is making her uneasy, but Seska isn't about to let a low-life human and sarcastic hologram know it. There's a small pause following her statement,  
then she asks a question that has started to let her curiosity get the best of her. "The Kazon?"

"You don't remember the Kazon?" the Doctor asks. If she doesn't remember the Kazon, she shouldn't know that we know she's Cardassian. Intriguing!

Seska gives the hologram a puzzling look. "No, I don't know any Kazon. All I remember is containing a core breach in main engineering after we entered some anomoly, then being on the floor with a group of Starfleet lowlives standing above me. I've never even heard of the Kazon."

"Hmm" the Doctor says. "May I examine you? It seems like you have some memory loss. It may be related to a case I'm working on right now."

"Doc?" Tom asks, furrowing his brow.

"I'm still a medical practicioner, Mr Paris. I see something wrong, I attempt to cure it, friend or foe."

"There's nothing wrong with me" Seska protests. "I've just had a long day and you two aren't making it any better." She backs away just a little bit as the hologram pulls out his medical tricorder.

"I assure you there's no need for alarm" the Doctor says a little indignantly. "I am programmed to cause no harm."

"Unless he's singing" Tom quips.

"You're a Starfleet hologram" Seska says.

The Doctor casts a long suffering look to Tom, then returns his attention to Seska. "Yes, I'm a Starfleet hologram."

"Which gives me all reason not to trust you." Seska says this while looking at Tom, who seems satisfied with that little remark.

"Haven't you learned by now, Doc? Cardassians don't trust anyone." Tom starts walking, circling Seska. "Do you!" He positions himself in front of the door. "What do you remember?"

"Cardassian?" Seska almost laughs. "Do I look like a Cardassian to you?"  
She follows the pilot around the room with her eyes. "I told you what I remember. I contained a warp-core breach, then I must have blacked out when I got back to my console."

Tom starts to laugh. "You really are a sorry case aren't you Seska. We know you're a spy for the Obsidian Order. We found that out years ago.  
Seems like your memory is out-of-date." *Like mine* he muses, remembering his own losses. He looks lost for a moment, then collects himself again.  
"Alright, assume I'm wrong and you're right. Why are you running from security?"

"If you found yourself on an unfamiliar ship with security hovering over you, you wouldn't want to stay around for very long either." Seska sets a steely stare on the officer as the Doctor slowly steps up behind her un-noticed.

"Unfamiliar. And here I was thinking that Voyager was so dear to your heart, the amount of times you tried taking her from us." He knows what the Doctor is doing now and keeps Seska occupied long enough for him to come up behind her and press a hypospray to her neck.

"You nearly unravelled my little ruse, Mr Paris. Please try to be more alert next time" the Doctor says as Seska slumps to the floor. Tom gives the Doc a dirty look.

*  
From: "robert catrair" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] blast from the past Date: Sun, 25 Feb 2001 18:11:04 -0000

As worf was working out and starting to get tired he relies that it was time to learn of all the problems that voyager has been threw in the past.  
As he wipe himself down with a owl in the gym. Worf was thinking about the past of voyager and a data pad appeared out of no were.:: I will never get use of that:: Worf was thinking. He put down the towel and pick up the data pad and started to read the information on it. the borg,Species 8752,  
all of the fighting and being taken over of the different species from the delta quadrant. That had to be h#ll to live on this ship he thought. All of the fighting and the treaties they had made.  
taken foe and making them there friends or allies. This was no ordinary crew.  
As Worf was walking to his quarters to shower and change back into Starfleet uniform he continue to read of the history of the ship called voyager. As the hours roll buy and he finish the history on this data pad he could not help but shake his head and think I thought i went threw some bad days.  
Then is just hit him the last time he try to get information on the ship and the crew on voyager ,there was none. how did i get this information and how real is it? who put this info in to play and who point of view is it? then he was hearing laughing that echo in the hallway by his quarters.  
As he put on his uniform and left to go to the command deck he hear the same laughter again. what is happening to me? Why me?  
as he inter the bridge the young ensign and the young Klingon was gone he went to the security console and began to started to secure the ship with shields and phazers at the ready, look at the sensors reports to look for any attacks are not happing then he went to looking into the combine ships quarters by quarters and deck by deck. looking for any aliens that might be invisable or trying to run any experimenting on the combine crews.  
All came back normal. Worf is stund from this reading.

****************************************************************

END WEEK SEVEN RECAP 02-27-01 {)

WEEK EIGHT RECAP 2-28-01 {}

From: "Cory Anda" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] The paddle ball-  
Date: Tue, 27 Feb 2001 00:13:00 -0000

Chakotay could see an old style starship captain mirroring his posture wearing the same expression through the glass bulkhead of his cabin. ::Is that Jean Luc Picard?:: he wondered.

Both men looked up from their playing and their eyes met through the window.

Chakotay heard a howl and suddenly, Matseyeho was at his side, his brindle coated spirit guide from the forest. ##Speak with this man, Chakotay. For I am the one who has brought you together..## she said.

Chakotay went to the window and touched the glass but the bald captain's image faded away in a few seconds. He turned to the spirit guide wolf next to him.  
##The moment is lost. I do not know why Captain Picard did not come to you. Perhaps he will come in another manner later,  
running one.## she panted apologetically to her soulmate.

Chakotay nodded and set the slender ironwood flute on the bed.  
He saw the red alert bar go off above his head.  
::What?:: He tapped his combadge. "Computer. Explain reason for red alert that just terminated."

#An unauthorized temporal anamoly was detected in engineering resulting in another real mass entity to transfer on board.#

"Identify new life form." he snapped. ::Where's Kathryn? She should be on top of things.::

#Entity has identified himself as Weyoun, Species Vorta..#

Chakotay threw on a phaser and left his old quarters on the Liberty,  
moving to the common bridge. He learned more while he ran, Matseyeho pacing stride for stride at his side. "Ship's status and crew injury report." he ordered the computer matrix.

# is in sickbay exhibiting schitzophrenia of an unknown nature.  
Vocal recordings support she is mentally linked with Weyoun. Ambassador Spock and Tuvok are both exhibiting higher than normal emotional stress indicated by atypical vital signs. Cause : Unknown.  
Experimental transport Beta One is now complete..#

::Wonderful. I wonder who's still normal around here.:: He thought.

He paced to sickbay where it seemed that things were coming to a head. The report he'd pulled up from the bridge had showed the four beds were occupied with patients newly under the doctor's care: Tom Paris, B'Elanna with mental aberrations and Seska and Weyoun on sedative watch under guard.

He moved to the bed where B'Elanna was and got a nod from the EMH that she was fine for the moment. Tom was leaning on his elbows on his back. Chakotay noticed that he had a brain scan ongoing. "Tom." he nodded in greeting.  
He turned to the EMH for a report.

The holodoc handed him a pad. "Exciting day in sickbay for a Monday.." he said drolly. "Mr. Paris here suffered a syncopal episode and I found this.."

Chakotay toggled a pad on the bed.. "It...looks like a brainwave pattern.." he shrugged. "Usually happens when someone is alive.." he joked.

"Yes. But his having one isn't the issue, commander. Paris doesn't only have a brain wave pattern, he has two brain wave patterns... from the same man."

Chakotay frowned. "I'm afraid I don't understand."

"Neither do we.." Tom and the doc said at the same time.  
They glared at each other in tension and immediately dismissed it.

"Theories, doctor.." Chakotay ordered. "I can't work with answers like that."

The first officer turned to Tom. "Mr. Paris.. I noticed on the bridge earlier that you were feeling the effects of too much "freetime" just before we got into this mess.  
Could what happened to you then and this now, be related?"

Tom shook his head and seemed to want to say more but the EMH spoke first. "Commander, these two patterns are the SAME one... slightly out of phase.. Look here.."  
He grabbed one of Tom's hands and held it out. "That is an electrical burn.. Mr. Paris was sent here directly without being duplicated into a separate shadow and then bouncing off again. He related to me that his console exploded right when the real Voyager touched the Nexus outer membrane.  
He is the real Tom Paris from the real Voyager. And.  
it's looking more and more like his shadow and real self.  
are in the same body.."

Chakotay "But he's occupying the same space right now.."

"To all appearances, that's true. Only his shadow self is two years behind in history than his real self and the two personas are in conflict with each other... Mr. Paris does not know which he is at any given moment.. Sliding freely between memories times at random intervals.."

The first officer shifted on his feet. "So what can you do about this....effect? It would seem that either persona would be equally dominant inside of him."

"Oddly enough, the shadow self is the stronger as its essence is manifesting inside its home matrix, the Nexus."

"Makes sense.." Chakotay shrugged. He studied Tom who seemed to be focused now and not the wavering one the EMH had spoken of. "You seem oriented, Tom. How are you feeling?"

The EMH added more, "I've taken the liberty of inducing a synaptic suppression regime to allow Tom's real self persona to come to the foreground since it is that physical body that seems to be here. I know this because he has normal human mass whereas none of us here do at all. His memories will no longer shift between times over that two year gap of his as long as he takes his medication."  
The holodoc handed Mr. Paris a hypospray.."You're fit for duty.. but keep that cortical monitor on at all times and inject yourself with the suppressant at two hours intervals. No reoccurance of memory lapse will come. That crisis is over for now. I'll work on a theory to separate shadow and real bodies from you next.."

Chakotay was happy with the EMH's course of action.  
"Tom. Come with me? I'm on my way to the hydroponics bay. Phase One of the transporter test is done. A rosebush fitted with a combadge altered molecularly has just been sent to your ship. Barclay's gotten a response.. I'd love your feedback.. Anything you can tell me about what happened on Voyager after she moved away from the ribbon, leaving us all here. I know about Tuvok's away mission. He's here right now on the bridge. How about it?"

Chakotay waited for Tom to reply.

-------------------------------------------------------------

"This is fascinating!" Barclay said. "The readings we are getting from the shadow combadge inside of the rosebush are coming through.. I show that it indeed got through the barrier to the ground on Io. And then its transponder signal was picked up by the real Voyager orbitting from her place in the Delta Quadrant. It seems the real Captain Janeway bounced a transporter beam along the ribbon to pick it up. Smart woman.. She's onto the extended range theory. Now I am showing simple images.. of numbers?  
Something the real Voyager's bridge comm is putting through to us through Naomi's combadge pin."

He looked ceiling ward, =^=Computer. Where is Captain Janeway?=^=

#Captain Janeway is on the bridge#  
#Captain Janeway is in corridor B-2#

He smiled,..."Ah,, you see?" he said delightedly to all. "The first one is ours, her shadow, on the bridge.  
The delayed response is showing where the real Janeway is right now on the real Voyager, outside.  
These numbers are a link to points of position of like bodies and things congruently.. Hmm.. I wonder what we can do with this information?"

Reginald frowned, turning to Harry who had just arrived from sickbay. "Tom's being seen to now. " Kim said. He noticed Barclay expression and asked, "What?"

"I don't know.. You tell me, ensign.." Barclay said,  
challenging him. "Tell me..what do you make of this...?"  
and he swung the computer screen around showing the stream of numbers arriving from the real Voyager outside the Nexus.

-  
(attachments)  
Image : Chakotay and the EMH talking.

Image : The EMH on a vid screen and Chakotay talking to him.

*  
From: "Roxy Dee" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Sense of the Ridiculous~~ Date: Tue, 27 Feb 2001 00:37:05 -0000

"I don't know.. You tell me, ensign.." Barclay said,  
challenging him. "Tell me..what do you make of this...?" and he swung the computer screen around showing the stream of numbers arriving from the real Voyager outside the Nexus.

He glanced nervously at Lore who was staring at the screen so intently that he did not appear to move or blink. He reached around Lore and pointed.

"That row of forty seven zeroes followed by a one... is Tom."  
he said simply.. At Barclay's look of surprise, he added,  
"Oh,.. I overheard part of what you guys were saying as I walked in here. Positional variables, all of these columns. It would assume the smaller the number the closer the shadow and real objects are to each other.  
Tom is also in....Tom's .. body." he shrugged.

Boothby snicked into view.."How do you know that?"

"The doc just told Chakotay about it while I was nearby. He's.. the same man only with memories two years apart.."

The wizened caretaker smiled.. "We might be able to use this, lieutenants, ah, and ensign." he said to everyone in the room. "If Mr. Paris is close enough merged with his selves. He might be able to be beamed to the outside, and back home."

Harry shrugged, "What good would that do? Tuvok came here and look what happened to him. Poof.  
Ensign Suder. If Tom's going to be a messenger,  
why doesn't he try to bring back some kind of communicator,, I don't know.. maybe even through Barclay's Argus array so we can talk with the outside in a com link.. "

Boothby grinned.."And..if you have a commlink..."

He and Harry said simultaneously.."You can have a transporter lock..."

Both men snaked around Lore's field of view,  
heads together so that the android could no longer see the screen. They ignored his tapping of their shoulders in an attention getting gesture.

Harry blurted out.."Maybe we can use our shadow anchor point with the commonship here to be a mooring pin for the real Voyager's tractor beam to lock onto.. If she uses the extending effect of the Nexus margin ghosting well enough, she can drag herself here, to us shadows in the Alpha Quadrant. We'd all merge together then and become the authentic ship and crew.. One step closer to home.."

Boothby sighed, "Yeah, but what about the other vessels and people here with us making up the commonship? They'd still be shadows.. We may not be able to interact with them.."

Harry smiled, "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Maybe we'll become like Tom then.. both shadow and real in the same place, holding together long enough for us to do this same process of beaming beacons,  
tractoring and tethering captures for the other ships with THEIR real counterparts.. Eventually, we'd all be properly phased as we should be..and can use the power of the Nexus to separate our hulls back to normal configurations later when we're ready."

Boothby frowned.."Nice and neat, ensign. But how would our properly phased ships escape the Nexus boundary afterwards?"

Harry's forehead furrowed, "I don't know.. I haven't figured that part out yet..

-------------------------------------------------------------

Quark awoke with a horrible hangover..

He assumed someone had dragged him to his Defiant quarters from the bar after he had passed out. And they hadn't done it gently.. he had bruises on his shoulders and back from where his mercy benefactor had gripped him to do the deed.

::oww..:: He even had bruises on his ears..::The worst kind.::

"Did you ever consider that it might have been the fall off the bar stool that injured your privates?" an elfian voice interjected.

The startled Ferengi jolted out of his bunk and fell on the floor again.. He saw a bare of two miniscule boots with shiny pure gold buckles on them and then a pudgy hand extend itself down to him, "Here.." Rumplestiltskin said again.  
"Let me help you up friend."

Quark slowly took the hand grasp and was surprised that he was powerfully hauled up onto his feet. He wavered a bit before he recaught his balance. "Nice buckles.." he said.. then.. "I thought you quit?"

"I did. From the bar job. I used the time to turn in Molly's spun gold to the Lephrechaun Bank.. I withdrew these..." he said pointing down again to his boot buckles."

Quark's greed bubbled instantly.."Can I have a closer look here...?" He said reaching out..

SLAP! Rumplestiltskin knocked Quark's hand away. "Don't think I don't know yer thieving ways, ex-boss of mine.  
I know the powers of mis sight and sleight of hand all your people have.. You created me, remember?"

Quark straightened up indignantly.."I am NOT a cheap penny pickpocket..!"

"No, just a swindling dabo dealer instead.." the troll chuckled..

"I-" Quark broke off, "You've got a point there. But here's another point.. Why are you bothering me?" He flopped back down on his bunk again arm over his domed forehead, "Can't you see I'm a sick man.  
You're the one who kept pouring me that mead one jug after the other.."

"Only because you ordered me to, baldy..The conditions of the pact then made it impossible for me to refuse any of your wishes." he answered back.

"hehe heh heh heh. Yeah. I was good. " Quark preened.  
"So how did you get the power to be able to quit the bar?"

"I snuck in a stipulation at our signing that said I could quit if ever you became the technical definition of an ss."

"Oh."

Rumplestiltskin tilted his head, going nose to nose with Quark's face. "I've a message for you.  
So get it straight or you'll never see another piece of real latinum ever again...."

Quark's eyes got real big and the fear of poverty gushed out of his eyes and voice in a high pitched whimper.  
"All right...AAAAAAllllright, I'll lis-isten.. I promise I won't forget.."

"Good. Now here it is.." the little man adopted a pose of a soothsayer and let forth his message.  
"Listen carefully...."

"I am! I am!"

"The Higgghhhherrrrr, the feewweeeeerrrrrrr." and his deep rolling laughter filled the cabin and the elf disappeared like a popped soap bubble.

::I knew it.:: Quark blustered..::It's that Worf kid and Mrs. Troi's sense of humor working again.:: he thought darkly. ::I wouldn't doubt they're both laughing at me from their shared mudbath right now....::

-  
(attachments)

Image : Harry and Janeway in her ready room.

Gif : Paramount logo in blue.

*  
From: "Lil Sister" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] The bad go together Date: Tue, 27 Feb 2001 00:42:49 -0000

Lore has all his mindings on the screen. The numbers there are trueness. It was from Voyager of origin. He think hard there and they made speakings to him the other ones did not see. "Yes. Harry Kim. The mostly zeros are Tom and Tom. We must find all things and their numbers to. We need a mappings, no? To pull the real ship to us closely right."

He turn to the Barclay man. "I can help but I see I am giving fear to you here. I see the yellow light bar.  
The guards of Chief O'Brien come for me now." he said and stood away from the numbers. "I wait to do what he wants. But I tell you this one thing. I can read this numbers with mine robot eye and mind faster and so we solve the joining faster. If you do not have me map with you. It may not come. The ribbon grows and soon the Earth will be taken by the Place of Angels. The harm to all space and time will be to greating to make betters than. We will be lost."

Lore saw that Harry and Barclay did not hears him.  
They were talking fast about the pulling together.  
So he stood away from the two planning men and went out of the room. "I go to O'Brien and his guards.  
Come to me if you want me to do this thing."  
And he left from there.

He saw another guards. It was Worf looking for bad peoples. Lore put up his hands in the surrendering move. "I am Lore. Your chief is seeing for me for he thinks I am evil and do harm here. "

He stood there not walking and the men come.  
One fires a gun then.

Lore felt a wounding in his middle chest that hurt but he did not fall. He could not as a mechanical man. But the good chip inside his head felt the lightning and turn off quickly.

Lore became good no more. He fight them.  
Worf came at him with anger and they share hand battlings. "NO! I must find my brother and kill him again. Tell me where you are hidings him." Lore say.

Then he throw Worf to a wall and that stop him then for a time.

Lore went to the one who was calling him. He hear the Torres woman with this one now in his harmed head.  
"I come Weyoun as you call me." he say.

Lore came to the brig place and took the wall machine down. Weyoun have smile and the fire door fall. "I have you freed purple man. What are your orders? The angry Worf and Chief come soon to here."

The shaped man took Lore by the shoulder and he and Lore take off the badgs so no could follow.

Then he find the cell of Seska where she lay.  
He and Lore get her free. Lore smile at her when she wake. "We are all here now. We must do as we plan, yes?" He see Weyoun and Seska know each other from before ago.  
What do the three of us do now?"

Then they all hide on the ship. Lore made a mind to do what she do for now on.

************************************************************

From: "Clairissa Fox" Subject: Time to work not sleep!  
Date: Thu, 01 Mar 2001 20:45:35 -0000

I was excited. I had reached the real ship! My rosebush had gotten there ok. I saw Barklay and Chakoty talk about the numbers Auntie Kathy was giving us with the computer on her ship. I didnt know what they mean at all.

I just waited to see if I could understand what they all were talking about. Tom was in his own self? How could that be? So I listend more. He was hurt in a computer table blowup. And that brout him here.

Then Bootby came and talked to Harry and they found a way for us to all get better like we were before. The ships would jumprope back inside each other. Then we would be home!

I was so excited I went to sickbay to tell Belanna the news. I got there but she was sick!

I saw the hollow doctor there looking at her head.

Doctor! Doctor! Why is my friend sick? She was ok an hour ago. Can I help you with her? I see Kes and Nelix are doing thoes scans. Let me. I want to do something for her.

"Well, well, well, Miss Naomi Wildman. You've been quite the successful transporter theoretician now haven't you? All right.. Here's a medical tricorder. I am about to awaken B'Elanna from her sedation. When she is just to open her eyes, I want you to put this cortical monitor on the base of her neck. Can you do that for me?" the emergency medical doctor hologram said to the little child.

I know I can! I got set to put the mood fixer on my friends neck. Kes gave her the wakeup shot. I saw the lights go on in my scannr and then I put it on befor she woke up. I smiled at Belanna and held her hand.

Belanna! Belanna! The doctors have made your head not hear that voice anymore with this thing on your neck. I put it there. He wants to talk to you. Can you wake up now?

I waited for my friend and soon she was! She was sleepy but I knew the medicin would make her not that way soon.

I told her. Belanna, the transportr workd! My rosebush and the message pin got throuh to the other ship! Auntie Ka I mean Captian Janeway is sending us numbers to make a map of how our ships have to come together once they pull back here near Eo. Harry has an idea to tractr ray our Voyager to the shadow one so we dont have to be lost anymore. Want to come with me to talk to Chakoty and Barklay and Bootby? I am sure the hollow doctor can watch you with that on.

I took her hand and waited. Kes nodded once she saw the hollow doctor nod at my friend that she could go.

Dont worry I will watch her so you can use that neck voice blocker to keep Belanna bettr. Right now we need to get things ready for Auntie Kathy whos here now for things.

Thankyou for taking care of her Kes and Nelix. I can help now so you can do your other jobs. Hey, where is that robot? Lore? When I was here, I heard a gun nois and then Worf lookd really mad and he was chasing somebody in the hallway. The other enginer was there to with him. His name is cheif Obrian isnt it? Anyway Lore didnt look right. He was mad. I hope he didnt turn mean.

Lets go. Lets go Belanna. We need to see how to bring all the ships togethr so we are home again.

-  
(attachment)

Close up of Naomi looking urgent.

***********************************************************

From: "patti keiper" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Five High Noon... at the Warpcore.  
Date: Fri, 02 Mar 2001 06:50:11 -0000

TANDEM Post via e-mail exchange trading with 'Myron Ojala' and 'Cassidy Meyers'  
and one phone call..

Characters Involved are : Lon Suder, Tuvok,  
Jadzia Dovin-Kah, Garak and Weyoun

Hinted to : Lore, Seska..

Suder stayed in Engineering, quietly watching everyone involved with the tenuous data stream of coordinates coming from the real Voyager outside the ribbon. He was fascinated with the streams of numbers rippling past so fast that the eye could not discern a pattern. He stayed in shadow, making his way to Tuvok. The Vulcan had moved to engineering to accomplish a greater survey of the "map" that was needed to be sure Voyager aligned properly with the commonship once she brought her tractor beam to bear. He was using a tricorder to pluck out like sequences and frozen fixed figures,  
they meant that a galactic center positioning point had been solved. The easiest equation to discern had been that of Tom Paris. His real and shadow selves were already so near each other that the number sequences aligning his two "counterparts"  
made for a good base to draw upon.

Tuvok sighed, his ears picked up the faint rustle of a stealthy boot on carpeting. "Mr. Suder, I can hear your presence. If you are curious as to proceedings, why don't you come closer to my computer screen?"

Lon didn't move. He just chuckled quietly, "You think you know me. Well, I think you don't. Weyoun said himself it was he used your unbalanced thoughts here to bring me back into existence."  
Suder started clapping slowly, with menace, "I commend you..for being fallible like I was and not seeing through Weyoun's machinations. Even now, I feel the Vorta's thoughts... I'd be concerned if I were you...." he said swinging around a pillar to lean near the working Vulcan's ear.

"Our brig facilities are quite sound, Mr. Suder. You yourself have spent long periods of time in that space. Escape is quite difficult.." Tuvok said, not looking up. "I'm sure Weyoun is getting sound surveillance from his bunkside."

Lon put a smile in his tone, without blinking, "I am glad you are so confident, Mr. Tuvok.. Because the sense I am getting now from that man is excitement.. But that is something that you wouldn't understand... I think your blood is too green...."

While Lon talked, Tuvok stopped his calculating and froze,  
considering Lon's odd statement. "Why don't you state your suspicions directly?" he asked, "It might make our conversation more effective.."

Suder laughed, flipping a console stool around and sitting on it backwards.. "All right.. I sense there's been a physical fight between your Klingon and the android.  
The Klingon is feeling mad right now, so that means.. he lost.." Lon nodded slowly. He regarded Tuvok's listening face carefully with subtle amusement.. "A few minutes ago, I began to sense blinding rage and loathing bubble out from one of the crew..that wasn't there before.."

Tuvok cocked an eyebrow.."The logical answer is that those emotions you picked up on were from the captured Weyoun from the brig. He is not pleased with being thwarted in his plans."

"Well,.. I know you're wrong." Lon said slowly mild, staring over Tuvok's shoulder.. "For you see.. that rage was from the android.. right there."

Tuvok whirled, hitting his combadge in sudden action, but it was far too late.. A white hand snaked out and hit him on the back of the neck, knocking him out.. The Vulcan fell to the deck near his chair.

"Excellent, Lore.. Did you bring the others?" Lon asked.

Lore looked up from Tuvok whom he has just hit and nodded,  
pointing towards the main engineering door.

Weyoun and Seska stepped through them, armed to the hilt.  
::Phaser rifles.. What a violent tool choice..::Suder thought stimulated. He was in a beginning fugue of his "hunger."  
"The fight in the hallway with Worf and Lore only whetted my craving for more violence.. Are you two going to provide me more?" Suder asked of the Bajoran appearing woman and Weyoun.

"Make it three.." a new voice said from another dark corner.  
It was Garak. "I'm sorry my friends for staying in seclusion but I had to be sure of my true...allies.. I am here to help."  
The Cardassian held up his own secured phaser rifle to the ceiling, checking to make sure the evacuated engineering bay was just still that. "My my my.. Weyoun...I do believe this warp core transit technique of yours needs a little tweeking.. My skin's tingling.. That is usually when there is radiation leakage in the Gamma band."

Weyoun smiled silkly and tilted his toad like lilac eyes,  
"There was.. a short time ago. That Ocampan girl has cleared out the bit of contamination I brought arriving here. If you are feeling anything now, it's because you are intersecting the transit point I used to arrive here.. I'd move. You have ten seconds before you're pulled into the lab where I started from. I don't think the Jem'Hadar there will like you very much..."

Garak shot forward five meters until his skin cried clear.  
"Not a way to win friends and influence people.. but.  
I appreciate the warning..." he said once he knew all of him was still on board. "So, your little portal's still here by the core. Interesting. Are you and your little companions going to be leaving soon?"  
He waved a hand to the spot where his skin had crawled.

"Not just yet, my fine Cardassian spy. We need to learn more about how Voyager's getting her information through to the shadow ship here. My Nexus should be inviolate.  
with the outside and the inside staying absolutely apart.  
But now there's this numbers stream from Voyager in the Delta Quadrant coming to the ship's sensors..."  
Weyoun said, leaning in a head, like a wilting flower. He touched a few keys to isolate one number stream.. "Now this line, we must not let the others discover.. It is the keystone algorithm that drives the portal in from the outside. It is also,  
the variable needed to degrade the Nexus completely into nonexistence.."  
The Vorta picked up the unconscious Vulcan's hand and tapped a few keys using his limp fingers.. The incriminating row receded back into the chaos that was before Tuvok had unravelled it.

"Move away from him....NOW!!" Jadzia ordered.. She stood in the doorway with a security team of her own, under cover, behind a console and they, behind partly sealed bulkheads.  
"Nice to see you again, Weyoun.. I figured you'd be behind all of this Nexus ribbon expansion. Earth was just too conveniently under the gun to be randon happenstance in the only direction of growth the Nexus took."

Weyoun gave a jaunty little courtly bow. "Jadzia, my dear, You look simply ravishing. Tell me.. how is Dax doing..?" He was hoping for a little emotional pain to break her concentration.

Jadzia winced in remembered pain at that name but her gun did not waver. "Nice try.. but having a pah wraith in your gut gives you some backbone..." she grimaced. "So, are we going to do this the easy way.. or the hard way? Stand down.  
NOW!!!"

Lore, Seska, Weyoun and Garak on one side stood off with their phaser rifles against Jadzia/Dovin-Kah and her security team. The Trill made the odds more even, "I've found them bridge... Come to engineering.. Worf? Chief?  
Double time.. They've got Tuvok hostage..."

Weyoun began to laugh. And chills spilled down Jadzia's spine when Lore began to do the same with icy malice.  
::Just wonderful...:: she shivered, waiting for help to arrive.. ::I wonder if there's going to be a fire fight.. He's as unstable as a psychopath.::

Tuvok was released to fall back onto the floor heavily.  
Jadzia was glad to see that he still breathed.  
::Come on bridge... Just where the H*ll are you?::

-  
(attachments)

Image : Garak with a phaser rifle.

Image: Weyoun close up.

Image: Lon in mindmeld agony.

*animated gif* A scrolling computer screen.

Image: Seven of Nine and Jadzia in cheesecake promo poses (TV guide cover)

Image: Voyager in orbit over brown world. Tiny ship beneath her.

Image : Jadzia lying dead in sickbay closeup.

*  
From: "robert catrair" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Klingon to the rescue Date: Sun, 04 Mar 2001 17:32:51 -0000

As worf heard his comm. badge beep and the message from dax came across for he and chief O'Brian to report to hit his badge =^=On my way, what the problem? I Am looking For lor and I will find him.=^=As worf is in route to engineering he stop by the weapons locker and pick up a plasma rifle and a hand phazer. ::this will help:: he thought.  
As he reaches the turbo lift to go down to the engineering deck,  
Worf Ask what will be the best line of attack to get Tuvok out of there and not have anyone harmed. Computer worf said out loud #  
online# the computer answer. location of the security people in engineering?#they are on the outside and two are inside.# =^=Worf to security team in engineering, Go ahead commander,pull back and secure the perimeter,and secure all entrance to engineering.=^= =^= Worf to Jadzia pull back now and secure the area =^= As Worf enter and command the turbo lift To "engineering deck" he commanded =^=Worf to security team "is the area clear." Yes sir the team said=^= As Worf exit the lift and saw the security team there Worf inform them what he is up to. Computer# put up force fields in engineering and all jeffery tubs,Deactivate all plasma rifles and phazers in engineering, Pump in threw environment control sleep gas.  
also inform me when all are asleep inside=^= After a Couple of minutes later =^= all are asleep =^= Worf hear this and command =^=pump all residue sleep gas out and drop the security field to the main door weapons at the ready the security team and Worf enter and rescue there fallen comrades and put the trouble makers back under arrest.  
"take the four to the bridge and get tuvok to sick bay." Worf commanded.

*  
From: "Alex Delet" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Inside Echoes Date: Sun, 4 Mar 2001 20:37:44 -0000

Captain Kathryn Janeway stood on the combined bridge. As was the popular phrase, 'Alone in a crowd' , while she was acutely aware of all the people on the combined bridge..right now, her gaze was fixed on the little command chair, next to her own.  
Starfleet Captains were trained to take things in their stride...not to spend too long contemplating their place in the 'grand plan'. Well, that was partly true, they were trained not to let it get in the way of their actions, Janeway mused.  
This Nexus certainly had a thing for details. Janeway was still a little of balance by the conjuring up of things. Forgetting the current situation. The overall being in, the nexus threw her off balance. And on the ships that made up the combined bridge, many of the wonderful people that made the Galaxy work.  
Kathryn, forced herself back to the version of reality she currently inhabited, not allowing herself to be swept into the endless debate in her mind. Janeway never paced, never, it did not project the confidence that she has been supposed to , usually.  
But in truth , there was nothing else to do...while the people on the bridge, waited for news of what was happening with Weyoun, Suder, and the others. Including Tuvok, and Jadzia. Worf, apparently, was on the case.  
There was a chirp, another nice little detail, "Jadzia to Bridge, Tuvok is en-route to Sickbay =/\= There was a collective sigh of relief, Dax had called only to report that. Giving away no more details.  
Janeway moved to her chair, and sat down...conjuring up a book. A real book... Or at least as real as anything was. She would stay on the bridge, waiting for more developments...in case she was needed.

END WEEK EIGHT RECAP 03-05-01 {}

WEEK NINE RECAP 03-06-01 {}

From: Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Spock/O'Brian Date: Mon, 05 Mar 2001 02:47:21 -0000

O'Brian raced down the corridors of the hybrid ship followed by a security team composed of 4 individuals who could easily pass for all-  
star Parisie squares blockers. After several wrong turns the edges were beginning to fray, nothing was where it should be and the computer's directions didn't make much sense. Finally one of the detail thought she recognized the corridor they were in and after a few moments of her direction they hunched outside the door marked hydroponics bay.  
"All right", said O'Brian, "This looks like the place. Now remember there's a little girl in there and we may be dealing with a hostage situation. We go in slow and cautious but we go in ready. Gonzales and Banta, hand phasers set to high stun, but out of sight. Madison, you be ready with a neural incapacitor grenade and Jaz'el, I want you ready to grab the girl "  
They all double checked their equipment and poised themselves around the door.  
"I'll do the talking and try and keep the androids attention, but be careful, he's fast and incredibly strong.  
O'Brian opened the door control panel "Safety protocol override this portal, voice command only by me, O'Brian Chief engineer". He checked his team once more, they were regarding him curiously.  
"It's the same thing as a security override but more indirect, How do you think we work on the door panels?" O'Brian grinned at his team then steeled himself "Once more into the breach!" Then with a nod, "Open."  
The security detail flowed into the room covering the principals as best they could. They were almost as surprised by the size of the group as they were its composure. As Jaz'el made his way around to a point where he could grab the girl he noticed she seemed calm almost happy anticipating something from the transporter pad. O'Brian quickly sized up the situation Lor was gone. was laying on the far side of the bay groggily shaking his head, a huge dent in the wall above him showed why. O'Brian's com badge beeped and Dax ordered both security teams to engineering. With a quick stop at the weapons locker, then a ride in the turbo lift down to the engineering deck, both teams were soon outside engineering.  
=^=Worf ordered the Computer# put up force fields in engineering and all jeffery tubs,Deactivate all plasma rifles and phazers in engineering, Pump in through environment control sleep gas, also inform me when all are asleep inside=^= After a Couple of minutes later =^= all are asleep =^= Worf hear this and command =^=pump all residue sleep gas out and drop the security field to the main door weapons at the ready the security team and Worf enter and rescue there fallen comrades and put the trouble makers back under arrest.  
"take the four to the bridge and get tuvok to sick bay." Worf commanded.  
"Just a moment Worf", said O'Brian, leveling his phaser at Lor. At his glance the security team was once again all business.  
=^= "Dax, O'Brian here, please restore function to security team phazers and place a force field around Lor"=^= =^=Chief, I don't understand but=^= the field shimmered into existence.  
Suddenly, Lor opened his eyes and sat up straining against the field testing it. Several of the guards tensed and leveled their weapons. Worf cast a suspicious eye at the Chief.  
"He, can't escape, at least not by brute force."  
Lor strained again using all his strength then sat back with an amused grin.  
"Glad, I was right on that one, compared to the spec's on Comdr. Data he seems a bit stronger".;  
"Commander Data?" said Worf then after thinking for a moment, "Of course, the gas would be ineffective, he doesn't breathe".;  
"Right Worf, you've got to understand the equipment you're dealing with, Now how do we rig a security field that'll allow a safe inspection?"  
They both thought for a moment before Worf spoke up, "I understand Voyagers EMH has expanded quite a bit beyond the original program"  
"And I'd like to see what Lor can do to harm a hologram, good thinking Worf. I'll see what I can rig up in the sick bay, If you'll excuse me." O'Brian walked out smiling like the cat that ate the canary.

On board the combined bridges Spock had waited for the comments of the assembled bridge staff before revealing the third hypothesis. It was so simple and yet complex it could be hard for some to comprehend, but Spock had faith that they would understand it, despite its dire meaning.  
Tuvok spoke first addressing Spock and then the assembled group. "Perhaps it would be best for me to begin, by nature of familiarity with those assembled".;  
"True you may be able to couch our hypothesis in more familiar terms" Agreed Spock.  
"The third hypothesis is based in classic quantum mechanics, laid down over 400 years ago in the well know theory entitled "Schroeders Cat".;  
"Oh great!" Said Quark, "we're here because of some earth feline?"  
"And a partially dead one at that." Said Janeway with a twinkle in her eye.  
"Actually, Captain, the cat is completely dead, and alive concurrently" Responded Tuvok.  
Once again quiet engulfed the bridge as the crew struggled with this explanation.  
"It is a description of wave functions in quantum mechanics", explained Spock. " Wave functions describe combinations of different states, Schroeder envisioned an electron that could exist in a super position occupying several spots simultaneously, if microscopic objects such as atoms can occupy super positions, then inevitably it follows that a macroscopic object can conceivably do so as well. Schroeder engaged a thought experiment in which a cat is killed by an instrument triggered by a decaying radioactive atom. Because the atom enters a superposition of decayed and undecayed it produces a cat which is both dead and alive".;  
"And that explains our position?" asked Quark snidely.  
"That is the starting point Quark, now shut up and let them continue!" said Sisko in his rich baritone voice. Spock nodded at the Captain; "The actual hypothesis is based on variations of the Copenhagen and the Many-worlds Interpretations which apply the effects of observation on super-positions". "The effects of Decoherance are also a prime factor in the collation of our hypothesis". Tuvok clarified then sensing he was losing the audience attempted to adapt the theory to a common experience. "Suppose you were to attempt to observe an object in a complete absence of matter and energy, an area of darkness in space, an area so far between galaxies there was no light or any wave activity of any type."  
"If there was no wave activity or light there would be no way to measure it passively, you would have to use an active sensor sweep". Answered Sisko, then before anyone could interrupt, "Of course! By observing the object you would affect it!" "Exactly, Captain Sisko, this place, we believe to be a super position, a congruence of many-Universes, where change is inevitable and if we were each to return to our previous universes we would affect the changes we believe are being produced in this area by it's very existence". Stated Spock.  
"In other words we can't go home, because home as we know it no longer exists", Said Janeway.  
The silence that hung over the bridge was oppressive but not as much as some might imagine. These were the best of the brightest, for many of them being far from home had become a common fact of life.  
"We believe the Nexus was once created by an intelligence for purposes unknown." Explained Spock, "Unfortunately the sheer power required to maintain it, across universes is as you may imagine is immense, in fact, immeasurable. But by projecting a down scaled power curve that we can observe, we have been able ascertain that it is collapsing."  
"Slowly, definitively, certainly, the universe, all universes connected to this Nexus are doomed". Intoned Tuvok.

"Well that's a fine kettle of grubs!" said Quark stepping away from the replicator.  
Every eye turned to him.  
"What? What! What is it with you people, Don't like grub beetles?" questioned Quark.  
"A fine kettle of grubs indeed" said Janeway. "Well let's see if we can expand this little universe a bit shall we? Mr. Tuvok could you see what data has been gathered from Naomi Wildman's science experiment?" She turned to Spock "It seems they've pierced the boundary of the Nexus".;  
"Fascinating" Said Spock raising an eyebrow.

*  
From: Fran Catrair Subject: [voyagerliveaction] **RE-POST** Cleaning Up Date: Mon, 5 Mar 2001 05:26:46 -0800 (PST)

Belanna! Belanna! The doctors have made your head not hear that voice anymore with this thing on your neck. I put it there. He wants to talk to you. Can you wake up now?

B'Elanna groggily began to come to. The first thing she felt was severely fatigued; like she used to feel after Professor Stevesson's astrophysics exams. She groaned. ::Used to take me DAYS to recover from those d*mn exams.:: she thought. As she became more aware of her surroundings, she felt the cortical stimulator attached to her neck.  
She also became aware of Naomi speaking to her.

It worked! My rosebush and the message pin got throuh to the other ship! Auntie Ka I mean Captian Janeway is sending us numbers to make a map of how our ships have to come together once they pull back here near Eo.  
Harry has an idea to tractr ray our Voyager to the shadow one so we dont have to be lost anymore. Want to come with me to talk to Chakoty and Barklay and Bootby? I am sure the hollow doctor can watch you with that on. I took her hand and waited. Dont worry I will watch her so you can use that neck voice blocker to keep Belanna bettr. Right now we need to get things ready for Auntie Kathy whos here now for things. Lets go. Lets go Belanna. We need to see how to bring all the ships togethr so we are home again.

B'Elanna smiled while listening to the young girl's continuing chatter. Things had sure changed for her since coming onto Voyager.  
There was a time she would not have had the patience to even consider listening to the chatter of a child. But being onboard Voyager all these years had tempered her to realize the value of everyone onboard, even of a young human girl. This 'girl' was smart,  
and had actually helped them out many times.  
She now thought of the young girl as she would a niece. ::I wasn't really close to my family growing up. It would be nice to have a second chance at a family, even if it is in a surrogate role.:: she thought.  
Upon hearing that she was free to go, B'Elanna accepted the young girl's hand and together,  
they left sickbay.

Her mind was actually, relatively clear.  
::It's nice to not to be hearing those voices in my head.:: B'Elanna mused,  
shaking subject part back and forth. She noticed the questioning look Naomi was giving her and smiled down at the child. "I'm ok. Just making sure everything is still there."  
she jokingly concluded. The girl just giggled and they continued on in relative silence. ::So, the experiment worked, eh?  
That's good. It would be nice to know I'm a total individual again.:: This 'shadow'  
world stuff was confusing. ::Even for me,  
and I'm a chief engineer of a starship, for Kahliss' sake!:: she concluded.

Finally, they were in the Lab. She noticed Chakotay and Harry were still there, although they seemed to be upset by something.  
"Harry...Chakotay? What is it?" she asked.  
Chakotay looked at her. "Good to see you back up and around, B'Elanna." he said.  
Boothby interrupted him. "Lieutenant, you might best get to engineering right away.  
There was a situation there, but it has been taken care of." he finished. As she turned to head back out, Naomi's voice stopped her. "Can I come along, B'Elanna?" she asked.  
"No, Naomi. I'm not sure if it's safe right now." she stated. "But...but..I'm supposed to help the doctor, by making sure you're ok."  
Naomi finished in a small, timid voice.  
B'Elanna knelt down next to the girl. "I'll be ok. Thank you for your concern. I promise you, I will be careful. I know the doctor will understand." she concluded.  
Naomi just looked at her with big round eyes,  
brimming with tears. Moved by the girl's concern, B'Elanna reached out and gave the girl an arm-sweeping hug. She smiled at her again. "I'm sure Harry and the Commander could use your help. After all, this IS your project, young lady!" she laughed, nodding at those in the room, and turning to head out for engineering.

On her way down the corridor, she heard reports of what had happened in engineering. ::Just typical of a Klingon, let alone a Klingon of Worf's caliber, to take charge as he did:  
B'Elanna chuckled to herself. As she neared engineering, she noticed remnants of what had taken place. The insurrectionists were gone, but the inside of engineering was a mess. Growling, she looked around and spotted an ensign over by a console. "Ensign" she barked.  
"I want you to organize a detail and start cleaning up this mess immediately! Just because we have rude guests does not mean they can mess up my engineering deck!" Whirling around and crossing her arms, she glared at the security detail still in place. "Do you mean to tell me they don't clean up messes on ships where YOU all serve?" The security detail squirmed at the scrutiny a very angry Klingon lieutenant was giving them. Funny how she reminded them of Commander Worf, they all concluded. Except, at this moment, they felt they would have been safer with him!

-  
(attachments)

Image : B'Elanna in sickbay under diagnostic arch.

Image: B'Elanna in engineering jacket with tools looking up at engine core.

Image: Torres smiling in hallway in amusement.

*  
From: "Nick Lewis" .uk Subject: [voyagerliveaction] When Two Universes Collide Date: Mon, 5 Mar 2001 18:24:22 -0000

The holodoc handed Mr. Paris a hypospray.."You're fit for duty.. but keep that cortical monitor on at all times and inject yourself with the suppressant at two hours intervals. No reoccurance of memory lapse will come. That crisis is over for now. I'll work on a theory to separate shadow and real bodies from you next.."

Tom turns over the hypo in his hand. "Thanks... I guess" he replies, but seems disturbed by something.

Chakotay was happy with the EMH's course of action. "Tom.  
Come with me? I'm on my way to the hydroponics bay.  
Phase One of the transporter test is done. A rosebush fitted with a combadge altered molecularly has just been sent to your ship. Barclay's gotten a response.. I'd love your feedback.. Anything you can tell me about what happened on Voyager after she moved away from the ribbon, leaving us all here. I know about Tuvok's away mission. He's here right now on the bridge. How about it?"

"Er... yeah, sure" Tom replies to the Commander.

Chakotay can see something's bothering him though. "The Doctor will find a way to seperate you from your Nexus shadow, you don't have to worry about that."

"It's possible for the Doctor to misdiagnose, Chakotay. He's not infallible" Tom says.

"True, but he's the most knowledgable and experienced medical practicioner on the ship. He's saved both our lives more than once. I'd trust him."

Tom doesn't seem so sure. "I still don't think his shadow theory is right.  
This feels different. It's me, yet it's not me. When I was reliving memories, they were of situations I've never been in before. Like being beta-shift conn-officer on the Enterprise."

"Maybe it was wish-fulfilment" Chakotay offers. " The Enterprise *is* the flagship of the Federation."

"No!" Tom says emphatically. "It was definitely something this other person in my mind experienced. I could feel it - every nuance of it." He screws up his eyes, concentrating on the faux memory, then opens them again and sighs. "I guess there's nothing I can do about it right now."

Meanwhile in another universe, close to our own...

Kathryn Janeway walks into sickbay, seeing both the Doctor and Kes standing next to his prone form lying on the biobed. "What's the news?" she asks.  
She feels for Kes, the young Ocampan was so devoted to him.

"Same as before, all electrical activity in Mr Paris' cerebral cortex is gone. However I found an interesting anomaly during my examination. There are signs that for mere moments his body was in a state of quantum flux.  
Kes has an interesting theory that may hold out some hope for him."

"Kes?" Kathryn asks, looking at how well she seems to be holding up. Is she in denial or is there truly a way that Tom could be brought back?

"Captain, this might sound... crazy, but I think Tom is okay, he's just lost."

"Lost?" Kathryn queries.

Kes nods quickly. "Remember when Commander Chakotay was pronounced brain-dead, but I felt a presence drifting throughout the ship and it turned out to be the Commander's mind inhabiting people, trying to protect us?"

Kathryn nods, with a questioning glance. "You believe a similar situation is happening here?"

"Yes, I mean..... maybe." Kes struggles with her words, trying to convey what she's thinking.

Kathryn puts her hands on Kes' arms. "Calm down, Kes" she says softly.

She nods, breathes in deeply and exhales, then continues. "This time I felt more than a simple presence. When the accident happened, I actually felt Tom's mind seperate from him. It was tangible, I knew it was him."

"What happened to him?" Kathryn asks, wondering if it could be true.

"Tom seemed disorientated. I felt him getting fainter and fainter. I called out to him with my mind, but I don't know if he heard."

"Where did he go, Kes?" Kathryn urges.

"Into the ribbon. Captain, we have to go in and rescue him."

Kathryn looks at the Doctor for verification. "The amount of cosmic energy we're talking about, Captain, anything is possible. Starfleet's last encounter with this nexus is detailed in the logs and records we were sent last year."

Kathryn feels torn. If there's a chance they can reincorporate Tom they must take it, but the last tendril of energy the nexus threw at them knocked out most of their primary systems. The ship is running on backup as it is.  
They could never take Voyager in there and remain intact.

"Kes, if we enter the nexus, there's a good chance we won't survive the encounter."

"Then let me take a shuttle" Kes persists. "Less surface area, less resistance."

"You don't have enough flight experience to handle a shuttle in a hazardous environment alone."

"Please Captain, we can't just leave him out there." Kes is almost pleading.

Kathryn looks at Tom's body on the bed. It looks as if he's just sleeping.  
Then she turns back to Kes who would almost certainly try to steal a shuttle if forced to. "Walk with me" she tells her.

On the bridge, Kes tells her story again to the senior officers.

"If we were to proceed with this mission, I'd feel more reassured if Kes was accompanied" Kathryn states. "Chakotay? You're our most accomplished pilot after Tom."

"There might be a few shuttle wrecks which would disagree with that assessment, Captain" B'Elanna quips.

Chakotay glances wearily at the half-klingon, but smiles slightly. "I always said Starfleet engineering wasn't what it was cracked up to be. If those had of been Maquis shuttles..." B'Elanna rolls her eyes. Chakotay turns to his Captain. "Mission accepted. I mightn't be as close to Tom as some people on this hip, but I've come to respect him over the years.  
Besides, there's the matter of an old debt to be paid off."

Kathryn nods knowing exactly what he's referring to. "Prep for flight, let me know when you're ready."

"Captain" B'Elanna interjects. "Ah... if we're really going to send a shuttle out into that" she motions to the swirling mass of power still on the viewscreen, "then I should be aboard too. It's going to be pretty wild in there and if something blows, well, no offence to Chakotay but he wouldn't know a conduit from a constrictor."

Chakotay widens his eyes and stares at her in mock indignation. Kathryn struggles to suppress a grin. "Always good to hear to hear such confidence in our first officer. Ok B'Elanna, you're up."

"If Harry asks, I'm telling him you volunteered" Chakotay says to her.

B'Elanna sticks out her tongue at Chakotay and they both go over to the turbolift where Kes is now waiting. B'Elanna notices her despondant expression. "Hey, don't worry" she tells her, putting an arm around her.  
"We haven't let a little thing like death stop us before. Why start now?"

Kathryn watches the shuttle fly out towards the nexus ribbon. In no time at all, it's swallowed by the phenomenon. She only hopes they can find Tom's essence and bring it back with everyone still in one piece......

On board the shuttle it's almost like being in the middle of a hurricane.  
The little ship is being buffeted about like a tinker toy.

"Oh yeah, another Chakotay pleasure cruise special" B'Elanna says ironically.

"We're still alive. That isn't enough for you?" Chakotay shoots back as he yanks the ship around another energy tendril. "I don't know why everyone's so wound up. This is just like being back in the Badlands."

"I hated the Badlands too" B'Elanna snarls as yet another conduit blows and she races to patch it up.

"Sensor readings are off the scale" Kes reports. "I believe we're clearing the disturbances now though."

"Feels wonderful" B'Elanna quips as they're rocked again. "Okay, that represents the last of the spare parts" she says as she closes the panel.  
"If something else blows up, we'll have to stick it together with chewing gum."

Kes proves true to her word though and they clear into the calm of the inner nexus. She gazes in wonder at the slow streaks of light lancing across the window.

Chakotay glances back at B'Elanna and shrugs. "That wasn't so hard." He looks across at Kes. "Do you sense Tom anywhere nearby?"

Kes concentrates hard, closing her eyes. "Yes" she says finally. "But he's so faint. I..." Then she gives out a small yelp and her eyes fill up with tears. "He's crying out for me. He's in trouble, I can sense it."

B'Elanna walks over and puts a hand on her shoulder. "Focus Kes, which direction is he in?"

Kes bites her lip. "Straight ahead, a little to the left."

"I'm on it" Chakotay says. The shuttle veers slightly onto its new course.

After around twenty minutes of flying, something is picked up on sensors.  
"What is it?" Kes asks.

"Can't say, it's still too far out. Is your impression of Tom still leading in this direction?" Chakotay asks.

Kes nods in confirmation, not trusting herself to say anything. She can feel her Tom's confusion and fear. In a couple more minutes, they're able to get a better scan on the reading.

"It's definitely a ship" B'Elanna tells everyone as she looks at her console, then stops.

Chakotay looks over to her, his brow furrowed. "B'Elanna?"

"It's Federation...... USS Voyager." She sits back in her chair with a stunned expression on her face.

"What? It can't be!" But Chakotay's instrumentation confirms the ship's identity. "How?"

"Quantum flux" B'Elanna murmers, working something out in her head.

Kes looks directly at the Voyager, little more than a speck at the moment,  
but growing larger the closer they get. "Tom's in there, I feel it."

Chakotay considers their options for a long moment, then presses the comm button. "Chakotay to USS Voyager, do you read me?"

-  
(attachments)

Image : "Alternative universe" Chakotay talking to "alternative universe" Torres in hallway..

Image: A pensive "alternate universe" Kes. (hehehe)

*  
From: "Lil Sister" Subject: Lore try to sneak ways.  
Date: Fri, 09 Mar 2001 06:18:54 -0000

"I am liking this not!" Lore say to the man with the hair curly. "Take this light jael away from me. Garak! Weyoun! Seska! " But they do not awake.

Lore see that Obrien want he to be in the sickbay place. And his new friends under sleeping are sent to another place. ::The bridge. They go to the bridge. Tuvok is rescued and we cannot go on to plans.. I wait.::

Lore turn to the Obrien man. "I do not know what is happened to me. I hit the Vulchen and he fall down." But the artifishal man look at Weyoun and not look eyes away. He tell this way to him a hidden thing. ::I escape to find you soon...:: the eyes say.

Weyoun nodded headings from his place on the floor. No one knew he was awake. But then Obrien send these bad crew to the bridge and a new light jael by the captains. Janeway look up from her book and see the prisonars.

Lore did the next thing he do. He stop moving. He knew this bother everyone and he let the tranzporter take him to sickbay and the holografic doctor. Lore saw that it was he only with the doctor.

The emh look at him, "I see you are awar of happenings. And you know you cannot attack. I am not real. So I come in to scan your head. I see the chip is bad now. The phaser you got from Worf fighting has hurt you."

Lore think about this and did not move. ::Is this a true thing?:: Then he talk again. "Doctor. I feel as I have when I was with my brother. How can this be bad thing? I was given the good chip in the Place of Angels and now gun fire has taken it back. It must be this way. Let me free!"

"Not now. I must examine you Lore. You are danger to my crew companions. Tuvok had wounds from you but thanking he is on the bridge now. I am not pleased."

Lore think again. ::This must be differenting or I will be freedomless and he do surgery to see the changes. I feel Weyoun is contact me as he do Belanna Torres. I have a new purpose. Weyoun rule me. So I do all to stay same.:: Out of his mouth he say, "There is...a dificulty. I....I..." and he pretend a fluid shut cut off. "Self termining. End come..."

The doctor in alarms come into Lore jael to see him with the med sensor radio. He see all inside body things and water stop. "Lore?" He come near. Then Lore grab the tricordar and make it drop the jael lighting around him. The doctor throw himself on Lore but Lore has much strength. Lore take him with him, to the bridge.

The Doctor tell everyperson there that Lore is danger. In the new jael by the captains, Weyoun, Seska, Garak smile when they see him move as if the doctor were nothing.

Now, phasers no work and came off the doctor's body shape energy. "Captains! Do not attack Lore. You may hurt me. My emitter no is good with fire shots."

Lore stand there with the Doctor hanging onto his body to try and stop him. "Captains and other people here. I want as you. I want to be free from the Place of Angels. I will no fight if you free those others there." He point to Garak and the two with him.

Lore wait for the leaders of the bridge to have talkings.

*  
From: "Roxy Dee" Subject:Sometimes, you just gotta hang feet on both sides of the fence~~ Date: Fri, 09 Mar 2001 06:31:35 -0000

Harry listened to the comlink they had open to the bridge.  
He heard Tuvok's empassioned theory about quantum variables changing the random occurences of events in their current real time universe. It was enough to make his head hurt.

"Tom... Tuvok.. I think you are missing the point here." He said to them over the computer screen link he had with them and Boothby. "This is the Nexus. All of that doom and gloom may be true but hey.. while we're all in here,  
we can CONTROL what happens. It holds true that the Nexus ribbon is nothing,..." he struggled to formulate his words.  
"..without people to shape it with their presence and their thoughts. How do we know that its current growth pattern isn't some natural fluctuation in its lifespan similar to a star going through its white, blue dwarf to red giant phases? I can't believe any one natural phenomena has the power to destroy multiple universes absolutely. Even a black hole cannot do that.. It only shunts in energy from one universe then out a quasar's mouth in the next.."

Harry leaned forward making sure that Janeway was watching from her standing place by her chair. Her book was forgotten since O'Brien had transferred the rebels siding with Weyoun to her bridge. He hit a toggle showing his work with the map coordinates that Chakotay and Barclay and Naomi had penetrated with their beaming experiment. "Look here.." he pointed.  
Where the matter we believe to be Nexus , the combadge pin,  
and the real matter, the rose bush, went through the margin.  
There is only ONE universe.. The one we all originated from.  
Where the real Voyager is sending us these number files."

"It's as if.. the beaming somehow....sutured together the tear in all the universes's crossing points. I am reading normal space time physics only coming from where our transporter beam to Io directed itself." Ensign Kim smiled.

He leaned forward on the terminal into the visual pickups,  
"I'll just bet that if we move the common ship to touch the Nexus Margin again.. We won't be harmed and further physical contact with anything to it by us, our equipment and energy output will heal this disparity that Tuvok says exists. Watch.."

Harry took an lifepod from the DS9 point on the commonship and remotely drove it into the Nexus to very near where the beam had reset reality's proper shape. The pod halted,  
not passing through but embedding itself into the Nexus margin wall, half inside and half beyond. Light flare and a ring edge of normal black stars appeared in a nimbus around the shimmering pod.. "There is no way this pod can get through without a transporter signal strong enough to push it the rest of the way outside. But look at the numbers coming from the real Voyager.. They are zeroing out! The Nexus is healing,.. retreating.  
and the rend in the universes boundaries is getting smaller.  
If we can get enough of ourselves; our ship's hulls in contact with the margin long enough.. maybe we can..grow and metamorphose out of here naturally.." he smiled..

Then Tom reeled as the pod flared brighter.."Stop!! Something is..."

The EMH let go of Lore who was fascinated by developments and called out.. "Tom! " he aimed a tricorder at him, "Your brainwave pattern is flattening out into normal but..there is another side effect.. I am reading an intrusion of three other brain patterns that aren't shadow or real coming stronger. And I am getting reading of a ghosting biosigns of you as brain dead in an echo. It's very faint."

Harry dropped his pretense and checked Ops from his hydroponics bay station. "There's a new shuttle with an energy signature I've never seen before.. Inside are.....combadge signals the reverse of ours.  
reading....(All A-'s) Kes, Chakotay... and B'Elanna?!"

The ensign said, "Their biosignatures came from a universe rift before the beamout's mending effect.. They've come through to us.  
They're hailing..."

And then all on the commonship heard A-Chakotay's ships hail to Janeway and the other captains.

=^=A-Chakotay to the Voyager. We must come aboard. Tom Paris's life depends on it.=^= -  
(attachments)

Image : Harry promotional photo with lilac background.

Gif: Star Trek Voyager lettering in yellow and white.

Gif: Official Paramount logo

Image: Collage Poster of the Star Trek Voyager Crew.

***********************************************************

From: "Cory Anda" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Vis' A Vis'  
Date: Sun, 11 Mar 2001 09:12:26 -0000

Chakotay heard the incoming hail in the audiovisual link from hydroponics to the common bridge. ::I don't believe it.:: He unconsciously glanced over to his spirit guide, Matseyeho who was sniffing out all objects in the room, unseen by all. The wolf seemed oblivious to developments. ::Maybe this (A)Chakotay isn't real, or so different that his mind cannot wrap around my spirit world here.::

"I'll take it here, Harry." Chakotay ordered. The ensign nodded and transferred the incoming hail to his terminal in the hydrobay. The first officer routed arrangements to record the incoming message through Boothby and through any computer on the common bridge that would analyze and accept the signal. He waited long seconds before touching the reply pad.

=^=This is the starship Voyager. We read you. Hold position 10,000 KM starboard.=^= he ordered. =^=It's just a precaution.  
Your shuttle has energy signatures we've never seen before.  
Non-standard Federation configuration. If you're who you appear to be, you realize that improperly calibrated warp and impulse emissions like this would react unfavorably with our engines and cause a polaron surge.  
Your phase variance is deviating with closer and closer relative proximity. Tune output signature to .09microdynes per light second and keep a comm channel open.=^=

There was an awkward pause on the other end and on the viewscreen Chakotay saw the tiny shuttle slow to a crawl and halt at the distance he set. "Voyager, our mission is one of rescue. We've little time to explain." A-Chakotay hurried. "We are adjusting our emissions to the required wavelengths. If your Tom Paris has been acting strangely or is ill we know why.. The mind of our Tom Paris was stripped from his body in a console accident and was conveyed here to your Mr. Paris. He now has two brain wave patterns. Correct?"

Chakotay nodded to the EMH on the bridge, "Yes,..uh, Commander,  
that's right.. But we thought that Mr. Paris's memory lapses were due to his real self being in almost the same place and time as his shadow self here in the Nexus."

A-Chakotay sighed, "I wish we could have brought our EMH along to explain better but his matrices couldn't be adapted to manifest inside the Ribbon fast enough before we had to launch. Our A-Tom is dying... and this is why. We have to recover his consciousness seat to his body soon or he won't survive."

The first officer saw that the strange shuttle's engine output was compatible to the common ship, "Pilot into the Voyager section's Shuttlebay Two. I'll have a security team convey you to the common bridge. Bring all pertinent medical data you have for our EMH to analyze."

"Understood.." said A-Chakotay.

In the background, A-Kes cried out over him, "Please, let's hurry! I won't have him die on me.."

::A-Kes?:: Chakotay thought. ::Worried about Tom so deeply:  
Then he realized that this shuttle may be from an alternate universe. It would explain the skewed engine emissions and slightly different sound to their voices.. He added, "We won't let things get that far.. We need our Mr. Paris back,  
too, (A)Kes. Chakotay out."

The first officer glanced at Janeway and saw that she so far agreed with his plan of action. He waited for anyone else to try and work around this surprising new twist to comment.

-  
(attachments)

Image : Tom and Chakotay at the helm station glancing at viewscreen, concentrating.

Image: Chakotay and Tom talking in a medium shot.

Gif : Band of Indian design in blue.

Image: Chakotay's river stone.

*  
From: "patti keiper" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Into the Deep End )  
Date: Sun, 11 Mar 2001 09:20:30 -0000

Kes had over heard all that transpired and excused herself along with Commander Chakotay to report to the bridge.

She told Naomi Wildman to stay and work with Barclay in the bay to further refine the beaming technique.

=^=I'll bring the doctor's data from sickbay to the bridge.  
Perhaps we can compare and contrast data from the shuttle crew's.=^= she added before the bridge to bay link was terminated.

She caught the girl's nod as she bent to work. Barclay gave her an encouraging thumbs up. Kes hurried.

She arrived to the bridge only moments after Chakotay did.  
They tracked the progress of the shuttle crew with their security escort on Boothby's sensors. "They are so like you ship folk.." he remarked gravelly. "Even dress the same way.. But their combadges are rendered inert.  
Something about when they left the confines of their own shuttle and entered the common ship..."

Kes set out her datapadds and tricorder and devices which would show the new arrivals the data numbers stream Voyager was sending them from the outside. Only a consensus would yield results, she knew.

The EMH flicked onto the upper deck of the bridge and picked up Kes's medical tricorder and met the three shuttle crew at the turbo door. He scanned them one by one. "Interesting... Your DNA is L-deviated.. and several base pairs show natural inheritances that aren't in our Kes, Chakotay and B'Elanna. For instance.  
your engineer is showing no signs of pregnancy.."

A-B'Elanna snorted, "I beg your pardon?! This EMH's about as tactless as ours.. So much for wishful thinking. For your information, doctor,.. I have no husband to have a child with.."

"Hmmm.." the EMH pondered, "Our Tom Paris's married to our B'Elanna.. both here in the shadow realm inside the Nexus and on the outside..."

A-Chakotay scoffed, "I hate to break up this mutual oddity appreciation but please, let's get on with analyzing what really counts.. Mr. Paris, in all of his incarnations.."

Kes stepped up eye to eye with A-Kes, they were wearing the same outfit. "We are going to do everything we can to help you and your Tom.. I see he is more to you than just a fellow crewmember." she pointed to the ring on A-Kes's ring finger. "I don't have a bond ring yet.  
I haven't found my true bondmate yet."

A-Kes regarded Kes with quiet detachment that was cordial and very relaxed. She handed her pad to the EMH. He was holding her Tom's medical data to Boothby . The worry in her face was self evident and close to the surface.

The holodoc smiled to reassure her and moved off to a science console with both sets of data to run an comparative study.

While they waited, A-Chakotay stood on the upper deck and glanced down at Chakotay standing in front of his chair. "Huh, you have yours on the left temple.." he said about the tattoo there.

Both first officers fingered their tribal marks and Janeway between them laughed..

Then Boothby came online suddenly..."Captains! Isolate the shuttle crew!! I've just isolated a gamma isotope grade nine coming from their tissues..! Level ten containment...!"

The EMH's fingers flew over his console and soon, the three were safely separated.. "Grade Nine? Why didn't I detect that? Computer! Emergency! Seal all sensitive equipment on the bridge from any contact with the air. Mark.  
Everyone, grab an O-mask. I'm converting the atmosphere to heavy water.. We're going to have to go underwater for a few minutes to decontaminate..Those three are safe inside their fields. You have three seconds..."

The computer corollated data with Boothby and transported site to site, the breathing masks to each member on the bridge.. When it detected all masks were properly sealed on everyone's faces, it rendered the contaminated air to heavy liquid water.. The deadly Grade Nine radiation fizzed to halflife and began the slow curve to an inert state..

Kes swam from her floating position down to each of the three containment fields housing A-Kes, A-B'Elanna and A-Chakotay to find that they were fine.. and still within their normal air pockets.. They looked horrified at this new development... She spoke reassuringly in to the mask's radio pickup linked to Boothby.  
"The doctor acted fast enough.. This water is designed to render radiation particles of this type harmless. It'll just take a few minutes to decontam ourselves this way."

The EMH, of course, wasn't swimming like everyone else on the common bridge not isolated.. "Strange I had to do that Boothby.. I thought that negative developments didn't develop inside the Nexus unless allowed to with our thoughts..."

Boothby grinned tightly.."These three are as real as Voyager out there transmitting to us.. Only they are from another universe that touched ours through a rift.  
That Gamma isotope is just their universe's normal background radiation..."

A-Chakotay whistled.."Something as innocuous as that is deadly to you? I guess none of you here is going to be paying our ship any housecalls any time soon."  
His slightly different voice echoed inside his containment field.

Kes swam back to the lower bridge, to Mr. Paris, who had remained silent to date at things to see if he was all right. She checked his mask.. He was fine,  
staring at A-Kes as she leaned into her isolation field with her palms.. He raised his underwater ones to hers and where they met the field glowed..

"Tom.. we're going to get to the bottom of this." Kes reassured, and surprised at his reaction to A-Kes.  
::I am glad B'Elanna isn't here to see him fawn over this woman.. She would be more than a little jealous.::

Boothby put out a shipwide hail of the heavy water medical flood of the common bridge so no one would use a turbolift to go there and accidently release the compound into unprotected areas of the ship.  
=^=Boothby Shipwide. Heavy water on bridge. Resolution in 4.7 minutes. Please stand by.. There are no medical casualties.=^=

Kes looked at everyone around her floating in the water,  
their hair drifting about their heads.::This gamma energy is real.. It penetrated the influence of the Nexus without being altered by it. I wonder what it may mean for us?::

-  
(attachment)

Image : Kes, neelix and the EMH talking over a medical tricorder.

Audio : A doctor- "I'm giving you a clean bill of health.."

Image : Kes and the EMH in promo back to back.

*animated gif* A computer screen, showing an energy gradient fluxing on a lcars display..

*  
From: "Cassidy Meyers" Subject: Reptiles and water don't mix.  
Date: Sun, 11 Mar 2001 23:36:20 +0400

Jadzia Dovin-Kah heard the environmental alert Boothby sent out from the bridge..

=^=Boothby Shipwide. Heavy water on bridge. Resolution in 4.7 minutes. Please stand by.. There are no medical casualties.=^=

::What?!!:: she thought from her place walking by Chief O'Brien's side. He and his team with hers were going back to security with Worf's team to bolster up Weyoun's, Garak's and Seska's holding security field on the bridge. ::No casualities? That's going to change real fast.. Cardassians and small places AND underwater locations doesn't bide well.. Garak's going to go beserk!!::

"Chief! Where are your O-masks, I'm going to need four total. Send me to the bridge!! Garak isn't going to like being trapped in water.. He's going to break out..!"

O'Brien looked puzzled, knowing full well about heavy water decontamination procedures but not knowing why Jadzia was so concerned.

Jadzia frowned, "You don't know Cardassian strength in a blind panic. He'll get out of that field in no time just by himself. And when he does, water's going to flood inside.."

The chief and Worf wasted no time getting her the masks and rigging a safe site to site transport to inside the flooded bridge. It was tricky business.. O'Brien had to first beam out a Jadzia sized chunk of heavy water to make room for her arrival. This kind of water did not compress readily enough to allow for new mass additions. The hull would not be risked now.

Jadzia tightened her hold on the three masks she had in her hands. She saw through the slightly blue hued water, the captains and three newcomers in isofields who seemed to look like Kes, Chakotay and B'Elanna. She didn't let that shocker distract her. She swam down to in front of the command chairs and tapped Janeway's arm, handing her a couple of masks.. "Garak is panicking!" she told her through the radio link. "He's going to breach his field.. Help me with the others!"

#Heavy water decontamination completion in four minutes nine seconds..# the computer announced..

::Plenty of time to drown in..:: Jadzia grumbled. Sure enough she could see gray hands pounding on the field and it sparking ominously behind the water.. ::The EMH's linked through Boothby and he through these mask's radio link. He'll hear me..:: "Doctor! Garak's breaking out!! Help us!"

The security field flashed and bubbles imploded as heavy water slammed into the space it once occupied.. The pressure of the change hurt all of their ears. Jadzia saw Seska and Weyoun holding their breaths. She hoped Janeway got to them soon to give them the O-masks. Jadzia swam past them, seeing that they were calmly treading water as they saw people swimming rapidly towards them..

She found Garak clawing at the ceiling, spewing out the air that he had left.. She could hear his cries even through the water.. She grabbed his legs and was kicked violently in the face.. Her mask drifted off and she was blinded momentarily seeing stars.

Then a pressure grabbed her shoulders and her mask was secured against her face once again.. It was the doctor.. she heard him through the link, "Whoops. Missing something? I can't quite reach Mr. Garak, he's too high to the ceiling and I can't swim.. Neither can he from the looks of things. It'll be unpleasant for him but wait 30 seconds until he blacks out. That way you won't be injured further by him. Just force the water out of his chest cavity when you give him the mask..the lighter pressure then will trigger the mask it'll take over any lapsed breathing for him. I'll erect another air filled forcefield with Boothby down here and we can treat him inside of it, once you rescue him."

::Let Garak drown?:: Jadzia thought.. But then a small part of her smiled deep down.. ::This is probably the first bath he's taken his whole life..:: "Understood." she said, spitting blood out of the side of her mouth through the breathing tube. "But I still want to kill him.. I think he broke my nose.."

The EMH frowned, "He did. Easy fix.. But your vitals are fine. Now have at it."

She waved the others away, Chakotay, Kes, Janeway... "Wait!.. He's fit to kill.. Let him black out first .  
The doc'll treat him later..!"

They saw the red encircling Jadzia's face and understood, floating away from him.

Garak struggled a bit more and then grew still. He looked terrified even out cold.. ::Perhaps this isn't so funny..:: Jadzia thought seriously.

She swam up and grabbed Garak by the waist. ::Time to play lifeguard..::

#Decontamination completion in two minutes seven seconds..# the computer announced.

Jadzia felt Kes help her press most of the water out of Garak's lungs and hold the mask over his face until the servo mechs detected his problem. It formed a suction and drained the rest of the water out before converting to a respirator and forcing oxygen in. Jadzia still felt Garak's heartbeat in his chest. ::So far so good.::

Then they swam him down towards the floor.

"We have to wait until the wash is over to get him down there?" Jadzia asked Kes.

"Yes." the Ocampan said. "Yes." the EMH said. "And after that, it'll take a few minutes to redrain the water back into isotanks and return atmosphere to the bridge."

"Figures. What's a little hard radiation between friends?" Jadzia sighed, patting Garak's sodden head. "At least you won't smell so bad for quite a while." she chuckled and waited for the computer to finish the heavy water decontam..

Kes laughed.

#One minute to decontamination completion..#

-  
(attachments)

Image : Garak closeup, looking mad.

Image : Jadzia, grinning ear to ear.

*animated gif* Water wavelets.

*animated gif* Bubbles rising.

*animated gif* Lizard in a scuba suit looking panicky.

*animated gif* Bubbles rising.

*animated gif* Red Alert display flashing..

*  
From: "Nick Lewis" .uk  
Date: Sun Mar 11, 2001 2:38pm Subject: Re: [voyagerliveaction] Into the Deep End :)

Kes swam back to the lower bridge, to Mr. Paris, who had remained silent to date at things to see if he was all right.  
She checked his mask.. He was fine, staring at A-Kes as she leaned into her isolation field with her palms.. He raised his underwater ones to hers and where they met the field glowed.

"Tom.. we're going to get to the bottom of this." Kes reassured, and surprised at his reaction to A-Kes. ::I am glad B'Elanna isn't here to see him fawn over this woman.  
She would be more than a little jealous.::

Tom tears himself away from A-Kes. "I hope so" Tom replies. "It's weird having two minds in my head. I can feel the other one starting to reassert itself." He shakes his head and looks back at A-Kes. "He's happy to see you, that much I can pick up."

A-Kes smiles. Even though this isn't her Tom, his mind resides within this double. "I know, I can sense him."

A-B'Elanna sniffs impatiently as they wait for the water to decontaminate the radiation. "So... my double is pregnant... with your child?" she says to Tom a little incredulously.

"Is that so hard to believe?" Tom asks, walking over to her, thankful for the distraction.

"It's surprising" she admits. "In my universe, Tom only ever had eyes for Kes. Although at one point I thought they were never going to get together.  
It took over a year for them to realise how each other felt."

From across the field, A-Kes blushes slightly. Tom glances across and feels his heart warm in appreciation. *No, not me, the other me* Tom tells himself, struggling to differentiate the two as the other mind starts to become stronger. It'll soon be time for him to take a dose from the Doc's hypo.

"Is that just a hint of jealousy I hear?" Tom smiles.

"Oh you're full of yourself aren't you. No helmboy, it isn't. A-Harry keeps me more than busy enough at night, thank you very much." A-B'Elanna gives him a smirk of her own.

"You and A-Harry?" Tom says, amazed. He can't even imagine it. The firey engineer would half kill him. He's barely survived some of the nights together with his own B'Elanna himself. "Jeez, wait till I tell him this one."

A-Chakotay chuckles. "It seems our universes are different in many ways."  
He idly glances at the commbadge on Tom's uniform, noting the trapezium design behind the Starfleet insignia, rather than the four bars common to his universe.

It's then that he hears the faint sound of a transporter beam on the other side of the field and watches as the drama with the Cardassian unfolds...

-  
(attachments)

Image : Starfleet combadge, Alternate Universe Style

Image : Harry Kim and B'Elanna Torres side by side.

*

From: "Alex Delet"  
Date: Sun Mar 11, 2001 3:01pm Subject: No Rain, But Floods

Janeway was just managing to maintain her position in the water, despite the unusual currents which were trying to counteract that.  
As she watched her book start to rise... It wasn't going to float. The whole combined bridge was filled with water. Under different circumstances, this would be unusual... Janeway had a distinct memory of a drill back at the Academy, involving something similar... But the thought that it wasn't her memory, stopped her considering it too much.  
Janeway had been working out the best way, to get to Seska and Weyoun. The look of panic now settled on them, told her she needed to act now.. As she did, getting one of the masks in an outstretched arm. She was tempted to 'throw' them or toss them to the drowning criminals. But didn't want to risk losing them.  
Passing a mask to Seska, she hesitated looking warily at her, before quickly accepting and activating the mask. Weyoun was close to out right panic.. Janeway kept herself out of range of his arms or legs, and handed him a mask.  
He didn't worry, just slapped it straight on.  
Seeing Jadzia, Janeway moved with Kes toward Chakotay, all of them thinking of helping Jadzia deal with the enraged Garak.

"Wait!.. He's fit to kill.. Let him black out first The doc'll treat him later..!"

Nobody disagreed with that, it was obvious why Jadzia had come to that conclusion.  
Janeway went back to maintaining position, smiling briefly at some of the remarks.  
#Decontamination Complete# the computer intoned rapidly.  
Seska and Weyoun exchanged a glance. Janeway started to anticipate what would happen. Jadzia gave her a pointed glance, and a sudden hand movement.  
Suddenly, all of the water on the bridge disappeared. Gone... Instantly, and gravity was fully restored. Kathryn landed at an odd angle on the steps.  
A Second, although it seemed longer. later, the atmosphere returned, and everyone took a heavy breath. There was a chorus of heavy coughs... And nobody made an instant effort to get up.  
THAT was one for the log.

(attachment)

Image : Close up of Janeway's face side view.

****************************************************

END WEEK NINE RECAP 03-11-01 {}

WEEK TEN RECAP 03-12-01 {}

From: Fran Catrair Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Double Vision Date: Tue, 13 Mar 2001 22:49:06 -0800 (PST)

Having finished her cleaning task, B'Elanna was satisfied. Tired, but satisfied. She had run a complete systems test and analysis of engineering. She wanted to be sure none of the insurgents had tapped into any of the systems. She found the anomoly Tuvok had found before he was knocked unconscious by the android. ::The android.:: B'Elanna thought. ::I knew we couldn't trust that thing.:: She quickly fixed the problem and erected a security field around the system. #Computer, erect a Level 3 force field around all essential ship systems. Authorization Torres, Beta 3647 Mark 2.# she ordered. #Acknowledged# the computer replied.  
It would keep all these temporal visitors away from the ship's vital systems, but a high ranking officer, such as Tuvok, Chakotay or Janeway would be able to override the force field. It might be inconvenient for the essential temporal officers, but they would just have to work with Voyager personnel to work on the systems. ::That should do it.:: she thought. ::Now let's see them mess with my engineering again!:: she smirked to herself.

=^= Torres to the Bridge.=^= she announced to her communicator. Strangely, no one responded. She tried again, but with no success. She was puzzled, until she heard the shipwide announcement:

=^=Boothby Shipwide. Heavy water on bridge.  
Resolution in 4.7 minutes. Please stand by.  
There are no medical casualties.=^=

::Heavy water on the bridge?:: B'Elanna thought, incredulously. ::And I thought I had problems!:: Sighing, she knew there was nothing to be done until after the resolution was complete. She decided to take the long route and walk up to the bridge. It would give her the opportunity to think things through, and maybe check on some things en route.

As she walked, she noticed that she could see the affects of the combined ships even in the corridors.  
Looking into Transporter Room Two, she noticed something unusual near the ceiling in the center of the transporter. Baffled, she went over to the console. ::What is that?:: she wondered. There was what appeared to be a rip in the ceiling with gadgetry exposed. However, upon further inspection, she noticed it wasn't gadetry she saw, but small crystaline particles inside the rip, organized like a funnel and moving rapidly. As she watched, the rip widened by two centimeters. She knew the captain should see this, but since she and the others were currently occupied, she decided to contain the problem until after the bridge emergency was over. #Computer,  
erect a containment field around the transporter pod#  
she ordered.

Now with a sense of purpose, B'Elanna moved to the bridge. As she neared, she noted the time for the resolution had expired. She knew she could now enter the bridge freely, without harming the occupants or herself. Stepping out of the turbo lift, she announced; "Captain, we have a major problem in Transporter Room Two you should really see." As she looked around at the prone bodies laying all over the deck, she chuckled. Water Resolution was effective, but the letdown effects lingered. She chuckled at her own joke.

Coming out of her thoughts, she noticed the 'duplicates' laying on the floor. Her gaze stopped when she stared into her own face. "Who in the world are you?" she demanded, as she pulled her phaser and levelled it at the imposter.

"Take it easy, will ya?" A-B'Elanna replied, annoyed. "I can see my lovely personality is prevalent here as well. Look, we don't have time to explain. We need to act quickly to save Tom.", A-B'Elanna finished. "Tom?" B'Elanna weakly replied. In all the excitement, she had forgotten about him. Involuntarily, one hand went to her stomach, and she sank slowly into a chair.  
A-B'Elanna's gaze softened. "Don't worry, he'll be ok. Problem in Transporter Room Two, eh? At least some things don't change. Let's help the others and then we'll take care of everything one problem at a time." A-B'Elanna finished, giving her counterpart's arm a reassuring squeeze. Smiling back and nodding, B'Elanna stood up to help her 'other self' with the task. ::One problem at a time.::, she reminded herself.

-  
(attachments)

Image: Torres with a rounded device in front of her.

Image : Torres close up.

Image : B'Elanna medium shot.

****************************************************

From: "robert catrair"  
Date: Thu Mar 15, 2001 9:00pm Subject: water rescue two

We he found out there is visitors coming on board the common ships,  
Worf was taken another route to the shuttle bay. When he open the bay door the visitors and security staff already left.  
As he stood there and look at the shuttle craft that just arrived,  
he pull up his trycorder and started to run scans on this small ship.  
As he was scanning the ship he heard the warning coming off the ship wide broadcast to stay away of the command then started to scan the shuttle craft again and came upon the same readings.  
"computer" Worf order "seal up the shuttle bay with a level 10 force field, also fill up the bay with heavy water." as he was telling the computer to do this he went and grab a o-mask off the bulkhead and secured it to his face.  
As the bay was filling up his reading from his trycorder was going off again with a life reading. ::what? why did i not read this earlier:  
He went back to the bulk wall and pull another mask out and started for the shuttle craft. then the (A)-Worf left the craft and walk right into the real worf. "put this on now "Worf commanded.  
by this time the bridge was decontaminate,and back to regular business.  
=^=Worf to bridge, Found another person in the shuttle and filling up the bay with heavy water to stop the radiation from there ship hold all excess to the shuttle bay at this time.=^= when the bay was full of water he heard threw the mask #10 minutes until radiation was cleared out.

*  
From: "Cory Anda" Subject: Chink in the Armor Date: Sat, 17 Mar 2001 06:46:15 -0000

Chakotay groaned as he got up off the deck, thoroughly sodden. ::That was close. Gamma radiation is lethal in just a few minutes to most humanoids.:: He tugged down his wet uniform and got Kathryn up on her feet as well. He glanced over to the EMH working over Garak with Kes and Jadzia and was relieved things were well in hand. The soggy Cardassian was already trying to take in air as the stimulant hypo took effect. ::So much for that crisis..::

The first officer turned his attention to B'Elanna and her phaser hanging loosely in her grip as she sat in the science chair. He snatched away Torres's weapon, "I can use that.." Chakotay redirected a wide low level beam to his own clothes and they dried in seconds.

He passed off the phaser to Janeway and made sure a pair of newly arrived security guards were watching Lore and the freed Seska and Weyoun. He addressed Torres without looking away from the three miscreants. "Transporter Room 2? A development?" He nodded at Harry who began a sensor sweep of the area. "Put it on visual." he ordered.

The flowing orange of the Nexus ribbon on the main viewer flicked off to a gridded schematic showing the rip in the ceiling B'Elanna had noticed on her way to Deck One. He hit his combadge.

=^= Chakotay to Barclay. Report to the bridge. We've something you should see up here. =^=

Reg replied back from Hydroponics, "W-We're almost finished with the calibrations for the next transporter beam test, Commander. A crucial stage.. Can it wait?"

Chakotay smiled and eyed Janeway and the angry look growing on B'Elanna's, "I think what we've found will effect those calibrations. How about an expanding anomaly in the ship's hull right over the transporter buffer chambers coil?"

He could just hear Barclay's mouth drop. "Really? We'll be right up..."

Chakotay walked over to where the EMH and his assistants were reviving Garak. "How's he doing, doctor?"

The EMH had just finished turning Garak onto his side to make the man better able to cough his throat clear. "He's fine. Garak wasn't in any danger. Just the sensation of suffocation is never fun.. Hence the resulting faint. Do you need him fully awake, Commander?"

Chakotay shook his head, "Later would be just as suitable. We've a little mystery coup to solve...." he said, glaring at Seska and Weyoun, standing in the phaser wide beam Janeway was playing about them to dry their clothes from where she stood. "Garak's one of the henchmen, I'm afraid. Lore's involved, too. Did you learn anything about his malfunctioning emotion chip?"

The EMH frowned, "Not a thing. He "jumped" me the first opportunity that came along. He seems docile enough right now.. Most likely the gamma radiation surge and then the heavy water's decontaminating wash settling his positronic net. Might be temporary so don't let those security guards get lax."

"Understood, doctor." He stood once more, "Keep me informed." He nodded to Kes and Jadzia before returning to his chair and Janeway. Tuvok, too, had dried off in phaser beams and was now examining Kim's strange sensor readings through his science station. Chakotay glanced at the forward viewer, "Seems like that, is more than just the growing funnel it appears to be.."

A voice from the turbolift agreed. It was Barclay, with Naomi in tow. She was still carrying rose bush number two as yet, unsent with another message beacon for the real Voyager. "That, Commander, is a polyphasic wormhole.. Someone on the outside is trying to tell us something."

"What do you mean, Barclay?" Chakotay asked.

"Someone is tapping into the Argus Array's forward shielding. A transmission of trigenic waves is being sent to the Array's metaphasic shielding causing this. Look, carefully.. We're seeing normal star constellations through that rip. My guess is that Voyager is trying to show us something." Reg said, rubbing his chin.

Chakotay angled his head, "You mean apart from the number coordinates she's been sending us via Naomi's message beacon beamout site?"

"Yes." Reg grinned eagerly.. "I think that Captain Janeway out there has put two and two together and is trying Harry's idea of "touching" the boundary to remerge into normal space. This....funnel is the first step. We only have a few hours before the Array's defenses repel real Voyager's energy pulses and our doorway out will be sealed again. We'd have to remap new coordinates to compensate.. Might take days to get it back."

"Mr. Paris hasn't got a few days.." A-B'Elanna growled.

"I - I I realize that, ummm, lieutenant. So let's work on widening that "rip" in the Transporter Room enough so we can learn more from Voyager on how to get out of the Nexus." Reg suggested.

Chakotay met Janeway's eyes.."Work on it. Everyone who can. I don't know about you, but I like the idea of my day turning back to normal. I want my old bridge back.." he remarked throwing up a hand at the common mishmash of five ship's command centers all around him.

Naomi giggled at his honest frustration.

"So how about it, Kathryn? Full speed ahead? I'm sure your real self would be glad to know her shadow self is no longer knowing any kind of reality as a prisoner of the Nexus. Let's get this ship out of here. We've a rip to tear even bigger.."

---------------------------------------------------------

(attachments)

Image : Chakotay firing a phaser on the bridge

Image : Janeway in a governess dress close up with Chakotay faded in collage art.

Gif: Indian style bar divider.

Image : Close up of Chakotay smiling broadly.

*  
From: "Roxy Dee" Subject: Miners DS9'ers~~ Date: Sat, 17 Mar 2001 18:32:10 -0000

Quark had just finished up his last sip of Aldebran Tea.::That little gnome's gonna pay..::

"I'm not the one who drank all of that mead now was I?" Rumplestiltskin sighed.

"Quit reading my mind, Rupleknot!" Quark complained.

The gnomelike being winced at the slaughter of the pronunciation of his proper name. "That's Rumplestiltskin.." "Come on.. There's developments on the bridge.. And someone I'd like to meet again."

The tiny whiskered man took the Ferengi by the shoulders and dragged him off the barstool on DS9's messhall where Quark's bar had mysteriously materialized when Quark left the common bridge to escape Nexus tricks the night before.

Quark whimpered, "All I ever wanted was to make a profit like any decent Ferenginar citizen and gain recognition in the eyes of my peers," he swung woeful eyes to Rumplestiltskin, "Is that so terrible?"

The little gnome grunted under the weight of Quark's arm, trying to be a good friend, "Ugh! Depends on how you go about it.. I get my gold by tricking little children to weave it for me on a loom... Say.. I wonder if the King's daughter is unoccupied,... I could sure use money to buy my own castle.."

Quark was sufficiently un-hungover to answer that with force.."Now you leave Molly O'Brien out of this.. I don't understand why the Chief didn't flay you alive for taking her from her cabin in the first place when you took her yesterday.."

Rumplestiltskin smirked and polished black fingernails on his stinking tunic.. "I am good, aren't I.."

Quark guided the elfen man into the turbolift, "AH, that remains to be seen.. You say you are really good at making wishes come true and that you sensed your other friends nearby.. I remember them clearly, the Hawaiian baseball player that glommed on to Captain Sisko. And that all reality eating anomaly of Jadzia Dax's that threatened to eat DS9.."

"I didn't bring that thing in transporter room two here, and neither did anyone else in this Nexus place you all insist is inescapable.." the tiny man grumbled. "Someone out there did that.."

"I know!! I know!! I wouldn't think about station eating anomalies while getting a soaking in heavy water either... Come on...." Quark growled.."You may have information these people can use.. You are REAL here aren't you? An independent entity.. Maybe YOU can get us all out of here.."

Rumplestiltskin shouted, "Computer,, halt turbolift!"

Quark hit his head on a wall as he lurched as the lift screeched to a halt. "Now how did you learn to do that?"

"I make it a hobby to learn my pets natural habitat.. Listen Querk!!!" He watched with satisfaction when Quark winced at the nickname.. "Ha! You don't like it when people get your name wrong either.. " He said waggling a finger in front of Quark's face.. "I CAN'T get these mortals ships out of the ribbon unless they want me to.. Besides,, I think they're doing rather well on their own, don't you? I mean their real ship Voyeur or whatever its name is has used this earthling's, Barclay's orbital array to break through a breathing hole.. I want to see what happens.. And I'm not going to let a puny pathetic Ferengi weasel like you push me into doing a wish before I'm ready so Nah.." he said sticking out his tongue .. "Computer resume.."

Quark bruised his other lobe as Rumplestiltskin put a little kick into the lift's cables to make it move a little faster. "Just don't do something stupid like inviting your giant friends back, ok? I'm sure Captain Janeway would get her bun in a kink over that kind of thing.."

"Scout's honor..."

------------------------------------------------------

Quark arrived on the bridge and timidly stood there long after the lift door's had opened.. Rumplestiltskin prodded Quark's butt with a pin to get him going.. he sighed and said,  
"My dear Jadzia.. It IS a pleasure to see you again." He swept his arms wide as he made his way over to the kneeling woman helping the EMH hold Garak's head still while he vomited up heavy water..

Jadzia certainly had no problem recalling who the gnarly elf in front of her really was. Her glare said it all but her hands were occupied with being the EMH's assistant.

Rumplestiltskin giggled with glee when he saw the growing wormhole rip on the main viewer.. "Too bad Chiefy Weefy weren't up here to see this... We all could have a little DS9 reunion. I want to see him turn all red and purply again when I tell him I've visited Molly again.. I'm surprised he didn't see the gold dust under her finger nails from her weaving it from straw on my loom.."

"Don't!!" Jadzia spat.

The EMH touched Jadzia on the shoulder, realizing that this was a situation that needed all of the Trill's attentions. "Kes can help me here. And I don't think I like our latest guest.."

Something in Rumplestiltskin's eyes darkened to pitch oil and he gestured. The EMH promptly had copious amounts of hair. Three feet worth of it.. "Maybe that'll "comb" some manners into your programming man made of light.."

He arose as did Jadzia and waited for her to reply to him.

Harry Kim was squinting in concentration as he watched things unfold. "I've discovered something here." He announced just to break the tension in the room. He nodded subtly to Chakotay's summoned security personnel to not aim any sort of weapon at the strange elflike man by the EMH. He tried not to chuckle at the long flowing locks of black growing from the doctor's head. "Uhh,.. Captain. This rip is no longer in the transporter room. It is right here inside the main viewer itself."

Boothby snicked onto a computer screen, "It's not only an image?"

"No sir.. This is real." Kim answered. "And I think, it's large enough for a person in a lifepod to squeeze through. A little mining operation and we could be there right in normal space itself." he smiled. "Who wants to go home?"

"Hold on ensign.. Just one dmned minute." Boothby swore. "I know that is a doorway, but where does it lead? We can't see enough of those star constellations to tell."

Quark stood on trembling feet.. "Tractor beam.. If I understand those schematics.. That transmission signal holding that thing open is from the real Voyager. Somehow, she's managed to find a way to skip a beam from the Delta Quadrant to do it. Maybe we can drag her here, to the Alpha Quadrant."

The Ferengi saw the looks of skepticism on the faces of all the starship people around him, "We've GOT five starships engine rooms at our disposal. I know! Just look at this bridge if you need convincing.."

A-Chakotay spoke quietly, "That doesn't help our situation. That way isn't to our own universe. Our A-Tom is still brain dead and dying.."

Quark grumbled, "That's your problem.. We didn't invite you here. Besides, why is everyone dripping wet with heavy water? Could it be your very presence is TOXIC to us? Radiation is NOT welcome between friends in my book."

A-B'Elanna turned from B'Elanna to round on Quark, "Typical Ferenginar sentiment.. Me first.. Nice to see such a jewel of humanity at work."

A-Chakotay held up a hand.. "Hold on a minute.. A-B'Elanna, use your tricorder. Are there any side passages inside the rip leading to our universe.. Scan for gamma background traces.. You know the frequency.."

A-B'Elanna smiled as she studied her tricorders readings. "There is.. There's another hole adjacent to this one half way down this rip's tunnel. It's reading as our home universe. A-Voyager's there too."

Boothby asked, "How do you know that that ship is yours and not a shadow or our real one?"

A-Chakotay shrugged, "Our tricorders are attuned to her frequencies.." He tapped his combadge, =^= A-Chakotay to A-Janeway.. We've found him. Please stand by. We may have found a route out to you that won't require the shuttle. That you're going to have to give up. Leave this com channel open.. There are more complications at this end that need immediate attention.. A-Chakotay out."

=^=A-Voyager standing by..=^= came A-Janeway's voice.

Everyone failed to miss Captain Janeway's look of shock as she heard her own voice sounding a bit higher than normal from its usually pitched timbre.

A-Chakotay chuckled, "My voice is different, so why not hers?"

Harry left his station and another officer took his place. He advanced to the viewer and took A-B'Elanna's tricorder from her hands and then his own, aiming both at the rip. "Two holes, at the end of a fork. One leads to normal space and where our real Voyager lies, sending us this wormhole expanding transmission, and the other path leads to our alternate universe's guests A-Voyager in her own dimension. Perhaps with a little mining operation, we can all finally get somewhere..." His enthusiasm was infectious.. "Just give the word."

"Just give the word...." another voice echoed.. It was the little gnome. "I can grant you one wish.. Either the Alternate Voyager crew gets their A-Tom's mind back and returns whence they came or all of us here on the common ship gains our freedom to go back to where we all were before the Nexus encountered us.. each to their own ship and place in time and space..

"Which will it be? That is the question..." and Rumplestiltskin laughed long and heartily.

-  
(attachments)

Image : Close up of Rumplestiltskin.

Image : A Wormhole doorway.

Gif: Official Paramount Logo

Image : Quark promo, surprised look.

**************************************************

From: "Clairissa Fox" Subject: I know what I want.  
Date: Sat, 17 Mar 2001 19:35:34 -0000

I was so exited. Barklay took me back to the brige. Something new was going on. I took our rose bush with me. We might be able to do it later on.

Barklay! Barkly! Tell me what is going on. I dont understand much here. What is this tear in the roof? Can we go see it?

But he was already talking to everybody else. I listend and then I knew. It was a door.

I was scared a little because Garak was sick and I didnt know why everyone was wet and tired.

The hollow doctor and Jadzea was helping with Kes to make Garak ok but I didnt go over there. I went near Auntie Kathy.

Auntie Kathy! Auntie Kathy! What are we going to do? I think we should bring the real ship here with the tracter beam. Then we can make the hole biggr and then get out. Then wed be near Earth! Dont you want to get out? I do. I want to see mommys planet.

I went in front of the big television screen all the captains chair and watchd. It was windy. I could see space there. I went over to Tom who seemd ill.

Mr Paris! Mr Paris! Get the beam. Bring the real Voyager here. Maybe she can help us get out. If we do that, then the elf guy can help you get bettr to by getting that other brain out of your head. I pointd to where Harry was with the tricordrs. He knows! He sees the two paths.

Come on! Come on! Send a rope to Voyager. Get her here!

I went to Auntie Kathy and I pulled on her shirt. Weve got to get out. Give him permishion. We have to hurry or well be here forever!

I saw she was still thinking so I went over to the elf. I was real scared. I didnt want him to make me weve any gold for him for that castle like he did my friend Molly. Then I rememberd.

I wished for the other Molly. The one with the teeth. Auntie Kathy's doggie was real good. She would keep the elf guy from hurting me.

I closed my eyes and Chakoty's guide friend wolf, Matsiyahoo and Molly were there growling real mean.

Dont hurt me or I will send my friends here to bite your butt, elf! Do what you promise and be there to give us your one wish.

The elf said I like you Naomi You know what you want to do. These grownups are wasting time thinking to much all the time. I wont make you make gold for me. And he gave Molly and Matsiyahoo doggie biscits to be nice.

I sat down on the rug near the elf and the dog and wolf lay down with their heads by us so we could pet them.

I waited for all the grownups to figur out what to do Then I saw Lore standing there. He was looking strange. Molly started to growl at him.

Molly! Molly! Whats wrong? I watchd as he went near the bad woman and the purple eye man. Seskah and Wayoon. I held onto Mollys fur and let the gards do the watching.

I looked at the elf. Can I ask you something?

Sure. I am here to be a wish granter.

No. No. I dont want to use up the one wish. I want to know where you came from. You know Jadzea and Quark here.

I come from the stars in the night sky. You have me in your library fairy tales because I have been here for a long time I like children even if I have to make them weave gold for me. I have to buy food and clothes to just like you do.

I lookd at him funny. We dont have money on Voyager. We have replecatrs. We just ask for what we need. Why dont you ask one for some gold?

The elf smiled and talked to me again I dont think you can make money there. It would be to easy. Wouldnt Quark have tried that first to get some for hisself?

Yes. I think you are right, Rumpy. Can I name you this? I cant spell the other one.

Rumpy made a face but nodded. You are little so I will let you do that. Now what do you think these grownups will do about the door there in the television screen?

I dont know. Thats whats fun. I know what I want. I just told them but we have to be a crew and pick a way now. I am a captains assistent so I will do what she says.

Rumpy took off his hat and gave it to me. It was soft and pink. I put it on my head. Then I felt something move there. I took off the hat and a chickie was there! I held the fluffy baby bird and laughed at Mollys and Matsiyahoos faces as they tipped ther heads at the peeping!

Rumpy! Rumpy! We cant have pets on the brige!

Why not? They are here. He pointed to Molly and Matsiyahoo.

But they blelong to Chakoty and Auntie Kathy.

So? Peeprs blelongs to you. I just gave him to you.

Oh.. I hid him in my dress pocket but I think Auntie Kathy saw. She winked at me but then she turned to Harry and Barclay and Jadzea to say somthing to them about the door.

I waited to see what happend next.

-  
(attachment)

Image : Naomi with her mother in a hug.

*  
From: "Cassidy Meyers" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Turning Point Date: Sun, 18 Mar 2001 01:02:50 +0400

Jadzia was not happy. She nodded once to the EMH,  
easing down Garak's head so Kes could take her place and she stood, looking at a manifestation she thought she'd never see again.

"What are you doing here,.. Rumplestiltskin or whatever your real name is. I thought you and your entity buddies were through testing us back then on Deep Space Nine.." she said sarcastically.

"But I was.." he admitted, "Then.." he smiled and caressed Molly and then Matseyeho's heads but as he reached for Naomi, Jadzia whipped her away and into her arms. The tiny chick disappeared as soon as the little girl lost her grip on it.

"I wouldn't believe in fairy gold if I were you Naomi. This one is not to be trusted."  
Jadzia paced across the bridge, protectively hugging the Wildman child as she went over to stand in front of the viewer by Harry and Barclay.

The troll joined them, leaping up onto the round table in front of the ring of captain's chairs and he laughed.  
"I am not an evil being Jadzia Dax, or, should I say,  
Jadzia Dovin-Kah.. I know the worm is no longer in your belly. You have one of us there now.."

Jadzia whirled at that admission. "What do you mean?"

"Didn't you see the corollation? The Deep Space Nine wormhole entities are... in part.. me. As they were there, then, as Sisko's baseball player and Bashir's lover wearing your form back then. Three of us managed to visit you all before the Pai Wraiths came and forced the events leading to Sisko's sacrifice. Your station crew gave us the forms we needed to survive outside the wormhole. I am simply an independent entity who's manage to cut away the chain tying me to that wormhole over Deep Space Nine. And now.. so has Dovin-Kah, who is your current symbiont. Mind you, I would've liked a more attractive physical form but this troll's body has powers I can use for good. It is what I am trying to do now, Jadzia."

::Dovin, is this true?:: she thought at her symbiont.

#It is child. Not all of us want to be Prophets or gods as most of us are to the Bajoran people.#

::But why didn't you tell me when you saved me from dying?::

#You were in no shape to handle actualities. I had to give you an answer I knew would make you fight to live.#

Jadzia shook off the internal conversation and she dealt with the one going on around her concerning the wormhole doorway now open before them all on the common bridge. It was true. The doorway was opening wider as the real Voyager send in her transmission without a break.

Jadzia realized that the longer she did so. The wider the rift would open into both the alternative universe the A-crew came from and into the normal space she knew. "We have to act now.. We may never get a better chance. I can't wait for your order Captain Janeway.  
I am not a part of your crew, so I am acting as the highest ranking officer on Deep Space Nine present on MY Ops command deck."

She moved to her section of the common bridge and stood by the command console normally occupied by the absent Sisko. She comm'd Worf and Chief O'Brien.

=^=Worf and Chief O'Brien, report to the common bridge immediately. Code One Alpha. We've a way out and I'm acting on it now. I need your expertise for some delicate tractoring..We're bringing the real Voyager to the Alpha Quadrant..=^=

Jadzia locked down her terminal and started her engineering section's tractor targeting emitters to align to the rift. A bright beam of energy shot from a point below the common ship in the perspective of the viewscreen and a beam lanced out into the distance.

"In ten minutes, that beam will skip along the Nexus boundary to connect with the real Voyager's hull in the Delta Quadrant. I don't have enough power to do it myself so I am asking you, Captain Janeway,  
to order your engineer to join my tractor beaming with one of yours.. We have to bring her here to have any hope of us ever getting out of this Nexus.. "

She turned to A-Chakotay. "You are the Alternate Voyager's second in command. Tell your captain to adjust your tractor beam to my beam's configurations.  
We need all the power we can get."

A-Chakotay looked at A-B'Elanna and they exchanged a deeper understanding. "A-Tom needs us. You have that beam, Jadzia."

Jadzia barely heard A-Chakotay comm his own ship and request the action of his A-Janeway.  
Barely fifteen seconds later, a yellow beam lanced out of the side wormhole passageway from the alternate universe to run parallel to Jadzia's blue Deep Space Nine tractor beam, on its arching way to link to the distant real Voyager.

"Only one more beam.." she said of the shadow Captain Janeway and Chakotay on the common bridge near her.  
"One more beam and she'll be here. Make it so..."

At their hesitation, Jadzia added, "We'll worry about how to get ourselves out of the Nexus once we get them here. We all belong where we came from.. If we can right the wrong of the real Voyager getting stranded in the first place, so much the better.. I don't think the Temporal Prime Directive would mind. Tuvok's says everything's falling apart right now anyway.. Let's minimize that and help fellow Starfleet crew at the same time. Please...."  
The Trill walked toward them with measured steps.  
"Let this little girl see her home planet.. before she is an old woman."

Naomi's eyes filled with tears that matched Jadzia's.

--------------------------------------------

Garak was barely conscious, he felt hands hold him as he pushed the heavy water out of his stomach on a wave of nausea which gripped him.

He coughed out the last and gasped, feeling another hypo give him strength.  
He gurgled, "I thought you were supposed to SAVE your patients, doctor, not kill them.."

The EMH scoffed but gently.. "I just did. You were injuring your rescuers.. Just look at what you did to Jadzia's face if you don't believe me. You broke her nose in three places struggling against our attempts to save you. Don't Cardassian intelligence classes teach you people to swim? Water exists on one sixth of all worlds that harbor people.. Now, sit up.. There's no water in your lungs any more.. Kes will help you sit until you get your breath back."

*Cough* I AM grateful doctor. I just wish that infernal Federation computer could've given me more than three seconds warning of drowning me.."

The holodoc frowned, "You WERE safe, inside Janeway's containment field in AIR, I might add, before you panicked and broke free.  
You even put your accomplices in danger by flooding THEM out along with yourself."

"I did?" Garak said muzzily..

"They're fine, no thanks to you.. Just why did you link up with Seska and Weyoun in the first place? I thought we were all in consensus here, all of us wanting to get back home.."

Garak heaved a big sigh and let Kes play a drying wide dispersal phaser beam over his body to dry him off.  
His shivering went away.  
"Believe it or not, doctor.. I don't want to get back "Home". Home for me is exile.. in a stuffy tailor shop on a space station full of my political rivals."

"Then how do you explain away Weyoun and Seska?"

"Ask them..." Garak said, fighting to get to his feet.  
He shrugged off the doctor's and Kes's support and left their sides only to stop and instantly understand what is going on with the rift on the viewer.  
"No!! NO!! I don't want to go back there!!!"

He lunged for Jadzia's tractor controls only to be cut down by Chakotay's security guards phasers..

The EMH and Kes ran over to Garak, whom they checked for his weakened lifesigns,  
"Now cut that out!! Are all you Federations muscle heads so trigger happy you don't think before shooting?"  
the holodoctor said, his long hair got in the way and flopped over his face, Irritatedly, he took a laser scalpel and shaved off his own coffiere' to its original bald pate. No one laughed.."You very nearly killed a man we've worked so hard to save..." he glared, shrugging the severed hair off his shoulders.

Soon, the unconscious Cardassian was once more out of medical danger but this time, after treatment, he was set into a containment field at Chakotay's orders while he recovered from his phaser stun.

The EMH summed it up all in words,  
"That's two against one ..FOR leaving this Nexus stuff of dreams.. Add my vote for getting out of here to the scoreboard.  
Anything for a normally running day in sickbay."

-  
(attachment)

Image : Closeup of a serious Jadzia

Image : Blue beam emitting from Voyager's main deflector dish.

Gif : Row of ships from Enterprise to Enterprise E.

Image : Voyager over Earth.

*  
From: "patti keiper" Subject: Med calls abound.  
Date: Sun, 18 Mar 2001 07:16:36 -0000

Neelix finished his work in the Hydroponics bay. He desperately wanted to know where Barclay and Naomi were headed but he hadn't received any word from either Chakotay or the captain on whether or not he could join them.

The hail suggested that the experiment had to wait. No beaming possible because of a strange crystalline anomaly funneling in the ceiling in Transporter Room 2. ::Curiosity's always been my downfall, and I'm not a feline..:: Neelix sighed.

Inexorably, he was drawn to the Transporter Room to see the oddity for himself. Neelix crouched down and peeked around one door edge through the containment field B'Elanna had left in place to contain it.

Then, all at once, the anomaly was gone. There was no sign of it in the ceiling or anywhere in the room. Neelix dropped the field and entered the room with a tricorder. He scanned where it had been, "A wormhole? It's shifted somewhere else.." Then he found the coordinates of where it went to. "Oh no!"

Then he heard Worf come over the hail comm reporting that he had a newcomer in the cargobay who looked just like himself and that there was heavy water decontamination going on currently at his location.

Neelix tapped his combadge, =^=Neelix to Commander Worf. I-I heard you. But something strange is happening on the bridge. A a a sort of wormhole was discovered by B'Elanna in Transporter Room Two only a half a meter or so in diameter and it was growing.. Now, I scan that it's on the bridge! Everyone up there may be in trouble! What should I do?"

Then the Talaxian realized that Worf would hear him through the O-mask but wouldn't be able to answer back until the water was drained in the room. Combadges only worked through the air.. He told Worf, "I'll inform the captain again you've found another alternate visitor in that shuttle of our guests. Neelix out."

------------------------------------------------------

Neelix's tricorder showed that Naomi and Barclay had entered the bridge so he knew that it was safe to enter. All radiation from the newcomers had been safely decontaminated by the heavy water. He told the turbolift doors to let him onto Deck One.

What he saw there struck terror in his mammalian heart. The wormhole was on the viewscreen but it was no representation. It was ghastly real.. Two beams of light, one blue the other yellow, seemed to be disappearing inside of it to stars beyond.. "Those are tractor beams..." he said softly..

"Neelix!!" Kes called out.

Neelix turned and saw the EMH and Kes kneeling over an unconscious Garak who wasn't looking very well at all. Even his gray tinge to his scales seems pasty.

She anticipated his next question, "It's a long story.. First he panicked about being underwater even though he was safe inside a containment field and broke out of it.."

"I thought Cardassians can't swim.." Neelix frowned, grabbing hold of Garak with Kes and the EMH to convey him to a place away from the officers working near the frighteningly vivid wormhole above them.

"They can't. We had to wait for him to black out before getting him treated for drowning." Kes said to him.

"Ooo, Jadzia's hurt Kes.." Neelix almost dropped the grip he had on Garak's legs as he noticed the blood on Jadzia's face.

"Nothing fatal Mr. Neelix..Chalk one up to one panicking lizard. Garak did that when Jadzia tried to rescue him from his own folly.." the EMH remarked, "Here. Set him down.. I think we're far enough away from the nimbuses from those tractor beams."

Neelix, Kes and the holodoc set Garak down on his back and straightened out his limbs to a more comfortable position. "Tractor beams? I thought that's what they were when I first saw them from the turbolift. Why are we using them? And why isn't our good tailor here awake? No doubt he'd find all of this very interesting for that secret service informant of his."

"He's a spy?" Kes whispered in amusement making sure no one overheard her.

"Yes.. Didn't he tell you?" Neelix asked her.

Kes shook her head.

The EMH finished passing a medscanner over Garak and took out yet another hypospray.. "We are pulling the real Voyager here to the Alpha Quadrant. Garak's out like a light because he was stunned for protesting the tractoring."

"Huh?" Neelix said, blinking..

"Your answers to your questions, Mr. Neelix.. Or has gamma radiation effected you, too?" the doc said drly. "Everyone, heads up, literally, we wouldn't want you to suffer any broken noses when he awakens, now would we.."

Kes and Neelix shot to their feet and stepped away from Garak. Sure enough, three seconds after the EMH gave him a stimulant, Garak flailed arms and legs, yelling in anger.

The EMH pinned him to the carpeting using his impressive holographic strength, "Now cut that out. Or you're going to make me have to rewrite the chapter on "How Cardassians Leave and Return to the Consciousness State, A study of Patient/Caregiver Violence.."

Garak's breath hissed out of his chest when he was slammed back into the rug, "....ok..." he murmured. He held up surrendering hands.

Neelix and Kes went back to his side, bundling up the man into a silver thermoblanket the EMH handed them. Garak just rolled his eyes sarcastically, but he pulled the warming sheet tighter around his chin.

--------------------------------------------------------

The EMH had gone with his patient to sickbay, accompanied by one of Chakotay's security guards to "make sure he didn't jeopardize ship's safety." the hologram muttered under his breath as he left on the turbolift with Garak's antigrav stretcher.

Kes shivered herself just a bit when he had gone.

"You ok, sweeting?" Neelix asked.

"I'm fine.." she answered, "I- I'm just getting strange feelings from Tom right now.. I sense that there's a triplicate layer of emotions coming from him at any one moment.. It's a little unnerving. Right now, he is feeling confusion, sadness and anger right now with his physical condition. He's that way because three sets of minds are in the same pysche. Our Tom's, the shadow Tom's and we've just learned, an alternate universe's Paris's. All warring for control of his attention."

"I'm sure things'll work out. Maybe we should get a little distance between us and.."

"No, Neelix, the doctor left me here to treat Jadzia. Her face injury is bound to get sore once her adrenalin normalizes.. Look.." she pointed as Jadzia winced and put fingers up to feel her tender and ballooning nose. Kes went to her side and held up her field kit. "How about taking care of that..?" she asked the Trill.

Neelix subtly went into the Captain's ready room and secured food and coffee for anyone who wanted it. He left the steaming tray on the round table. Janeway didn't even look up from the analyses she and her first officer were running on the wormhole. Jadzia never took her eyes off them but she nodded to Kes to go ahead and treat her. Neelix said to the captain while he passed her by, "Worf found another Worf in the cargobay, They're decontaminating now. He wants to know what's next.." he knelt by Kes and held open the medkit for her so she could get to work.

Jadzia sank into the science seat at Ops on her part of the bridge, but she didn't take her hand off the tractor beam she was maintaining into the wormhole on the main viewscreen.. She nodded and Kes got to work cleaning off blood and regenerating the cartilage with the osteo stablizer. Soon, Jadzia's nose was healed.

Kes smiled, "All set. You may develop what humans call shiners in a few days but it won't be painful. Just unsightly. Either I or the doctor can take care of those if they come out. Tom's the best at healing skin inj--" she broke off, "But he's not up to it right now. I think I'll go talk to him.. You're fine now."

Jadzia nodded her thanks and waited once more for the shadow Voyager command crew to decide their fate. ::Come on Janeway. Chakotay. Say yes. Add that third beam to the fray. Bring your ship home..::

Kes avoided looking at the hellish flare of energies on the viewscreen. Sparks danced from it to land on the carpeting but nothing was burned. Tom Paris was sitting in a huge waterfall of sparks and wasn't reacting. Kes covered her head with an arm and bravely ventured into them to get to his side. She scanned his vitals. He was awake but his face was blank. But he was still piloting the commonship almost without thought, making sure the two tractor beams stayed on target into the distance.

Kes erected a level one around him to deflect the sparks from landing on them. "Tom, can you hear me? I know what's going on.. Here is some Lexene to counteract the other minds intruding on your own. You'll be able to control your thoughts to what you want them to be." She injected the eutropic drug into the side of his throat.

Tom began to speak, softly and first and then with more and more emotion as he responded to the mellowing agent. Kes leaned in an ear to hear him, "What?" -  
(attachments)

Image : Kes smiling in a pink tunic.

*animated gif* Spinning medical tricorder in 3D.

Image : Neelix smiling with hands on vest.

Logo : Star Trek Voyager title over a framed ship.

*animated gif* Skinny LCARS bar lights in orange and lilac, coursing left to right.

*  
From: "Alex Delet" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Second Rip and Second Self Date: Sun, 18 Mar 2001 18:20:57 -0000

"Only one more beam.." she said of the shadow Captain Janeway and Chakotay on the common bridge near her.

"One more beam and she'll be here. Make it so..."  
At their hesitation, Jadzia added, "We'll worry about how to get ourselves out of the Nexus once we get them here. We all belong where we came from.. If we can right the wrong of the real Voyager getting stranded in the first place, so much the better.. I don't think the Temporal Prime Directive would mind. Tuvok's says everything's falling apart right now anyway.. Let's minimize that and help fellow Starfleet crew at the same time. Please...."

The Trill walked toward them with measured steps.  
"Let this little girl see her home planet.. before she is an old woman."

Naomi's eyes filled with tears that matched Jadzia's.  
Chakotay: "So how about it, Kathryn? Full speed ahead? I'm sure your real self would be glad to know her shadow self is no longer knowing any kind of reality as a prisoner of the Nexus. Let's get this ship out of here.  
We've a rip to tear even bigger.."

Janeway smiled inwardly, a tear in space - they needed to make it bigger... And the idea of a second Kathryn Janeway... Another example of things that would be unusual, anywhere else in the galaxy.  
As it stood, the current events had a distinct odour of having happened before.  
Her inward smile stopped, as did her exterior one, when Chakotay reached the word real. It was a quick, and none to subtle reminder of exactly who they were... shadows.  
Janeway had met herself before, and she knew, just as the others did, how stubborn she was. What Kathryn Janeway ordered now, would be what she stuck with. It was one of her best and worst qualities.  
With the attention of the bridge focussed on her, she walked calmly to the Voyager Captain's Chair.... sitting down, she gripped the armrests. Beginning the fabled mental task of weighing the options.  
The Temporal Prime Directive was a huge flashing obstacle, there really wasn't any way you could twist it. Janeway stopped the weighing up of options, stopped debating the Temporal Prime Directive, and looked at Naomi.  
At that point, there was only one real possible outcome.  
"Full Speed Ahead," she smiled, switching her gaze to Chakotay, then to Jadzia, "We have a tear to widen," Janeway focused once again on Naomi.  
There wasn't any immediate reaction, but Janeway looked to Chakotay and Jadzia, to see what their first steps, and reactions would be.

***************************************************************************

END WEEK TEN RECAP 03-19-01 {}

WEEK ELEVEN RECAP 03-20-01 {}

*  
From: "Cory Anda" Subject: The Greatest Gift.  
Date: Wed, 21 Mar 2001 23:02:51 -0000

"Full Speed Ahead," she smiled, switching her gaze to Chakotay, then to Jadzia, "We have a tear to widen," Janeway focused once again on Naomi.

There wasn't any immediate reaction, but Janeway looked to Chakotay and Jadzia, to see what their first steps, and reactions would be.

Chakotay started in his chair, then remembered Barclay's theory that there was a very real chance that they would survive any contact with the Nexus boundary.

"Easy Tom..." he cautioned. He turned his head to Janeway. "This might give us a better line to that tear into normal space. Activating tractor beam..."

The first officer waited just long enough for the common ship's leading edge to nudge the wall of the ribbon. They all squinted into the bright orange sherbet ring as the nose of the shadow Voyager section and one spire of shadow DS9, both part of the common ship, touched the rip.

::Now. :: he thought. ::I've got to get this perfect, or this third beam will snuff out the other two..:: He nodded to Harry, who gave him ops control.

A scarlet lance entered in a dance with the yellow and blue beams already arching out into space. They shook the common ship that rattled everyone's teeth but then the light flared and the three tractors braided into one, supermeshed rope of energy.. It banked its first bounce off the Nexus wall before returning to its track toward the Delta Quadrant.

"Go..." he whispered. "Kathryn, if this works, and we do manage to get Voyager here to the Alpha Quadrant safely, she'll be hanging at the other mouth of this wormhole, what then? We need to hold her here long enough to make sure the Nexus wall's dimensional power got all of her intact.."

Chakotay toggled a switch reading the coordinates streaming in from the augmented console on the round table in front of them. "Our map is nearly complete. If we time this right, Tuvok's map must be finished in the same moment all ships cut their tractor beams. We have to radio the real Voyager and tell her to stop her polyphasic beam holding the wormhole open to cut to half power or we'll lose everything.. Barclay's Argus Array, the wormhole, Our connection to the alternate universe Voyager.. maybe even Tom's mind."

"Leave that to me...." Reg spoke up strongly.. "I am real in this place and not a shadow.. Paris's in no condition to operate a link to the Argus Array.. I'm surprised you are letting him still fly this ship, captain. " He said to Janeway.

A-Kes joined the shadow Kes by Tom's side.."It's helping him hang on to who he is.. He's no danger to you like this. In any universe or dimension, Tom Paris will always be a pilot." she grinned with pride.

Chakotay nodded his head, letting Tom stay at his station. "Just keep him stable." he said pointing to the medkit at Kes's feet.

A-Kes confirmed, "Aye sir.." A-Chakotay moved to take a closer look at the computer screen on the round table. "My captain might find these useful to know when to cut her tractor.. Mind if I keep an open comm to her until we break free?" he said to Chakotay.

"Not at all. In fact, I welcome it. I just wish we had a way for you to gather up your A-Tom's essence from our helsman before we lose your way back to your universe.." he admitted.

Barclay held up a hand, "I-I can fix that, too....ah,..Your wolf, sir...ah, Matse-- ah..."

"Matseyeho..." the first officer smiled.

"She, can be altered to focus on another can't she? Being a spirit guide and all.. I mean, we all imagined her to be in this form.. especially from Naomi's image of her.."

"Yes.. but that would be up to her.. she has life in the ribbon even though she is a shadow.." Chakotay said.. "I have never heard of a spirit guide leaving her soulmate for another.. It has never been done.."

"Until now, indian man.." A troll voice said. "I have the power to do this thing.. This animal will be able to draw out the captured mind and return it into your alternate counterparts' mind."

A-Chakotay blinked, "Yes,... my mind could hold A-Tom's.. We could shuttle back, all of us, just as the crucial moment comes.. The tractors shut down, the polyphasic signal from Voyager stops and we," A-Chakotay indicated A-Kes, A-B'Elanna, "beam back through the side passageway to OUR ship while sitting in our own shuttle.." he grinned ruefully, "I'm sure once Mr. A-Worf dries off, he'll be amenable to returning home. Our mission would be complete.."

He sat down on the floor near Tom Paris's seat, Matseyeho crossed over to the strange A-Chakotay following Rumplestilstskin's doggie biscuit.. The troll tossed the cookie so her foot touched Tom Paris's boot. There was a flash as he touched Tom's forehead and A-Chakotay's.

A-Chakotay gasped and fell to his side. A-Kes went to him.

Tom Paris.. shook his head and he began to smile.. then his attention was drawn to holding the commonship steady while the tricolored tractor beam did its work, seeking out Voyager so very far away.

The shuddered lessened as Tom got better. "It's amazing how having only two minds in your head makes you sharper..." he chuckled. Kes continued to scan him. She nodded to her first officer seated by Janeway.."He's fine now."

A-Kes examined A-Chakotay who was shaking his head. Matseyeho seemed to be merged with him, halfway, as she held her mental link with A-Tom's astral mind.

::Hey, who set this dog on me?:: A-Tom said in A-Chakotay's mind. ::And where am I?::

A-Chakotay closed his eyes..::You're in MY mind now.. We've got to get you back to your own body. Remember when I was drained of bioneural energy and floating about the ship? Well the same thing has happened to you. Probably when your console on A-Voyager exploded when she touched the Nexus. This wolf, is a spirit guide from Chakotay of THIS universe's Nexus Ribbon. Her spectral form is tying you to me.. hang onto her mind, A- Tom. I can't do it by myself..::

::Oh!Is A-Kes there? I can't see her...:: and he turned the wolf's head. A-Tom saw her by A-Chakotay's lying down form.. ::Hey, are you all right?:: He asked of A-Chakotay in his mental bond.

::I guess I am. There's still lifesigns on A-Kes's tricorder.." He felt A-Kes and A-B'Elanna bundle him up between them. They didn't interfere with the grip A-Chakotay had on Matseyeho's fur.

"Let's get him back to our shuttle, now.." A-B'Elanna said. "Never thought I'd say this to an ugly troll.. Thanks, Rumplestiltskin.. for your wish.. Now at least, one Tom Paris will survive to fly another day.. Good luck with THIS crew.." she said throwing her head towards the other shadow Voyager people she was leaving behind. And that was that.

Tom was only shadow and real now.

Chakotay hit another control, comming to Worf, still suspended in the heavy water flooding the cargobay and the alternate crew's shuttle.. "I am draining the heavy water there now.. The cycle's complete in two seconds. A-Worf, expect your crewmates back. We're going to emergency beam all of you and your craft back to your Voyager's yellow tractor beam. Use it to get back to your universe. Stand by."

"Standing by..." came the bubbling A-Worf's reply.. "I am letting Worf know of your plan.."

-------------------------------------------------------------

Soon, the gamma radiation traces of the alternate crew were showing from only inside the now dripping shuttle in a hastily drained cargobay.. "All the alternate crew and ..and...Matseyeho are inside the shuttle, captain.. Ready for emergency beam.."

Barclay shouted.. "I've got them... beaming them away..." And there the tiny shuttle was.... pinwheeling back along the braided tractor beam before banking a sharp left onto the alternate Voyager's yellow one.. It was sucked into the passageway leading to the alternate universe and was gone..

"Good luck, A-Chakotay.." Chakotay said.. "I hope my spirit guide serves you as well as she did me.." He only felt a little sadness enter his heart.

But then Barclay turned from his board near Harry... "We're getting a comm transmission from the alternate Voyager, captain." he said to the shadow Janeway in her chair..

"On screen.." Chakotay said..

The image of the braiding tractor beam funneling out into normal space through the wormhole's yawning mouth was replaced by an image of A-Janeway, on her bridge... Her hair was long and flowing and her uniform was just a bit brighter red than the shadow Kathryn's.. Her slightly higher voice spoke for one person and one person alone..

"Captain Janeway..." she lilted.. "My transporter crew reports all four members of my away team are safely to sickbay.. Looks like my A-Tom's going to be fine.. Our EPH, Emergency Physician Hologram, has him stabilized." she studied her finely boned hands folded respectfully in front of her. "I regret that we won't get to meet each other face to face.. Would've ...been fun...sharing our mutual burdens.." She cast a hand around her own lost in space ship. "But it's in my power, and it'll be my deepest pleasure and to my greatest satisfaction, to get at least one of our ships, home.. My condolences to your first officer for sacrificing his ..soulmate to my first officer.. No doubt this wolf will teach him much.." Then A-Janeway's eyes started to fill.. "Walk a sandy beach for us, Kathryn, for our Earth is two hundred years away.."

And the transmission was hastily cut off before A-Janeway's composure broke before both crews watching her.

Chakotay turned in his chair "Comm signal has been terminated on her end." A bleeping started on his own console.. "A-Voyager's awaiting your signal to cut beam when Voyager gets here..." he said softly..

He regarded his Captain as she sat straight in her chair. He offered her his hand and she took it, feeling deeply for that other Voyager crew. Then she turned to the business at hand..

A tiny mote of silver at the end of her glowing tether appeared in the mouth.

"It's -- her.." Barclay choked.. "T-The real Voyager... She's really here...."

Chakotay rounded on him.. "Concentrate mister.. You've got to stay focused and tell us when to let go of her..."

Barclay instantly got hold of his emotions. "Yes sir.. T-Minus thirty seconds until tractor beam and triphasic signal cutoff point.. I've coordinated Tuvok's map program to complete exactly then.. We'll have our real to shadow space time ratios for an escape route for one minute only afterwards.. We are going to have to make every order count sir.. Stand by.... Realigning Argus Array's targetting emitters to a manual shutdown.."

Chakotay started to breathe faster.. He didn't know whether it was the beginnings of his grief over his loss of Matseyeho or the minute chance they all had of actually keeping the real Voyager with them at the other end of the wormhole when all power was cut off.

"T-minus Seventeen seconds.. 16....15....14.." Barclay said.

::What have I done?:: Chakotay said. ::This could be the end of us all. Anywhere.. Nexus or normal space.. Achoyeemoya... I am far from the land of my forefathers.. I am far from the bones of my people.. give us the courage to face this awful hardship so we may know freedom once again in our hearts..:: he prayed. He saw Kathryn reciting his prayer, mouthing it silently, only a moment after he did..

::She is my Seconah now.. the only one left to guide me now that my Spirit Guide has given herself away..:: Chakotay gave in to doubt and fear when the moment finally came.

Sparks erupted on the common bridge all around them, filling the air with a blue smoke.. The sound of the five joined ships engine rooms straining rose to a deafening whine..

The buffeting grew so great, that everyone was tossed to the floor..

Someone was injured. But through the haze Chakotay saw Tom was still at his post keeping the tractor beam fully on the real Voyager's hull plating, dragging her nearer and nearer to the wormhole. It was so close. But the spring might snap if they weren't careful..

::Please..:: Chakotay said..

In his mind's eye.. He suddenly saw his grandfather Necomah smile... "I told you we would meet again.." he laughed.

"Grandfather?" Chakotay asked. His eyes shot wide open in astonishment. Then an explosion behind him drown out all sound..

"....3.....2....1....." Reg's voice counted down..

Captain Janeway's grip tightened on Chakotay's hand and she gave an order.. loud and strong..

------------------------------------------------------

(attachments)

Image : Explosion behind both command chairs of Chakotay and Janeway

Image : Explosion making Chakotay squint.

Image : Janeway ducking sparks in her chair.

*animated gif* Matseyeho, Chakotay's spirit guide running toward you.

Image : Chakotay and Janeway talking in their seats med shot.

Image : Ghost wolf head on black background.

Gif : Blue Indian design bar..

*  
From: "Clairissa Fox"  
Subject: [voyagerliveaction] My day isnt so good Date: Thu, 22 Mar 2001 00:01:24 -0000

Ouch! My head hurt and I was bleeding. I saw Chakoty give his wolfie away to the other Chakoty. Then I saw a really sad thing. His Auntie Ka I mean captain wasnt going to get her ship home! It was to far away where she was.

I was going to yell but my head hurt to much. I saw someone by me on the floor. It was Jadzea. I went over to her and shook her by the arm.

Barklay was still saying numbers that were getting lowr. I wanted so much for Voyager to get here. They we could see her thrugh the hole. Maybe we could get out then. I wanted to see Earth so bad. I had told Auntie Kathy that last time.

I didnt want to get in the way so I layd down near Jazea and I waited.  
She wasnt that awake to. I said to her.

Rumpy did it. He gave them his wish. Now Tom is all bettr. Were getting the rope to get Voyager here so we can talk to them.

Then I thougt about it. We were shadows and they were real.  
Would Tuvoks numbers make us all the same again? There wouldnt be any us in the ribbon anymore if we did that.

I wanted to go to the ocean. For that other Auntie Kathy. The more I thougt about it the more I got sad. I began to cry. Chakotys wolf was gone.  
The other Voyager wasnt going to get home ever. She gave that up to get us and them coming here home. It wasnt fair. But the ribbon wasnt in where the other Auntie Kathy was. I couldnt wish them home.  
Maybe she would go into her ribbon over there and be happy instead of going on a trip that she would never finishe.

It was scary that she was so different than us. She was pretty and all but the raedeation gammah thing would hurt us! But I was sad.

I calld the holodoctor! Doctor! Doctor! Leave there and come here!  
The ropes making us shake and two or more of us is hurt..

Hurry! Hurry!

Then I saw a neat thing. Chakotys grandfathr! He was standing in the fire not even sweating and he was watching Auntie Kathy and Chakoty fight to stay in the chairs. He was holding Tom Pairs in his chair so he could drive. How could he do that?

Then Rumpy went over to him to talk.  
Hey Necomah. Why did you let wolfie go? I havent seen you since we both left the blue wormhol by Bashor.

I was surprizd. Chakotys grandfathr was a wormhol guy? Then I knew. I knew for me. This old man wasnt really Chakotys grandfathr. He was pretending to be. But why? Then I thougt about it. He was the one who helpd Chakotay make Auntie Kathy his special dream friend. Maybe it was because he knew wolfie would have to go away..

Then I wasnt so sad any more.

I saw on the telly screen that Voyage r was almost here. Barklay counted down to zed.

But something happend, there was a big loud boom and Chakotys and Auntie Kathys chairs smoked. They were ok , but down on the rug, we werent. I started coufing. So did Jadzea.

Pleas stay Voyager. You have to get us out of here. If we do, then we are all the same again like it was before. Pleas stay. I love you.

I closed my eyes holding onto Jadzea and we both went still.  
My chest feels fuzzy. Why does the air stink so much?

Shhh I heard her say. Her face was scratched up even more then mine.  
She told me not to move.

I told Jadzea it was like the fire I had once at my house when I was littl. Its making us sleep. Dont let it I said to her.  
But she fell over. Dont l

All the noise went quiet and I stoppd couffing.

*  
From: "Lil Sister" Subject: The want of life is all powerful Date: Thu, 22 Mar 2001 03:14:57 -0000

"I am here." Lore says. He stop his standing in one place to try and trick all peoples. He see the ship is in danger. But he no care much.

Weyoun, now is our chance to talk. We must get plans for getting escape when we out of the Place of Angels. See?

Lore show him the map coming allmost done. Barclay say that this will only be right for a single moment to let us go from here. Ship and people as one. Only for a very short time.

I am shadow but here in the nexus. Out in the stars night. I am not alive. My brother has beemed me into space. I no want a journey back to there then. I wish to stay.

Weyoun, how are you heres? You are dead, no? One of the many from the same people. A clone. I see record in DeepspaceNine which show all of you are dead. There are no mores of you. Come with me. I think we go to Garak to see if he wish to stay in this place to. Come with me to the doctor ward if you want to. He will leve there to come here. Those others are hurting on the floor. Jadzia and the child keep the doctor busy. I can fight the others by the bedside. Come. The guards fight the fire here.

Lore leve Weyoun who think and feel toward Belanna head in that mindthing. ::He no listen to me. I do this alone. Maybe he come.::

The artifishal man get to the medicalward with no man see. He go to Garak who sleeping all better now.

"Garak. Get up and have words with me. The ship has beroght help to here. We have little time. The map of Tuvok will only work for them for one minute and they will go then. You do not wish to go back to the stars, no?"

Lore watch Garak think on this thing. Then the ship go silence. "They have turned off the beems. We have a short time to get a ship to leave here. Or it will be end for us,no?"

A guard came and Lore fight him down. No warning got free. Then Lore have a thought. "You are good with these computers. Tell it to bring us to the one ship that was lost, the leading man's Maquise ship. This Chakotay will not save it. We can live there."

Lore turn and say, "I will go to that part and wait for yous and the others who do not wish to die again. I hide on that command center. When they go, we will be behinded then. And free to be here in the ribbon. No dying for us!"

:: I wonder if Seska, the other woman with us will come. The records show she die out there to. ::

Lore shake the hand of Garak in friends grasp and left before him so he could let him trick the sensers to the holodoctor.

-----------------------------------------

Lore get to the Liberty bridge. ::Dead shadows on a dead ship. It is fitting if they come to be with me. We can wish for whatever we wish.::

The white man turn the screen picture to the tear in the sky. The beems were no longer. And the other Voyager was in the stars on the other side of the wormhole. He turn on a speaker to hears words of the two bridges if they should have speakings soon.

Lore check the suplies and beem more from the stores of the parts of the common ship that would go. ::Now my allies will have food and things for a long time, until they learn to use the Place of Angels to hold ther lifes.

Then he feel the chip in his head get better. He turn and see the Indian elder there in the light. Necomah, he say. "I respect all life in here. That is why I help the ones who are trap here. So I will help whoever stays here. The chip which makes you black in heart is no longer. I give that power of the heart feltings to you without machine. We can learn much from each other. It is a long time to be a wormhole god. I want to know how it is to be alive."

Lore shake the hand of Chakotay's grandfather elder who wasn't a man. "Are you only in this trapping place now?"

"No, I am in the Spirit World where my grand son gave me form when he desire Kathryn to be his Seconah to his people. The spirit guides there, the gecco and the wolf are the creature who live there. I am pleased to see the wolf go into a world I cannot go. That one will be enlihtend as Allah." I decide to be with these ship peoples whereever they journey. It is my sacred duty to show them their inner heart. For that is how the elven man and I became of the wormhole for the Bajor People. Now I grow again. It is my time to see the ones who have life again. It is differenting then the last when I live as old man."

Lore smile at the old man. "I am not alive."

The old man bring a pipe of Chakotay's people to his lips. "But you wish to be. That is all that matters to us."

And Rumplestiltskin come to sit by his side and they share the pipe. Lore knew how to do that from his brother when he was Sherlock Holmes from the old Earth books.

Lore, Necomah and the elven man wait to see if Garak escape with the rebel woman Seska to here.

****************************************************************** From: Fran Catrair Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Coming to Terms Date: Thu, 22 Mar 2001 23:29:53 -0800 (PST)

As she helped her 'alternate self' rouse the dazed crewmembers from the after affects of the decontamination, B'Elanna was once again in control of her emotions. Taking a deep breath, she looked around her, and noticed the Doctor's and Kes' efforts with Garak. She glanced at Jadzia, and smiled when she noticed Jadzia's nose. ::Must have been one h#ll of a fight.:: she mused.  
As she heard the commotion around her about the tractor beams, she made her way over to the Voyager science station of the common bridge. Considering everything the ship had been through, she was actually holding up very well. As she prepared to put systems in order for the additional tractor beam, she heard the Captain's order:

"Full Speed Ahead," she smiled, switching her gaze to Chakotay, then to Jadzia, "We have a tear to widen," Janeway focused once again on Naomi.

Chakotay started in his chair, then remembered Barclay's theory that there was a very real chance that they would survive any contact with the Nexus boundary.

"Easy Tom..." he cautioned. He turned his head to Janeway. "This might give us a better line to that tear into normal space. Activating tractor beam..."

B'Elanna sighed in relief. When she heard Janeway's command to proceed ahead and tear the ribbon with the ship, she was ready to respond, and not within Starfleet protocol. The ship had been through alot already, and there was no telling what kind of damage could be done to the other ships, let alone Voyager.  
::This anomoly must be affecting her as well. There's no way the Captain Janeway I know would have given such a command.:: she thought.  
Glancing over at Chakotay, who seemed to be handling the situation, she reported in. "All ship systems are functioning within normal parameters, Commander." She kept an eye on the readings, noting responses to the tractor beam output. Sensing something, she glanced over to the helm area of the ships. As the others disappeared, she found herself making a wish. ::Good luck, A-B'Elanna. Hope you find happiness." She glanced at the conn, and noticed the almost trance-like state Tom was in. "Hang in there, Tom."  
she muttered to herself.  
It was at that time she realized what the others did. She could feel it, through the energy coming through her cortical apparatus that had been given to her to counteract Weyoun's voice. It was a connection to the crew; a sense of impending doom and overwhelming sorrow. It was an eerie feeling. As she saw the real Voyager, she realized that Barclay was right; they were all shadows after all. They would stop the ribbon, but they would all cease to exist.  
Sighing, she allowed her eyes to mist. ::Wish I had taken my animal guide more seriously.:: she thought. It had been a beautiful animal. Strong and ferocious,  
like her. She smiled to herself. ::Why not?:: she thought to herself. After a last glance over the ship, the tractor beams, and a last look at Tom, she closed her eyes. Breathing deeply, she thought of her. Maybe, in this reality, her guide would be here.  
She found herself in a mountainous area. The sky was blue, the grass was green, and everything felt...perfect. Sitting down on a ridge overlooking the valley below, she reached out her hand to her side and waited. Soon, she felt something sit down beside her, and a nose tickle her palms. "Hello, girl, I missed you. I'm sorry I attacked you. I'm sorry we never had the chance to become friends." she finished.  
Glancing up, she looked into the big yellow eyes of the black panther staring back at her, eyes which seemed to reflect her own. An understanding passed between them. Together, they turned their gaze back to the valley, and the now setting sun and waited.

-  
(attachments)

Image : Viewscreen of a splitting purple rift in space and a silver dot approaching.

Image : B'Elanna checking over consoles.

Image : A gorgeous black panther prowling a brown meadow.

*  
From: "Roxy Dee"  
Date: Fri Mar 23, 2001 7:37pm Subject: The Crossing~~~

Harry Kim moved. He snatched a fire suppression canister and put out the blaze at science, emphasizing its end with his Nexus granted mental thought.  
::Things aren't working with my mind anymore. I had to do this the hard way..Why?::

He turned to the main view and saw that the rip now almost filled the screen. The wormhole was shortening until only a donut of flaring tangerine energy separated shadowships from the true reality out in the space and stars; Voyager. ::Oh, my god. We're almost out.::

Then as the smoke was cleared by the environmental systems he saw the casualities. "Naomi.. Jadzia!" The young ensign nodded to his captain and commander that he was onto the situation.  
Kim had just kneeled by their unconscious forms when the EMH appeared right in front of him as he leaned over. Harry bumped his nose sharply onto the hologram's back.  
"You could use some better targetting emitters, doc."  
he quipped, rubbing his face against the bruising.

"Sorry, ensign.. It seems most of the ships systems are going haywire.. Must be the combined effect of our shadow-thought desires supporting this ship's functioning giving way to normal space's laws of physics again. Bound to be touch and go while we merge with Voyager. Help me turn them over."  
the holographic physician ordered.

Kim eased the little girl over and handed the doc a scanner.

The EMH smiled, "She's fine. Just a little smoke. And a mild alteration of brainwave activity. She's beginning the process of merging with Tuvok's coordinates to her real self. No doubt you will all black out while that happens. "

The Boothby simulation spoke up to all on the common bridge,  
"I'll make sure that our course continues steady. We're 20,000 Kilometers from Voyager's position. Speed 5,000kph. We'll be out of the Nexus in fifteen minutes. I am sensing that my computer control of the Voyager part of the ship is returning to programming norms. My guess is that the other ships will be cast back to their normal places in space and time."

Tuvok came to help move Jadzia away from under Tom's console,  
nodding, he checked the Trill with a light mind touch.  
"She, too, is merging earlier than the rest of us. Mr. Boothby,  
I believe your theory is true. But, there is a point in which our desire to leave will become crucial. Anyone on a ship where majority wishes a choice, stay or go, will come into effect.  
I have noticed Lore is missing, Seska and Weyoun and Suder are also, not visible to me. I hypothesize that they have wished to remain behind in order to avoid their own deaths'  
realities in normal space, I have just monitored the Liberty is powering up. Also, the melded hulls of the common ship are unraveling."

Harry frowned as he handed the doc tools to heal Naomi and Jadzia's minor burns, "Can they just do that? Stay behind?"

Rumplestiltskin laughed, sitting on Tom's console, waving his boots, "Sure.. what can they do? They are only shadows.  
I am helping them. After all, your universe is done with both them and that ship. No Prime Directive Temporality will be violated as the ribbon is absolute in its power. It is immune from paradox. No time travel has occurred. Just a nudging of physical orientation.  
So go home, Starfleet crew, to your blue and white planet.  
You were destined to get back to Sol III. Does it matter how you finally did it in the eyes of your superiors?"

Something inside Harry twisted and welled up, the hope he had carried so long carefully controlled spilling into his face.."R-Really?" He stood on his feet, brushing off soot and ash. "I - I can see Libby again.." He face brightened, "And my mother..."

Quark got up from the railing he had been hiding under,  
"Good, now I can go back and kick Rom's sorry rear if my bar shows even a single bar of profit loss.." He place eager hands on the railing in front of him,  
"Shouldn't be a problem, hitching a ride on some Earth freighter to Deep Space Nine,..." he sighed out a long breath of satisfaction. "I can be back at my dabo tables in .... 36 hours.." he clapped his hands together.  
"So how about it, Janeway, can we get this old bucket to move any faster or do I have to wish myself outside to push her?"

The EMH suddenly oriented his medscan to the Ferengi,  
He tossed the unit to Kim, who caught it awkwardly,  
and paced two steps to grab Quark's shoulders.  
"Wha?" Quark asked, "Did I do someth--" He collapsed.

"One down, thirteen to go. I suggest you all place yourselves in such a way that you won't be injured when this happens.." he sighed, rolling his eyes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Quark was moving. He was flying! He was in space, traveling through the wormhole against the tide of the polyphasic signal beam the real Voyager was streaming into the hole into the Nexus. He looked over his shoulder, The common ship was coming apart, the Liberty shot backwards back into the ribbon and was gone.. ::Huh. Tuvok was right Someone ditched us.::

It felt as if whole sections of his body were tingling.  
He saw Jadzia and Naomi's astral forms ahead of him and he linked hands with them. The last vestiges of the ribbon still allowed them to speak to each other. Quark was half transparent, as was Jadzia. Naomi was nearly solid.  
::I wonder why?:: Quark asked them.

Tuvok's aspect suddenly appeared before them as they flew towards the Voyager sparkling in starlight. ::Naomi has her authentic self awaiting her on the ship, she is becoming real at a rate faster than us. Non voyagers will take a little longer as their real selves migrate from their places in actual space time to come to the merging onboard real Voyager. Naomi must not corporealize before the process is complete. She will suffocate out here."

With that, the dark skinned Vulcan nerve pinched the little girl just as she fully materialized in completed bonding. He, too,  
completed being merged and he held his breath as they drifted towards Voyager. The still ghost like Jadzia and Quark, crossed their bodies until they had Tuvok and Naomi's faces still inside their cloudy shapes. Tuvok thought to them. ::Good, this will keep our need to breathe suspended until all ships and people complete the process.::

Others began to appear next to them, still transparent if they were non original Voyager crew, but fully there if they weren't.  
Quark saw the others and shouted telepathically to the newcomers still inside the corridor flowing to the outside.  
"Non Voyagers, do this with the others!" he showed them how he and Jadzia were fogging around Naomi's and Tuvok's heads protectively, keeping out the vaccuum of space from their lungs.

In pairs, the other people drifting, rescued each other while the bonding took hold even harder.

Voyager loomed even bigger in Quark's eyes, huge, shining, angelic.  
Then he felt the Earth's sun on his face over Io, and saw it warm Voyager's hull. ::We did it!!! We're free of the ribbon. I wonder if the others got out ok..::

He glanced back down the wormhole tunnel under his dangling feet to watch for them, but then, his tiny group melted through the great starship's very hull onto the bridge beyond. He saw Harry Kim struggle a moment in space but then saw Chakotay's grandfather Necomah, ease the ensign's face into his outline. Harry relaxed as he could breathe again. He gave Quark a thumbs up once he recovered from the exposure he felt at his merging's end.

Quark felt a wrenching as his real self, dragged from his bar on Deep Space Nine, merged with him. Then he knew nothing as gentle sleep took him.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Image Attachment Voyager in clean stars and 36k

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Animation Attachment 93k

Banner Attachment paramount 2k

*  
From: "patti keiper"  
Date: Fri Mar 23, 2001 7:55pm Subject: Going down?

Kes saw the common ship fading all around her. She took Tom's arm and Neelix's and instinctively, leading them to stand near the EMH while the final melding took them.

Neelix watched Boothby manisfest as a physical hologram from his computer screen and grab Janeway and Chakotay into a huddle. He fastened O-masks onto their faces as the common ship fragmented eerily into soft bubbles around them.

Deep Space Nine broke away as did the other vessels, to return to their proper places in the Alpha Quadrant sky. Of the Liberty and to whom was aboard her, there was no sign.

The captain and commander blacked out into Boothby's grip.

The EMH gave a short order to the ship's shadow computer and he, too,  
had as many O-masks as he needed for the trip. "Here, Kes,  
you and Neelix put these on. I've got Tom. We have no non Voyager crew with us to pillow our heads from vacuum. It may not be long before you black out, too."

Kes shouted, "But what about Barclay? He's real! He will be in trouble when the shadow environmental controls fail ."

The EMH tightened his grip on helmsman, assistant and cook,  
"He can just beam back to the Argus Array. He came from there originally. I am sure he knows how to return safely.  
No doubt, he'll eventually follow us to Voyager. We all know just how badly he wanted to find her. Now he will,. for real.."

Kes chuckled, and felt herself begin to sift into physical shape,  
"Neelix,.. where should we go when we get to Earth?" she grinned.

The Talaxian smiled, "Why, I hadn't even thought of that, sweeting."  
He saw stars through her eyes that weren't really the real ones.  
"I know.. I'll go where you want to go. That is, after all the fuss dies down. No doubt they will be all over Voyager once she registers on the outer satellites sensors.. I suspect it will be a rather large bruhaha coming.. heh heheh.."

The EMH gathered his three patients in as they lost consciousness.  
Boothby, too, dragged his limp charges behind him as the two holograms shot towards the outside. The two non real men linked arms in the knot of people they held.

The holodoc screamed uncontrollably as the came up to Voyager's hull just a little too fast.. "AHHHH!!!! " His shout ended abruptly as he felt animal teeth grab his "clothes" and checked their velocity downwards. He looked down...

Molly, the Irish setter, was their unexpected rescuer. She was anchored still to the nether fog of the Nexus by a graceful black panther, who had the holodog by the tail in a chain of creatures.

The EMH smiled, "Thank you, Molly and .....er Kitty.. Just where did you come from?"

Molly wagged her tail and the great cat yowled as her grip was broken.

The hologram and out cold living party shot through Voyager's skin to the interior beyond. But their impact was mild at the worse.

Something inside caused even holographic senses to slip into a darkened standby mode.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Image Attachment irish_ 27k

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Animation Attachment 23k

Movie Attachment voy& 73k

***************************************************************

From: "Alex Delet" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Thrown Again.  
Date: Sun, 25 Mar 2001 20:52:04 +0100

"Captain Janeway..." she lilted.. "My transporter crew reports all four members of my away team are safely to sickbay.. Looks like my A-Tom's going to be fine.. Our EPH, Emergency Physician Hologram, has him stabilized."  
she studied her finely boned hands folded respectfully in front of her.  
"I regret that we won't get to meet each other face to face.. Would've ...been fun...sharing our mutual burdens.." She cast a hand around her own lost in space ship. "But it's in my power, and it'll be my deepest pleasure and to my greatest satisfaction, to get at least one of our ships, home.  
My condolences to your first officer for sacrificing his ..soulmate to my first officer.. No doubt this wolf will teach him much.." Then A-Janeway's eyes started to fill.. "Walk a sandy beach for us, Kathryn, for our Earth is two hundred years away.."

Janeway felt a tear form in her eye, many times before, she'd been faced with insurmountable odds... 70 years had seemed like the end. If it had been 200 for them, Janeway couldn't help but think that they would have given up.  
A-Janeway was already waving a hand to cut the transmission.... Kathryn considered for a second, "Promise me, you'll get them home," she said.  
There was a brief nod of recognition, before the comm channel closed.  
Chakotay turned in his chair "Comm signal has been terminated on her end."  
A bleeping started on his own console.. "A-Voyager's awaiting your signal to cut beam when Voyager gets here..." he said softly.  
Kathryn straightened in her chair. It was one of the earliest lessons Starship Captain's learned... body language was just as important as the spoken word. The look on Naomi Wildman had definitely been the deciding factor in her order to proceed.. Just as Jadzia would have known it would be. For everything she knew about emotional detachment, Janeway knew she had not been objective. At least not 100.  
Gripping the arm of her chair with one hand, Chakotay's hand with the other, Captain Kathryn Janeway buckled down for a rough ride.  
Janeway had never uttered a prayer in her life. Religion, sprits were something she'd never allowed herself to seriously consider. Kathryn didn't need an ultimate answer, she wanted to find them herself.  
But never the less, she began to recite, even if only to herself, the prayer Chakotay had taught her.  
He had obviously noticed, she suspected he'd been doing the same.  
As a console exploded in a shower of white sparks, Janeway kept her hand gripped onto her chair. If her ship was going to go through this, then she would be in the Captain's chair, feeling every buffet, and every bump in the road.  
It was the Starfleet Way.  
As another shower of sparks finally threw the Captain from her chair, she leapt up and slammed herself back into it. Modesty be damned.  
Reg started to count down, Janeway kept her vision locked directly on the viewscreen.. "Cut the beam!" she ordered, "All hands brace," No amount of bracing would prepare them for the impact she expected to come, and if it didn't work, then no amount of bracing would save them. Captain Janeway was a Realist, and not a pessimist.

From: "Cassidy Meyers" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Looks like this is our stop.  
Date: Mon, 26 Mar 2001 01:33:49 +0400

Garak had done it. The rerouting to the ship's computer was done. The infuriating interfering EMH would not know he left sickbay. He slipped out of his hospital gown, touching a few keys on the computer terminal nearest his bed.

He rematerialized inside the Voyager holodeck. Garak sighed,  
turned the key to his holodeck tailor shop and entered.  
Everything was right where he left it. All of his shiny materials, his form models with half designs, modelling upon them.

Garak went over to the counter to his latest creation, the Joan of Arc costume he had made the little girl child from Voyager's crew. A loud squeaking caught his attention, but,  
instead of getting angry Garak smiled lightly, "It's all yours my fine furry interlopers.. I.. have better places to go."  
he said to the mice running amok along the walls as their holodomain fractured into raw grid. Garak used a vestige of Nexus wishing to make the tiny costume and helmet real.  
He snatched it up and decided for the common bridge with one final task in mind.  
He stopped and took one long last look around at his little shop of intergalatic fashion, "My exile is at an end.. Give Commander Sisko and Dr. Bashir my regards.." he told it.

A salting effect began to wipe out the whole scene and the Cardassian backstepped out of the room. One more transit later with the failing merged computer on the shadowship and he was there..

Everyone had already gone into the wormhole.. Only the red alert lights glowed on the bridge in all sections of the common ship.  
Deep Space Nine wasn't even appealing for a last stop.  
Garak made straight for the Liberty's bridge space.  
On the way, he noticed what he was seeking. ::Ah, there it is.  
the good doctor's mobile emitter. It must have dropped off when he took the others into his care for the transit out.::

He scooped up the tiny device into his hands and set it reverently onto the bundle of costume he had made for Naomi.. ::I think I'll just send this along with it.. A parting gift, so to speak.::

Garak looked up at the ceiling with one foot still on the distin-  
tegrating Voyager's carpeting, =^=Computer! Where's that gardener,  
I have one last task for him to perform.=^=

Boothby appeared, albeit staticky and fuzzing in places, even his gravelly voice sounded more gravelly that ever. He was joining the shadow ship's breakdown.  
"Yes, Garak. I thought you might still be here. Come to drain my database for the entire store of information I contain for your precious Obsidian Order?"

"Not quite. Sorry to disappoint you. But, I'd much rather give up my spy potential for that..." he pointed to the viewscreen where the Nexus ribbon was reinserting itself. "Freedom from exile somehow means much much more to me than pure power.."

Boothby squinted his sparking half there eyes, "Hmmm-mm,  
I....su-pos- I -an beli-ve th-t..."

Garak held out his bundle of clothes.."Oh,,, you better do this one last thing before your holoshadow self dissolves.  
Use your transporter to send this emitter and this costume over to them on the real Voyager. I wouldn't want to disappoint a client, now would I? A tailor never misses delivering a task.."

Boothby grumbled and took the bundle.. He said a few intellible words and the Joan of Arc bundle vanished.  
"It got th-re.."

"Thankyou.. Now, au revoir my good holo.. Now go get the captain and commander off this vessel.. Save your friends.  
I've a whole life to lead ....over here.."  
Garak stepped into the Liberty's space just as Voyager and the other aspects of the shadow ship shredded into nonexistence.  
He watched as the EMH and Boothby gather up the effected crew and then they all vanished around him.

The Liberty completely reform into full shadow solidity in its place.  
He smoothly sat in the chair next to Weyoun and the others with him.."That was a bit close.. but here I am. Let's see what this ribbon can do...now shall we?"

He nodded to Suder. Who was looking more humanized than he ever had alive. ::Perhaps paradise cures all ails:: Garak mused. He closed his eyes and made his deep seated cranial implant disappear in a blink. His last shackle in a long war was finally severed.

The Liberty arced away from the ripping wormhole where shadow personnel were drifting into to merge with their Voyager starship in the real realm. The Maquis vessel had no plans, no destination but rest assured,  
she would have any goal she desired provided for her in a pico. Nexus wishes were like that.

Garak was finally free...

-------------------------------------------------------------

Jadzia felt herself jar. The last she knew since the explosion of reintegration had sent both her and Naomi Wildman to the floor.  
::The smoke is gone..:: She opened fuzzy eyes to find herself near Tuvok and Naomi, drifting down the wormhole tunnel. They were suffocating in the vacuum. ::Oh my God.. This is happening too fast for them.:: she intersected her own body's half phased self so that the little girl's head was in the stasis inside of her. Jadzia gestured the same of Quark to do for Tuvok..

::This is so unlike how we arrived in the Nexus..:: She looked behind her and saw nothing remaining behind of the common ship. She tied to herself the polyphasic transmission stream around her waist mentally. It began to tug her and Quark with Naomi and Tuvok,  
towards Voyager.. ::In here, we must still have the ribbon powers. My need happened.::

Jadzia's mind whirled with possibilities. ::Earth.. This lost crew is finally going to get there. But will I be alive on the other side? Or will I be dead in Worf's arms in Julian's sickbay?::

Jadzia knew there was no option save one. Naomi would arrive safely to Voyager and Jadzia knew she would be the one to take her there no matter the final outcome.  
::Dovin-kah. I am to die again?::

#Have no fear child, the moment has been prepared for. You will join the Sisko in the Celestial Temple to take my place. To help guide Bajor's people.#

Jadzia cradled Naomi a little tighter and smiled putting a hand to her belly. ::Then it is a good day to die..:: "See you soon, old man." she spoke aloud to the stars where she knew the Sisko would hear her. "I'll be at your side faster than you can toss and catch a baseball.....ball...ball....."

At the touch of icy starship hull, Naomi moved within, but the shadow being that had been Jadzia Dovin-kah moved out of her reality forever..

::I think I'll have fun getting into the next Kai in line's hair using my new Tear of Prophesy portal..:: said the newest wormhole entity, %JADZIA% .

%HELLO, BENJAMIN. GUESS WHO'S FINALLY COME HOME?% she smiled glowing with heavenly radiance. %BENJAMIN% smiled and held out his "hands" to her.

-  
(attachments)

Image : Garak grinning.

Image: Jadzia beaming smile.

Image: Jadzia at Benjamin Sisko's side.

*  
From: "Myron Ojala" Subject: *singing* I'm leaving on a Nexus Don't know when I'll be back again.  
Date: Sun, 25 Mar 2001 21:50:25 -0000

Weyoun heard the android speak and knew that the chance spoken was the only one available to him. In all the cosmos, he was dead, all eight clones of him in the outside denizens. If he returned to his place in the scheme of things with the Jem'Hadar, he knew now that he would perish. Lore had just told him so.

Weyoun, how are you heres? You are dead, no? One of the many from the same people. A clone. I see record in DeepspaceNine which show all of you are dead. There are no mores of you. Come with me. I think we go to Garak to see if he wish to stay in this place to.

Weyoun thought about it. ::The grand design and Temporal Prime Directive that Janeway is so fond of spouting cannot mind dead people rewriting their fates. They have no futures. So. I am staying.:: He would serve with Lore and Garak on this ghost Maquis vessel to do what he was genetically made to do. To serve. ::Maybe I can have my own Founders. Gods that I could worship who would actually care for me as a fellow being. Or should I recreate Odo?:: Weyoun decided against the constable reforming in his ribbon wishes. ::One tormentor a lifetime is enough. And I'll have no Jem'Hadar simpletons to order around. Those dolts were pathetic soldiers even in real life.::

He turned and saw a new shape leave the scrambled eggs common ship for the calm Liberty. "Lon... my friend. You've made it safely.." Weyoun took his hand and led him to a helm chair next to him. "This is your old vessel, is it not? Why don't you be her commander? I'm afraid I nor Garak know how to fly her. Your ...shall we say, unique Maquis history will now serve you in good stead." said Weyoun, elegantly inclining his head to the Betazed.

Lon took a deep breath slowly walking around the quietly waiting, fully functional bridge. He didn't even look at the shrinking wormhole on the viewer. For he would never need to see a main viewer again. There was no need for stars or navigation inside the wormhole. He did think about Tuvok. The one who made his recontinuance possible.

::May you find your family, Lieutenant.:: he send along the last of their mind meld ties. Then Suder felt Tuvok's presence snuff out as he "escaped" back onto his ship.

He felt a last message from the Vulcan. ::May you live long and--:: the last was cut off.

"Prosper, yes....." Suder whispered. "Finally, I can do just that."

Lon smiled and sat down in Liberty's command chair. "Take us out Weyoun. Let's wish the Nexus away from the Alpha Quadrant. I think it has done enough for one day. And I know everyone on board feels the same way. Let's rewrite our lives.. The way WE want them to go.."

Lon, Garak, Weyoun and the others who chose to stay Nexus shadow dreamed a trueness at last...

----------------------------------------------------------------------

(attachment)

Image: Weyoun portrait.

Image: Garak impish smile.

*********************************************************************

END WEEK ELEVEN RECAP 03-27-01

()  
WEEK TWELVE RECAP 03-27-01 {}

From: "Cory Anda" Subject: The End of the Ride-  
Date: Tue, 27 Mar 2001 22:35:37 -0000

Chakotay was on his back and he was awake.

He opened fuzzy eyes and the first thing he saw was Reginald Barclay's face framed by a starfield sprinkling he hadn't seen for a while.. "Ow.." he sighed.

"Welcome back, Commander.." Reg beamed down on him.

"Didn't know I had gone anywhere..." he quipped, grimacing at lingering traces of dizziness.

Then he realized that he was on the floor..

The Commander sat up, too fast.. The bridge spun. Barclay caught him until he shook out of it. Chakotay saw uniformed crew all around him stretched out on the floor..out cold.. "Captain?!"

He saw Janeway sprawled on the carpet in front of her chair.

"She's fine." Barclay insisted. " I- I've checked them all out as soon as I beamed over here from the Argus Ar- " he clammed up, realizing that detail wasn't important.." The tractor beam pull was a bit rough on you all, but the preprogrammed cut out kicked in just as your captain planned... Congratulations, Commander.. You did it.."

Still muzzy and confused, Chakotay murmured, "T-thanks.. I guess.." ::What do I need congratulating for?:: "Wait a minute." ::Lt. Barclay?! :: "We have a holographic program featuring a Barclay as a diagnostic computer relay tie in.." A glance at the nav station near the unconscious Tom Paris showed that all computer arrays were down. "What th-? How can you be online right now? I know this persona was the one who first got us contact with Earth.."

Barclay flung his hands wide in a pleased outletting of his breath. "I-I am not a simulation this time.. I am quite real.. I- I've waited so long for this moment to h--" he sputtered happily overcome..

"Just what happened here? We had a link with Tuvok into the Nexus and things were going well. Then,--" Then it dawned on Chakotay.. ::That's Jupiter on the viewscreen..:: He rubbed his eyes.

The lieutenant noticed what the commander was looking at. "It is quite real, Chakotay.. You..you are finally......Home..."

"What?!" Chakotay struggled to his feet and Barclay helped steady him. The Commander began a medical survey of the bridge, feeling carotids and checking to be sure people were breathing all right. "That's impossible!"

"Not any more... I assure you, your crewmates are fine. Just a little gee force black out. Oh,..and you have a few guests on board who weren't here before besides me...." Reg admitted. "They ..had to ...come." he broke off not being able to explain any simpler.

Chakotay paused after checking Tom's eyes for signs of cranial trouble, there was none. He rose and checked Tom's conn settings.. It was a standard orbit over what truly appeared to be Jupiter.. but the orbit was elliptical.. ::Can't be around the giant then.:: A quick manual sensor showed a stable circuit around... "Io? That's where we found that odd combadge with a message from what appeared to be a vessel almost identical to Voyager inside the Nexus.. We sent Tuvok on ahead into it to investigate the message and that strange ship ghost.."

"That was no ghost.." Barclay said fondly. "He made it over there to a wonderous place.." Barclay agreed, "And he set up the computer link transmitting real space coordinates into the ribbon..."

"I never understood why we were doing that..." Chakotay admitted, he knelt by a sleeping Naomi and checked her over carefully. "Smoke? I smell smoke on her.. Was there a fire on board?" Chakotay asked..

"No,, it happened over ther-- It's a long story.. What happened over there doesn't exist any more, commander. The shadows that did harbor themselves created circumstances that allowed these new crew who are not from your stranded crew to ...ah, transmute to here.. Commander.. you'll find, a Spock, Kirk, Worf, O-Brien, from their current points in time now on Voyager. There may be others... but I haven't found out who made it over here yet.."

Chakotay glared warningly..

"I-I didn't have anything to do with this,, not directly.... The Nexus... Oh, never mind. You have no memory of anything that ever happened inside of it. You couldn't have; you were in the Delta Quadrant... ah...." Barclay threw up his hands in fluttering frustration.. "Here are how things stand. We have people from the Enterprise, Deep Space Nine and other ships now on board because of that ribbon that's ...."

Barclay saw the viewscreen for the first time..".....that's no longer...here."  
::Lore and the others on the Liberty must've wished their ship and Nexus away from the solar system..:: Reg consulted the array data padd he held in his hand. There was no sign of the Nexus at all. Barclay's mouth flopped open.

"Something wrong?" Chakotay asked, "Hand me that medkit.. I wanna scan everyone here."

"N-nothing... Agh,, it's ...it's ahhh.. " Barclay cleared his throat. "Here.. you aren't going to believe me when I tell you that your friends are fine unless you see for yourself." ::Man. Should I tell him anything of the events that I shared with the shadows? Might make it kind of weird for everyone here. I know. I'll wait for Tuvok to wake up to see if he has amnesia, too.::

Chakotay flipped open a medtricorder. "The computer's offline.. the doc can't.."

"Oh yes, he can." Reg said.. The lieutenant got up, carefully stepping around fallen bridge crew to a bundle of what looked like medieval clothes, pulling out the EMH holoemitter from under the chainmail.

Chakotay wasted no time.. He snatched it and touched its controls with a micro probe. The EMH snapped to "life". "Please state the nature of the medical... oh my.. what happened here?"

Barclay just rolled his eyes at the apparent amnesia of the holodoc too. He stated the truth.. "High speed gee force blackout for all is my guess. There are no critical lifesigns.." Reg told him.

"Lucky us.. I saw the computer register a high powered tractor beam impact a few seconds before I..went offline..." the holodoc grumbled. "Not a great way to treat flesh and blood passengers."

::He doesn't remember anything either..:: Reg said. ::That might be a good thing. Now everyone can deal with the fact that they are truly..::

"We're home..." Chakotay said incredulously. "I'm reading that star as being Sol in Coordinates 00 in sector 001." The first officer had already let the EMH take over checking over the prone bodies around them. "The computers are all offline, doctor.. I want to shake the hand of who ever put you into your emitter before the computers failed, you're saving me time to try and contact Earth."

::That might be the right thing to do..:: Reg thought ironically with a smirk. He put on a straight face when Chakotay looked his way again.

Then the commander snapped into action. "Doctor, I want a report of crew casualties, numbers, statuses.. and,.. Mr. Barclay tells me we have Federations citizens from other places on board. Find them. "

"Aye..there's nothing I can do here... They are simply going to have to wake up on their own.. They are in no danger until then.." the doc concluded.

"Fine. Mr. Barclay.. I don't know how you got on board but that doesn't matter anymore. See if you can get the computer up and running again. Starfleet should know we are h--"

A roaring came over the viewscreen passive pickups and two scout class Earth sentries loomed into a close configuration, halting just short of Voyager. "Scratch that.. I want to talk to those scouts. They're probably hailing us.."

"Aye commander..I-I'll get right on it.. I don't envy them their caution.. It's not everyday a missing starship appears out of nowhere on your doorstep.." Barclay agreed.

Chakotay chuckled, his true emotions still reeling from all he found happening around him. He glanced down at Kathryn, sitting next to her. On a whim, he positioned her face gently so the first thing the unconscious captain would see when she awoke would be the viewscreen showing..... the one thing that had surely been her closest companion in her dreams of the last seven years..

"Anytime you're ready, Kathryn.. Your eyes are going to open to see the stars of HOME..." and he smiled. "At long last..."

Chakotay waited for anybody else to awaken.. or for Barclay to find the newest visitors he said were on board. "I wonder what's in store for us now?" and the grin on his face grew huge as he began to think up the endless possibilities....

----------------------------------------------------------

(attachments) Image : Chakotay talking to screened EMH.

Image : Closeup Chakotay promo shot.

Image : Janeway close, on the ground near an open medkit.

*animated gif* Viewscreen tracer light in red.

Image : Voyager soaring over rocky moon landscape with rainbow Saturn looming overhead.

*animated gif* Viewscreen tracer light in red.

**************************************************************

From: "robert catrair" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] wet and ready Date: Wed, 28 Mar 2001 00:15:53 -0000

Worf awoke in the corridor next to the shuttle bay with a bad headache.  
::Where am I?,how did I get here? where is here? and most of all why am I wet????::these are the questions going threw his mind.  
=^=Worf to Sisko,do you hear me?=^= In a man voice the he does not know,come his answer.  
=^=Worf you are not one of my crew,identity yourself?=^= =^=I am Worf of deep space nine,and of the Defiant,  
formally on the you are?=^= Worf never receive the answer as the combadge program failed.  
at this time Worf started to go to the command deck to fine out what is going on and where he is.  
As he make it to the turbo lift and find out it is not working,  
he goes up the jeffery he emerge from the tubes and fine out he not on any ship he been on before.  
Wha,is as far as he goes with the thought that he had as he see the individuals and the doctor looking on the injured people on the bridge floor."what can I do to help" he ask.  
"help repair the comm. system and restore communication with those ships" Commander Chakotay order. Worf set out at once to repair what he could.

As minutes click by the comm. system started to spit and spittle with failing comm. reports coming in and out of the area, then all of the sudden "unidentify ship answer in 2 minutes or you will be destroyed" came the word from one of the men in the ships on the main viewer.  
As Worf and the others race against time to transmit a message to the other ships =^=you have one minute to respond, 59 seconds.=^=

*  
From: "Roxy Dee" Subject: One of those days~~ Date: Thu, 29 Mar 2001 21:25:44 -0000 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Harry moaned and opened his eyes. A hand lay across his face. ::What?:: He shoved it off realizing that it was his own. ::Oh, no... Where's that tractor beam?::

Mr. Kim dragged himself to his feet ignoring the spinning world between his ears and gathered a hasty ops report from his station. The beam was gone and there was something else..

Harry gave a hoot of celebration. "We're home!! Holding stationary around Io, Position : zero nine six, Mark five., sublight standard orbit. " he called out to Chakotay and those arising to their feet.

He tried not to worry about his captain still lying there on the carpet. The EMH didn't seem concerned so he didn't let himself feel any worry past a healthy dose of vigilance.

Worf was on the bridge, working to get the Chambers coil patent. ::Just who is that?:: Kim wondered. But a quick glance at Chakotay told Kim that the big Klingon was welcome. Then the viewscreen told him a possible explanation for the lieutenant's presence..

Two Earth Scout class vessels were holding agressive orientation on the main viewer. ::Ahh!:: Kim hastily finished the algorithms Worf was working on and piped through the transmission to the speakers once communications had been fully recovered.

"I don't know who you are just yet, mister. But here's the transmitting hail of those sentries out there..." Harry said. "Chakotay, it's on speakers.."

"unidentify ship answer in 2 minutes or you will be destroyed" came the word from one of the men in the ships on the main viewer. As Worf and the others race against time to transmit a message to the other ships =^=you have one minute to respond, 59 seconds.=^=

"I got it!" Harry immediately transmitted code to them, Voyager's transponder, prefix code that no imposter would know.. ::We're friendly!! We're friendly!!:: he wished, "Commander, I have standard ID code tags sending.."

Chakotay nodded and waited for the sending vocal pickups to be mended by the Klingon and Kim. Harry asked, "Shall I lower shields?" Harry caught a disapproving look from the intimidating Worf by Tuvok's station but again Chakotay nodded..

Harry toggled shields down. A ring of residual radiation from their rapid drag into the Alpha Quadrant made both sentries turn away broadside as the lit up energy fogged toward them. Harry flashed a no danger sequence using Voyager's running lights on the outside, green, green, red.. ::No harm. No harm.::

Then, he sent a communications buoy out in front of the ship to bypass Voyager's offline internal one. "We can only send code, no visual or vocal yet, Commander. That, I'll have with this probe in a few minutes."

Harry resisted the urge to check on his fallen crewmates near him. But then the EMH saundered over to scan the ensign's torso. "You're fine, Mr. Kim, and so are they." he tossed his head, "No doubt when the comm line comes on those lackies out there will understand just who we really are. No doubt Mr. Barclay will set them straight."

"Mr. Barclay?" Kim blinked, "You mean our holo program who nearly sold Seven's nanoprobes to the Ferengi?"

The EMH angled his head, "Ah... no. He's quite...oh, never mind. Suffice it to say that this Reg is helping us. I see there's nothing wrong with your mental functioning, you caught on our orbital location fast enough. Let me know if the dizziness you have gets any worse.."

"How do you know I'm dizzy." Kim asked, matter of factly.

The hologrpahic physician just pointed down, Harry noticed that he was gripping his console with both hands so tightly, that his fingers were white. "Oh... uh, I will."

The EMH added another tidbit, "You are ops officer. Here's the bridge standing right now. We've other Federation guests according to the Barclay who's stepped out. Why don't you see where and who they are on sensors.." the doctor gently reminded. "I see the commander has those two trigger happy vessels out there to pacify.. You've done what you could until the comm goes up."

Harry found himself obeying.."Do you know what's really going on here with those strangers?"

"No. Excuse me..I am reading Tuvok's coming out of it.. He's going to need to be roused out of trance any moment." And the doctor got busy waiting to slap Tuvok into wakefulness on the other side of the bridge.

Harry toggled his comm links. Nothing. "The big guy's still not quite done." Then Kim brainstormed, he hit his combadge.. "Ensign Kim to all persons on all decks, report in via combadge. Condition grey is in effect." ::That'll give me an idea for the commander who we have on the ship and it'll let any strangers know that we are in communications blackout to the outside temporarily..::

A whiny Ferengi voice was the first to reply to Kim. "Would somebody please explain why I was beamed off Deep Space Nine to be on this starship?! I've a bar to run!!"

::Oh, boy...:: Kim thought. ::This getting home business isn't turning out like I imagined it to be. No ticker tape displays, no crowds of civilian hobbyists who've kept up on Voyager's plight. The ensign got set his answer to the man, "Come to this vessel's bridge, and we'll tell you just as soon as we find out how you got on board. Mr..mr..?"

"Quark,.. Fine, Hu-man. I'll be right there, and your captain better have a good explanation for this or I'm going to run up charges of kidnapping so fast your thick mammalian hair'll curl!!"

Kim winced, ::One stranger found, how ever many to go... This is going to be a loooonnnngg day.:: -  
(attachments)

Image : Voyager crew Season Two Promo shot

Gif: Star Trek Voyager title logo

Gif : Official Paramount logo

*  
From: "patti keiper" Subject: Face Value.  
Date: Sat, 31 Mar 2001 07:12:30 -0000

Kes stirred from her place on the bridge. ::What happened here?:: Then she saw the forward viewscreen. "Those are Earth ships." she said to herself. She saw the EMH attending to those not yet awake so she availed herself to stand by a computer terminal showing their position to galatic center. ::They're home!:: she decided. She turned a switch and a single monitor showed the glow of the Earth sun that Kes had never known.

Neelix too, was soon on his feet. Kes was in awe of the light of the star. "Neelix, look at this... *see sound bite..*

The Talaxian was still groggy and grinned, "It sure is. Now, I should be an ambassador to these new people here.."

"What new people?" Kes asked. Neelix pointed fearfully towards Worf's position at tactical. The EMH had awakened Tuvok with some healthy slaps to rouse him out of a healing trance. Kes frowned, "Now I wonder why Mr. Tuvok needed to be in a trance in the first place..." She wandered over to the Lt. Commander's side as the EMH checked him over. She saw that Chakotay was busy with Worf in getting the exterior sub space comm system on line. She didn't wish to disturb them. Then she saw Harry make the ships hovering in front of them more at ease with flashing code using Voyager's running lights and dropping shields.. ::How clever..:: she thought.

She and Neelix moved forward.."A-Are you all right, Mr. Vulcan?" Neelix asked him.

Tuvok raised an eyebrow, "That question is subjective at best, Mr. Neelix, it depends on the current state of temporality the ship may still be in.. However, I.....seem to be.....fine. Thankyou.."

Kes frowned, "What do you mean temporality? Did we hit some sort of anomaly that caused us to black out?"

Tuvok raised his other eyebrow. "Interesting.. Do you remember anything of the Nexus ribbon?"

Both Kes and Neelix looked at each other and shrugged before shaking their heads.

"I see.. Well, I shall put that all down in my report. Suffice it to say, that was an anomaly of sorts which allowed us to arrive here... in the Alpha Quadrant.." Tuvok then noticed the sentries on the main viewer. He got updated from a quick squirt of data from Ensign Kim on tactical. "Excuse me for a moment."

Tuvok went over to Chakotay's side and the two with Worf and others started talking over the comm system problem. A very short time later, the communications fault was overridden.

Tuvok replied to the vessels on the viewer at Chakotay's nodded permission, "To the scout class ships off our port bow. This is Commander Tuvok....of the Starship Voyager. If you check with Starfleet Command, you will find out that we have been missing for almost seven years. But we have been in indirect contact with Earth for four point three standard months in a series of monthly communiques.. Please verify with your superiors.."

Tuvok glanced at Janeway who was not yet awake.. ::I wonder if she is injured?:: he thought to himself while the tiny guard craft on the viewer consulted with higher ups..

Then a voice spoke, "Starship Vessel, you will accompany us to sector six Heading Mark 5.4 by 21.. Keep your shields down and thrusters one quarter sub light."

Kes's mouth flopped opened, "They don't believe it's us!"

Neelix hushed her, "Would you? If a missing legend suddenly appeared like snow in summer in front of you? Give them time, sweeting, they'll come around. If I've learned anything about these humans at all, they first are sure about what they are looking at before they react."

::I hope so..:: Kes sighed.

She and Neelix waited to see what the others around them would do next. Kes stood by for the EMH if a medical problem showed itself.

She was all business then Neelix offered a truly in character insight, "Gee I wonder what I should wear for when they escort us planetward for the big party. ooooo, I don't even know what I should pack!" his voice rose steadily higher until Kes shooed him from the bridge like a mother hen. -  
(attachments)

Image : Neelix burning breakfast with Janeway watching.

Audio : K- Isn't it beautiful?  
Image : Voyager in orbit over Earth.

**********************************************************

From: "Alex Delet" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Never Nearer Date: Sun, 1 Apr 2001 00:26:11 +0100 "Anytime you're ready, Kathryn.. Your eyes are going to open to see the stars of HOME..." and he smiled. "At long last..."

Chakotay waited for anybody else to awaken.. or for ?Barclay to find the newest visitors he said were on board. "I wonder what's in store for us now?" and the grin on his face grew huge as he began to think up the endless possibilities....

Kathryn caught the snatch of conversation, in between the thumping sound. Feeling her back pressed against something with a corner, Janeway shifted herself, and opened her eyes.  
She could have sworn, the thumping sound in her ears stopped, for a second.  
Earth.  
::Did we make it?:: Janeway asked herself. They'd come close, but it was almost too good to be true. ::Is it?:: she questioned herself.  
"..Chakotay," she managed. Reaching out for a handhold, she pulled herself up.  
"Steady," instantly, there was a hand on her arm, guiding her upward, to her Chair. It was the Doctor.  
Kathryn did a visual sweep. Everybody seemed to be in one piece, albeit, a little shaken up. :: Rough Ride:: she decided.  
Spurred on by Chakotay's comment. Voyager's Captain started to consider the possibilities. Some of the people had remained on board, and had arrived back on Earth with them. Janeway didn't even try to work out the temporal or quantum effects of that. But allowed herself to indulge in the emotions of getting home.  
Finally, she snapped herself back to business mode.  
"Report," she asked.  
Harry was quick to answer, "We're home!" he announced, "Sensors confirm it," he continued, "Two Scouts are holding position infront of us, but the Comm is down,"  
Janeway continued not to outwardly show any reaction, they'd come close before....so close they could almost touch home... Seven, Tom, her Maquis crewmembers... what would happen to them. Starfleet would no doubt pardon them. If she had any influence. However, that was about as far as she allowed herself to speculate, and plan.  
Finally, her ship was whole again. the Common Bridge had never been ideal.. Gradually, the idea of being home sank in. Everything that had been in the back of her mind for Seven Years... Managing to stand, Janeway rushed through to her Ready Room. A few of the officers tagged along.  
It became real, when Janeway glimpsed Earth through the view-ports. They must have close, calculations must have been specific. She'd never had an extended look at Earth, from Voyager...well, not since they'd left here the first time.  
Straightening her uniform, briefly considering what would happen, Janeway walked back onto the bridge, and took her seat, hoping the comm-system would be online ::the next few minutes should answer some questions:: she thought absent mindedly, hoping, things were as they appeared.

From: Cassidy Meyers  
Date: Sun Apr 1, 2001 5:04am Subject: Where were you when?

Date: Sat, 31 Mar 2001 20:27:36 -0800 (PST) From: Cassidy Meyers Subject: Where were you when...?

Counselor Deanna Troi knew exactly where she was when it happened. ::How can I not know?:: she said as she glued her eyes to the news vid above the service counter. ::I am on leave to Earth, Kuala Lampur and it's 16:09 and there's a mineral water with honeydew in my left hand. I am wearing my gray swimsuit with purple kaftkan throw and fifteen people have just registered shock and amazement at something they all saw on the newsvid.::

Her instincts as a counselor had prepared her for a the usual lack of good taste reporters usually had for covering disasters of great magnitude, but the unshielded delight she was now feeling from someone shot down that theory. The odds of a sadist viewing catastrophe were so low, Deanna dismissed it right away.

::Oh my god..:: she said. The outer solar system imagers near Jupiter in the asteroid belt was showing an impossibility. It was an outline that Troi knew well from her most frequent patient. ::It's Voyager.. I don't believe it. ::

Then her eyes shot to her chronometer, noting the time again. "Oh no,.." she said aloud, "Reg's at work on the Argus Array. He's bound to s---"

Troi slammed down her guest credit voucher fiver on the bar and told the barkeep in the pirate patch to keep the change and she raced her way over to a communications panel embedded in a palm tree.

She just edged out a portly trader woman from comm-ing her family about the fantastic news when Troi flashed her Starfleet medical emblem in the woman's face to gain use of the unit first.

"Geesh.." the woman complained, "You official type's sure know overkill, waving your ident in the air for one teeny tiny starship coming home again. Of all the nerve..."

Troi shushed her with a hand as her other one punched the proper ID to McKinley Station orbitting the Utopia Planetia shipyards to link her to Project Pathfinder headquarters.  
She impatiently went through all of the security protocols.  
"Yes, yes.. I know this is indeed an emergency. My patient's bound to have a major relapse over this. I must speak with Reginald Barclay immediately... Yes,  
I'll hold..."

Troi glowered at the ocean in front of her and less so at the eager to gossip about it lady next to her. She struck a this is confidential pose to the lady and soon the fellow vacationer spotted a nearby comm unit down the path from the bar. Troi waved her thanks when she left to use that comm vid.  
::Come on.. Come on.. Barclay's bound to do something stupid over this like try to beam on board Voyager from the Array in spite of regulations. It would be just like him.::

Soon, the base receptionist came on line. "Everthing's fine with the Lieutenant, counselor. He's in a meeting with Admiral Keating and the heads of Pathfinder right now. I cannot disturb them."

Troi bit her lip, "Are you sure it's him?"

"What?" the kindly security secretary asked.

"I mean... my patient's been known to give his superiors the slip to go on one of his obsessions before. Can you make sure he's not a hologram?"

Troi held her hand over the speaker in the console to muffle the resulting outburst."....to let you know that I am receiving full lifesign readings from everyone in the room and don't use starfleet channels again unless this is official business for the duration of this situation... "

Troi hummed and hawed her way past the cranky desky.  
::At least if Barclay's gone over to them. He's back with news.  
But I think I'd get on over there to be nearby just in case he needs me. No doubt they're going to tow the starship into Utopia for a thorough going over and crew debriefing. The last lost starship that turned up ended up there..::

Deanna shrugged and decided to use her rank and status to get first row seats at the base Voyager was most likely headed.  
::Who's to say that poor wayward crew won't need a little counseling to help them realize that they really are home:  
she smiled. ::No doubt they didn't get home without some injury emotionally along the way as well as bodily. I can help there, too.::

In fifteen minutes, Troi was on board an interplanetary official recovery shuttle bound for Planetia to await the arrival of the miracle ship.

--------------------------------------------------------

Right away, Deanna caught something amiss. A jangling of pure anger and fright jarred her sensibilities as the passenger shuttle took on more gapers and officials and officers going to meet Voyager's arrival into escorted space dock.

"I tell you. I am cleared to GO to Voyager. Here's my orders. I've just come from Deep Space Nine on Commodore Nerys's authority.  
My husband was taken by an unknown effect and his last words to me was that he could see a corridor of Voyager beyond. Now LET ME ON THIS SHUTTLE!"

Deanna wasn't slow to come to the woman's rescue. She took the woman's arm, flashed her ident and navigated her to the seat next to hers. "I'll handle this. I am taking custody of this woman. Yes,  
I assume full responsibility for her.." she told the guards trying to stop the oriental humanoid from going anywhere.

Reluctantly, the lackeys let Keiko O'Brien go.  
Troi, "Now, my dear. Tell Deanna what's wrong..."

At that, Keiko O'Brien let loose a flood of tears and collapsed against Troi's shoulder.. "It's true.. One minute my husband and I were sharing Irish stew with Molly and the baby over the dinner table, the next, he was fading out murmuring something about seeing Voyager's corridors. Then I saw him black out just before he faded away... They all say I'm crazy.."

Deanna took the woman's hand gently in a firm squeeze,  
"I can firmly say that you aren't.. If anything, you are telling the truth.. Don't worry. If you're husband's ended up on Voyager through some weird space effect. We're going to find him. I've the perfect bloodhound. His name is Reginald Barclay and he's got the uncanny knack of finding that ship no matter where she really is.."

Keiko and Troi exchanged mutual smiles and instantly became fast friends.

Two hours later. The two women were in the official throng awaiting the arrival of Voyager at Utopia Planetia from the outer most planets once she was cleared of the peculiar radiation that was found clinging to her hull by the first two sentries to find her there hanging over Jupiter.

The USS Nightengale was there to handle any medical needs for Voyager's crew. Sensors had shown most were unconscious.

Deanna and Keiko's shuttle even beat that rescue craft to the staging area. Troi smiled, "It's not like I used my extensive powers of persuasion to urge the pilots along a little faster.."

-----------------------------------------------

(attachments)

Image : Season seven Troi promo

Audio : T- I have never felt anything quite like this before..

*animated gif* A Computer scan showing ship's integrity.

*  
From: "Cassidy Meyers" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Riker to the Rescue!  
Date: Mon, 02 Apr 2001 04:43:43 +0400

Tandem THREE Way post via HOTMAIL messenger WITH "Samantha"  
, "Tim" , and "Patti"  
live communication linked SECBOT.

Characters Involved :

denotes free use character

Tuvok Boothby

Admiral Owen Paris Kes Neelix Will Riker

and introducing Tim's second MAIN,

Data

----------------------------------------------------------

It was shortly after the newsvids flashed Voyager's image Federation wide.

Will Riker was aboard Utopia Planetia overseeing the Sovereign Class, USS Enterprise's refit. Starfleet Engineering was assisting in gleaning the Borg Technology from various parts of the Enterprise.  
With Captain Picard planetside on Earth at his home in Paris, France.

"This is Commander Riker, In Command of the USS ENTERPRISE Please acknowledge." he hailed once again to the silent ship.

Kes turned as Neelix walked away from her to leave the evident stress on the bridge. She had heard Tuvok get the sentries hail to follow them in to specified coordinates.::I wonder where that is:: The she heard another hail from one of the ships on the main viewer.

"I repeat this is Commander William Riker of the USS ENTERPRISE.  
Data are you sure that is the VOYAGER?"

Tuvok stepped forward, "Mr. Worf, is that comm repaired yet? If so, put it online.." his posture was tight even for him.  
The Vulcan waited for the telltale click and then he spoke softly.  
"This is Commander Tuvok. We read you. Our chambers coil overloaded,  
Please access the communications buoy we've sent in front of us."

On board the other starship, the big man in red and black sighed.  
"Data access the commnications Buoy." Riker said standing up from the command chair.

The never changed android replied instantly.  
"Aye sir. Re-routing commnications through the buoy."

Riker nodded,"Commander Tuvok, this is Commander Riker. May I ask your status?"

Tuvok watched for Chakotay's high sign to take the conn. Tuvok noted that Chakotay wanted to follow Janeway's departure into the ready room.

The Vulcan replied, "Our shields are down.  
About one third of the crew is unconscious due to gee force blackout. We require medical assistance. Our structural integrity is intact. It seems " he commented, raising one eyebrow, "That only I and my captain can report on events on how we arrived here. The rest of the crew seems to have amnesia." he said, noting Kes's agreeing shrug and Harry's look of puzzlement.

"Prepare to receive Medical Away teams, Commander Tuvok." Riker said. Then Data cut in,"Commander, Sensors are picking up lifesigns other than the proper crew. And they apparently also register one Klingon."

Will knew that was impossible. He frowned. Data, unnoticed,  
tried to mimick the expression next to him from his seat.

Tuvok's perceptive ears caught on to the comment.. "It also appears we have Federation citizens on board, Number unknown. How they arrived on board is also... unknown.."

Kes glanced up and remembered Neelix's earlier nervousness at the sight of the big klingon.

She felt Wil Riker's eyes sweep over her odd ears and appearance. She subconsciously pulled hair away from her face.

Riker folds his arms,"We'll discuss this all at your debriefing Mr Tuvok. Admiral Paris has been informed of your arrival. What is the status of Captain Janeway?"

Kes spoke up to Tuvok.. "She's in the ready room. The EMH is with her finishing up her medical exam scan. She has just regained consciousness."

------------------------------------------------------------

Admiral Paris paced the floor of the main office at Utopia Planetia. He took another look out the viewport at the empty docking bay that, minutes ago, was hastily reserved for the Intrepid Class Voyager.

Owen threw his hands up in the air. Exiting the office,  
he made his way down to the command center to get some answers. His presence on the base wasn't known to most of the crew there, and they hesitated in acknowledging him as he passed.

The Admiral took no notice to this and quickly entered the command center. "What's going on!?" he shouted,  
into the commlink to Riker and Data's ship.

The android rose both brows and smirked ironically at the high brass ire he was hearing echoing from his com station.  
Data spoke up,"Sir, We are receiving commnications from Admiral Paris."

Riker rolled his eyes at his friend in a like-I-didn't-  
guess-that-already air, but he pulled his face properly Starfleet for his next order.  
"Data, go to split screen." He waited for the Admiral to form on the viewer. While he waited, he kept up recovery operations for Voyager, " Commander Tuvok you should be receiving medical teams as we are speaking."

He subsconsciously straightened when the stern Admiral's face appeared larger than life on his bridge screen.  
"Admiral Paris. This is Commander Riker onboard the Enterprise.  
This is our current situation..."

The Vulcan was only half listening, he had heard the name "Paris" and he nodded to Kes to check out the unconscious Tom Paris near him once more. :: No doubt the admiral would be distressed to see his son out cold on the deck with no one attending him.::

Kes nodded and took her medikit to the helmsman's side. He was fine.. "All vitals normal, Commander. It would be best not to wake him with medication.. He's only just out of shock."

Tuvok nodded, listening to the two men's images in front of him.

Admiral Paris quickly straightened his tunic and approached the screen's pickups.  
"Commander Riker, I want some answers and I don't have all day to wait for them."

"Admiral, That's what we're getting sir. I request that a meeting be held here aboard the Enterprise. Mr Data will oversee the arrangements." Riker said angling his head.

"Do it. I want to know exactly how Voyager got back." he kept a stern emotionless look on his face, but all the while thoughts of his son were racing through his mind.

::A briefing, so soon:  
Tuvok spoke up, "May I remind you that Voyager is not secure;  
with an unknown number of crew not her own on board. Our own officers and crew need to be attended to as soon as possible.  
Admiral.. sir, " Tuvok tried not to look down floorward toward Kes and Voyager's helmsman. "With all due respect.. your son is on board.. "

At the sound of Lt. Cmdr. Tuvok's voice, Owen eased up a bit.  
"Thank you Cmdr." No trace of his worry was evident on the outside.

Wil Riker was continuing to be informed of the Enterprise's sensor readings of Voyager. Tuvok added his own, just discovered insights.  
"I am reading Ferengi as well as Mr. Worf here. Commander Riker do you not know him? I remember he served on board the Enterprise D with you for many years."

"Yes I know him Mister Tuvok. I served with him for seven years."  
Wil said, smiling at the man he saw at Voyager's science station.

Worf did not reply, knowing the time for silence.

Owen blinked at a thought.  
"Ferengi? What are they doing on board?"

Kes waved two medtechs over to Tom and they rolled him over onto his back. She couldn't help but feel sympathy to a man who could not show fatherly concern at the moment on account of his rank and image.. She concentrated on showing the strange admiral that Tom was fine with her body posture and manner.  
"Our ops officer, Harry Kim said his name was Quark.."

Riker then thought ::Quark? He owes me five bars of Latinum:: He grinned remembering the little detour back on DS9 about a few years ago that incited the debt.

Data nodded his head, toggled a few switches at the comm board.  
"Sickbay reports ready to take Voyager personnel, Commander."

Wil missed nothing,  
"Admiral, We're making arrangments for Voyager's command crew to beam over to the Enterprise for debriefing. "

Tuvok said, "Our EMH advised not to move the unconscious crew,  
would you fashion an away team to our location?"  
He said pointing to Tom Paris on the floor as an example." My captain's only just awakened."

The admiral just looked at Data through the transmission.

"Concurred sir. " said Data. "We'll send away teams, Commander.  
Those that can beam over to the Enterprise,.." he said thinking,  
"I'll have arrangements made for them only. Admiral, would you care to join us there?"

"No thankyou, Data. Mr. Tuvok. Keep me advised at all times."

Tuvok nodded, "I will endeavor to try. Admiral, we have ship's logs we can download to you to add to those you received from the weekly transmissions to the Pathfinder project." He nodded to Kim who sent the data to both the Enterprise and the shipyard crisply, nodding when the squirt was sent through the aiding communications buoy.

Riker looked at Data,"Link up our computers with Voyager's to get that." He turned back to the main screen.  
"When can you come over Mr Tuvok?"

The android looked at Tuvok, "Thank you Commander.  
I'm receiving that information now."

"If you don't mind Commander Data. I will be going with you. I haven't seen my son in seven years.." he sighed to the android who offered him a place to go nearer to Voyager. "I can wait a little until he's on his feet again and for him to decide to join me on the Enterprise."

Riker nodded at the admiral's choice.  
"We are receiving the Voyager logs information as well,  
Admiral." He held out a hand indicating his command deck.  
"Whenever you're ready to come aboard."

"Admiral, It would be a honor." added Data.

"I will Commander. Expect an engineering party from the yards as soon as you are within transporter range."  
Admiral Paris nodded to an officer off screen to set up the party to the Enterprise.

Tuvok was lost to the niceties. He held up a hand.  
"Feel free to beam over with the medical party. Tom,  
is on the bridge."

Aside, Data mumbled to his superior once Owen was off screen.  
"Commander Riker, I feel it is imperative you and I beam over to the Voyager." Data said suggesting it.

"Very Well Data," Riker, deep down, could admit to some curiosity at seeing a living legend returned to the fold. He smile broadly.  
"Commander Tuvok, We'll be beaming over shortly."

Tuvok nodded, "We shall await you."

"Alright, Riker out. Let's go Mr Data. We don't want to be late."

---------------------------------------------------------------

Kes knelt down by Tom and whispered into his ear. "Your father's nearby. He'll be here before you know it when you awaken.. Everything's going to be all right." She said,  
taking Paris's hand. "This time, we are really, finally home."

She didn't see him react at all but remembered the EMH telling her that anything said to someone with anything short of coma would hear.

-----------------------------------------------------------

"I will leave you to your crew and Captain, Commander Tuvok. "Oh, and Commander. Welcome home."  
Riker finalized before closing the connection to Voyager.

The Admiral watched Tuvok give a nod and before he, too, cut the link he had to Voyager's split screen.

The two Enterprise officers exited the bridge,"Mister Daniels you have the bridge." said Riker.

Data paused before speaking in the turbolift as they were carried toward Enterprise's transporter room.  
"Commander, It is not right for Commander Worf to be on Voyager."

"I concur, Data, if there was someway to explain it. Worf belongs on Deep Space Nine. Now some weird spatial fluke has him and others on Voyager. How would you explain THAT to Admiral Paris?"

Data had no ready answer.

------------------------------------------------------------

Things on the outside, to observers ,was nothing short of miraculous. To onlookers, they saw Voyager, scarred and glowing from extradimensional radiation, being towed by the sentries. She was flanked by her sistership the Enterprise E to her rescue mooring. Enterprise found her place mooring alongside.

There were many who came just to gape to Utopia Planetia.  
But security was tight. Only official military and medical personnel were allowed near the lost starship who had finally come home.

Kes awaited events like none other she had known in her short life. Kes wondered what Janeway was thinking even deep in her briefing with those who had followed her into the readyroom. ::I wish I could see her face:  
:: This is beautiful beyond words. I had no idea Starfleet was so big..::

-------------------------------------------------------------

As the ENTERPRISE E was escorting Voyager, Riker thought,  
::It has been nearly 7 years since they left.:: he said amazed.  
He noted his crew around him as they made their way to beam out. Many people on the Enterprise were looking out at Voyager.

Will Riker and Data were just about ready to transport aboard Voyager.

"Energize." Riker ordered and moments later both he and Lieutenant Commander Data arrived in the transporter room of the USS VOYAGER. The air was surprising well tended in spite of the length of time since she had a refit.  
No smoke. No organic taint twisted his nose.

He and Data froze on their disks while the medical teams were dispersing,"See to the wounded and assist the EMH." The Enterprise's first officer instructed. "Data, let's go to the bridge."

Boothby came online, startling both visitors in the hallway. "Finally the big brass. About time you got here. I was beginning to wonder if Earth had been taken over by the Jem'Hadar.."

"Boothby?" Riker frowned, staring at the disembodied face keeping pace with them from the computer panels along the wall.

"Yes Commander It is the Academy Groundskeeper." said Data innocently.

Boothby grinned toothily.  
"A holosimulation actually, a command consult program.  
You should know android, the admiral helped design me."

Riker shook his head, :: A lot must have happened in the Delta Quadrant for Voyager's command crew to feel the need to use the counseling program Boothby:  
As the investigating officer to the away mission,  
Wil was going to hear alot of new things.

Boothby grumbled, "Janeway enabled me a few weeks ago when things got real hairy.." as if he read Riker's thoughts.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Moments later Riker and Data stepped onto the bridge of the USS VOYAGER. "I'm Commander William Riker from the Enterprise, This is Commander Data."

Tuvok stood from the center seat, "The admiral did not come with you?"

"No Mr Tuvok, he is on the station right now, awaiting our report,  
he'll be on the Enterprise in 16 hours."

Data spoke up, "We were just on testing runs when we encountered this vessel." he said anticipating Tuvok's unspoken question as to why Starfleet's premiere flagship was doing so close to Sector OO1.

Kes smiled at the two men. "I'll let Janeway know you are here.." and she jogged up the steps into the ready room.

------------------------------------------------------------

It was almost a quarter of an hour later and there was still no adverse word about his son's condition. Owen began to relax.  
::My boy's fine then.:: Unable to keep still, Owen walked out of the command center on the station in deep thought.

He was interrupted by a message over the comm directed to him.  
"Admiral, we've received a transmission from an... Ensign Tom Paris on board Voyager from... a year and a half ago?  
I've sent it to your quarters."

"Thank you Lt. I'm on my way there now." With his curiosity spiked, he made his way towards the guest suite assigned to him upon his arrival to the fleet yards.

Entering his temporary quarters, Admiral Paris hesitated a moment but finally went over to the computer terminal. Not wanting to sit at the desk, he downlaoded the letter from his son onto a data PADD and walked over to the replicator.  
Ordering a drink he sat down on the couch and began to read through it.

Leaning back more on the couch, Owen read over the last few lines and sighed. It was just like Tom to get himself into to trouble.

Yet, for him to explain to his father what had happened was odd, almost unheard of.

A small part of him felt....paternal pride..

-------------------------------------------------------------

Voyager's bridge was the center of recovery operations.

Walking over to Worf, Riker spoke,"Commander do you recognize me? I'm Wil Riker."

He was interrupted by Harry announcing an unauthorized communication to Admiral Paris's locale.

Boothby thumbed a finger into the air.. "That's autosent to the admiral.. Our esteemable helmboy sent it to transmit from the brig logs once Voyager was in range of Earth.  
He programmed it one point four years ago..."

"Mister Data?" asked Tuvok,"Shortly after Voyager's disappearance, did Starfleet Science Command launched a SIMA or Saturn Imaging And Communications Probe? I was just wondering because your sentry scouts were here in under four point one seconds and had Voyager thoroughly surrounded.  
Admirable speed."

"It's worked wonders as a early device for system alert."  
Riker explained then switched tracks dismissing the subject,"Mister Tuvok, I'd like to meet Captain Janeway and get started on your debriefing."

"She's in her ready room. Our med assistant,Kes, has just gone there to tell her of your arrival. If you please."  
The Commander indicated the proper doorway.

"Data, please oversee repair teams. I'll be with Captain Janeway." Riker clarified.  
Data nodded,"As you wish, Commander. .  
...Mr Tuvok? Your status?" Data was heard saying as Wil entered the ready room.

Boothby grinned in the background at the same time,  
"We have a lot of work to do Data. I can use someone who's reflexes are refreshingly artificial...."

And the doors snapped shut on that last comment carrying to Rikers ears.

Entering the Ready Room he said,"Captain Janeway, I'm Commander William T. Riker from the USS Enterprise.  
I'm here to investigate your return. Medical teams from the Enterprise are assisting in medical relief efforts. Lieutenant Commander Data is overseeing repairs to your ship..."

He waited for her to reply from her close conference with Chakotay and the others in the room.

(attachments)

Image : Commander Riker in his chair.

Image: Closeup of Admiral Owen Paris

Gif : Banner asking- Do you love startrek?

Image : Data in Gold

*animated gif* : Quark with shifting eyes.

Image : Boothby and Chakotay in a photo in the academy gardens.

Image : Kes and Neelix in a hug promoshot.

*

END WEEK TWELVE RECAP 04-05-01

(}

WEEK THIRTEEN RECAP 04-05-01 {}

*  
From: "Belle Carmen Paris" chief_ Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Waking up Date: Mon, 02 Apr 2001 19:37:14 -0000

She started to wake up, finding herself laying across a console. It was a most unpleasent sensation. She pushed herself off the console, glancing around astrometrics and quickly reganing her bearings. She reached up with her right metal-covered hand and pushed back the whisps of blond hair that had managed to get loose from her french twist and fall into her eyes. She then started to take sensor sweeps, her metal eyebrow raising in disbelief as she saw them near Earth. Her hand went to her comn badge.

"Seven to Captain Janeway."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

She( Samantha Wildman ) came to on the floor of the lab where she had been working. She rolled over and reached up, using the lab table for support as she slowly got to her feet and looked around. She ran her hands through her hair as she sized up the damage in the science lab. It wasn't too bad, a few things would need to be replaced, but nothing permanintly damaged. Her next thoughts were of her daughter.

"Computer, location of Naomi Wildman."

#Naomi Wildman is on the Bridge.#

She grabbed an emergency medi-kit and rushed out the door, dashing down the corridor and into the nearest turbolift.

"Bridge."

She steped from the lift a moment later and rushed to her daughter's side. She gently brushed Naomi's hair out of her face with one hand as she held her tricorder with the other, scanning her with it. Satsified that her daughter was all right she let out a sigh of relief, then looked to Kes and the EMH to see if there was any way that she could be of help.

*  
From: "Alex Delet" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Eventful Day Date: Mon, 2 Apr 2001 21:53:47 +0100

Entering the Ready Room he said,"Captain Janeway, I'm Commander Willam T. Riker from the USS Enterprise.  
I'm here to investigate your return. Medical teams from the Enterprise are assisting in medical relief efforts. Lieutenant Commander Data is overseeing repairs to your ship..."

Captain Kathryn Janeway had her back to the door - but she knew, before he spoke, who had entered her ready room.  
Kes had come ahead to tell her, but Janeway kept things tight, and nobody every boarded a Starship, without the Captain knowing about it, or finding out.  
She turned around, her hands behind her back. Nodded as Chakotay and other select members entered the room. Still maintaining the protocol, nobody spoke before the Captain.  
Maintaining a moment of silence, Janeway gracefully stepped downward, and offered a firm handshake to Commander Riker.  
"Welcome Aboard," Janeway was willing to indulge the pleasentries for only a few seconds, "I understand our injuries were minor," she remarked. Noting that Medical relief might not be the only thing on the minds of the teams. , "But we certainly appreciate the help, and repairs," Janeway let her gaze rest on a lighting panel which had given up, and shut down.  
Janeway stood up, and left her seat, nodding to Chakotay, she gestured for Commander Riker to follow her to the viewscreen, "It was quite a surprise," he said to her, as she frowned after glimpsing the Tactical Situation unfolding on the viewscreen.  
Janeway wasn't surprised, Starfleet had been rocked by war, founders...or something, she remembered from the situation report they'd... :: was it you? Or are you a shadow?:: that had been received in the DQ.  
"What happens now, Commander?" she asked, as they began to walk toward the table.

***********************************************************************

From: Timothy J Sowards Subject: Re: [voyagerliveaction] Eventful Day Date: Mon, 2 Apr 2001 17:14:17 -0700

"What happens now, Commander?" she asked, as they began to walk toward the table.  
"Command has instructed that a debriefing take place aboard the Enterprise and we're to hold station at McKinley for your repairs to take place. Also I've been ordered to bring you up to speed as to the events that have taken place. Since there is a time lag between Command's reports to you and what has taken place. The Borg have attempted to strike again at Earth."

Riker went on to describe some of the changes that took place around the galaxy. "We're still exploring the galaxy Captain. That's one thing that won't change. Admiral Paris is going to be present at the debriefing.

From: Fran Catrair Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Uncertainties Date: Mon, 2 Apr 2001 22:38:02 -0700 (PDT)

As she became aware of her surroundings, B'Elanna stretched her legs and felt pain all over.  
::Oh...what just hit me?:: she thought, moaning slightly. ::Maybe I'd better tone down the level of that program on the holodeck.:: she concluded. As she slowly became aware of her surroundings, she realized she was not on the holodeck; but was crumpled on the floor in engineering. She noticed others around her were still unconscious. Then, she began to remember the tractor beam they had extended into space. "Must have been one h#ll of a ride." Torres muttered to herself.

Going over to the station by the warp core, she began to analyze the situation. Everything seemed normal. Systems seemed to have come through everything with surprising ease. She noted the readings on her console and did a double take. She checked them again. She moved over to another console and checked a third time. According to the readings, they were back in the Alpha Quadrant. ::How can this be?:: she thought to herself.

=^=Torres to Bridge.=^= she called out.  
=^=Tuvok, here. Glad to hear you are all right,  
Lieutenant.=^= he said.  
=^=What's going on? According to my readings, we are in the Alpha Quadrant? Is there a malfunction up there?=^= she asked.  
=^=Negative, Lieutenant. We are, indeed, in the Alpha Quadrant. Why don't you come up here and see for yourself? You are needed up here for the debriefing,  
anyway.=^= Tuvok finished.  
=^=On my way. Torres out.=^= she concluded, gathering herself; straightening out her uniform and heading to the bridge.

As she headed down the corridor, her mind began to race. ::Home?:: she thought. They had never thought they would make it back. As much as she was happy to be back home, she knew of the complications. She was worried, wondering what would be done to her, Chakotay and the other former Maquis members. Would they be accepted by Starfleet? Would they be arrested? And,  
there was her personal life to consider. What would this development mean for her and Tom? For their yet unborn child? To Tom's father? To her father, who she hadn't seen for years? Her meandering thoughts began to put her nerves on edge. As she rounded a corner, she bumped into a crewman, who was dashing eagerly down the hall. When they came to their feet,  
B'Elanna glared at him, and his youthful exuberance. "Slow down there, crewman, no need to run." she growled. He was stumbling upon his apologies as she continued on down the hallway.

Entering the turbolift, she continued her musings. As the doors opened onto the bridge, she noticed all the activity. However, what stood out for her was the viewscreeen in front of her, with a picture of Earth in front of her. She also noticed the other Federation vessels in front of the ship. Despite herself, she felt an uneasy, nervous feeling in her stomach. Panning her gaze down a little, she noticed Tom was still lying unconscious on the floor, with Kes attending to him. Going to his side, she felt his forehead. She glanced up, worried, at Kes. "He's been out for quite awhile, hasn't he?" she asked. Kes nodded. She was about to speak, when the EMH took over. "Mr. Paris is just having a hard time recovering from the gee forces, that's all. He should be up soon." Turning from Tom, he seemed to notice B'Elanna. "And how are you, Lieutenant? I just want to take a quick scan of you and the child, to be sure everything is okay." he finished. "Yeah, that was quite a ride, wasn't it?" she joked. "I'm glad someone remembered to cut the tractor beam in time."  
she concluded.

The doctor stopped scanning and looked at her. "You remember that? Hmm... most people are having troubles with their memories." he concluded. "Well, I don't know. Must be the engineering thing. Although I do have a terrible headache. Funny...it almost feels like a small voice is tickling inside my head." she finished.

The doctor concluded his scans. "Remarkably, you and the child are in fine condition, and show no worse for wear. If you feel up to it, there is a briefing going on in the Captain's ready room. Senior staffers are expected for the debriefing."

::A debriefing.:: she thought. ::Great...having Starfleet brass breathing down my neck.:: But as she considered her options, she realized she had no cause to feel anything but proud. She had come on the ship as an enemy, and was now the chief engineer. ::I'm the CHIEF ENGINEER!:: she thought to herself once again. Bending over, she kissed Tom's cheek. "Wake up soon, Tom." she said quietly. Finally, she stood up and walked to the ready room; a confidence in her step, shoulders back and her eyes steeled; ready for anything.

-  
(attachments)

Gif : A computer LCARS tactical display, frozen.

Image : B'Elanna promo in a foggy hallway.

*******************************************************

From : Cory Anda  
Subject : Paper Tigers.  
Date : Thur, 5 Apr 2001 07:38:02 -0700 (PDT)

Tom Paris awoke for the first time feeling like himself. No shadow selves, no alternate universe Tom Paris intrusions. Just pure.... ::Pain:  
"Ahhh, man.. Have I got a headache.. He opened blurry eyes to see Kes above him.  
"I've died and gone to heaven.."

She just laughed. Then he saw Tuvok in the command chair and Janeway and Chakotay weren't on the bridge ::I wondered what happened.::

Then he saw the screen. His eyes grew wide and he scrambled to his knees. "Utopia Planetia??!! Oh no!"

He dove for his board shrugging off Kes's hold to steady him mumbling.."I've got to stop it..I've got to stop it.."

"Stop what, Lt. Paris?" Tuvok asked, "Welcome back to the land of the living, I believe Mr. Neelix would say if he were here. If you are referring to an automated letter written, programmed by you for your father. He got it."

Tom slumped into his chair, "He did?! Oh.." he sighed in embarrassement. "Now what am I going to do?"

Tuvok raised an eyebrow. "I hope you only mentioned things of a neutral to positive emotional nature."

Paris finished checking to see his job at the helm wasn't needed any longer. Voyager was moored to the spacedock on a tether nearby the ship he recognized as the Enterprise E. "Now how did you find out about that."

"I am Voyager's security officer. Any transmissions made and recorded in the brig is monitored and forwarded to my station." the Vulcan said matter of factly. "Standard Starfleet policy.."

Tom mumbled under his breath, "Standard Vulcan nosing, if you ask me.. You should have stopped it.."

Tuvok was bland. "The programming indicated you did NOT want it to be stopped. Admiral Paris did receive it at 0943. Twenty two point four minutes ago."

"Wonderful."

Tuvok did not deign to reply. He had other priorities.

Tom quickly got restless and waited for the holodoc to clear him medically before he excused himself.  
"Tuvok, I'm not needed here. May I go?"

Tuvok, nodded from the command chair. "You may leave the bridge. The Enterprise has medical crew dealing with those still unconscious from our re-entry into Earth's solar system. Your medical expertise won't be required at this time.."

::How about my familial blunder expertise..:: Tom amended privately.

Paris fled the bridge and Kes looking for B'Elanna.  
::Oh, man.. Do I need a steady mind right now. My father's gonna think I've cracked at the mushy stuff in that letter.  
Oh, man.. Why did I ev--?"

"There you are, Mr. Paris.." a voice halted Tom's progress down the hallway.. "If you are looking for your wife. You could've used me or the computer to locate her."

Tom turned on the holoface following him down the corridor,  
He flared sarcastically.."Yeah? Well,.. Sometimes thinking first about problems helps end them. Something a hologram gardener wouldn't understand. So go "blow". I'm not needed now, and most likely, neither are you.. Have a nice day."

He continued to pace agitatedly down the hall, not really seeking anyone for a while. No doubt the EMH would let B'Elanna know of his recovery and she would come running.  
::Fine for just a little bit later... All I need is five minutes to cool down..:: Tom thought, ::Then I'll deal with the present.. Man,.. I'm home... Why did it have to happen now?::

Boothby grumbled, "I know whom I am going to put first on the list for psychiatric evaluation for that Starfleet Counselor just in from Earth. Troi's gonna love this father and son thing.."

----------------------------------------------------------

Chakotay was with Kathryn in the ready room. She had returned there as soon as she had left once the station's tractors took hold, guiding Voyager in to her emergency mooring in the dock. He checked sensors, ::So, Enterprise personnel are already on board in rescue parties..:: He looked at Kathryn, calmly getting a cup of coffee, but not drinking it.  
I know why that is..:: Chakotay decided, :: I know Kathryn would need at least a little sense of closure before she would let anything disperse this crew.::

But Chakotay saw that his captain never got that chance. Commander Riker, he remembered from the Deathwish Q trial stepped into the room with the entity that could only be Commander Data.

Entering the Ready Room he ( Riker) said,"Captain Janeway, I'm Commander Willam T. Riker from the USS Enterprise.  
I'm here to investigate your return. Medical teams from the Enterprise are assisting in medical relief efforts. Lieutenant Commander Data is overseeing repairs to your ship..."

He waited for her to reply from her close conference with Chakotay and the others in the room.

Chakotay decided to give Kathryn more time to absorb the fact that they were truly at the end of their long journey.  
He spoke up in her stead.

"Welcome aboard, gentlemen, thankyou for the assist. It's been difficult determining our own status with so many of our crew down. All the facts on how we got here are fuzzy for most of us. Boothby just told me only Captain Janeway and Barclay remember anything about what has happened to us."

Chakotay toggled sensors to the side overhead computer wall screen over their chairs. One by one, gold lights flicked on.  
"I see your medical teams are very quick. Our casualties will be dealt with and wide awake in minutes.." he grinned, seeing more dots come to life into yellow from their unconscious green indicator modes.

Riker inclined his head.

Chakotay didn't miss a look he was getting from Data.  
He paused for long moments, "I know what you must be thinking. Last time I passed this way I was a renegade.  
A fugitive from the law. A member of the band called Maquis.  
Well, I and those who used to be Maquis are Maquis no longer.  
We..." he hung his head , "...got the report that the Maquis cluster headquarters was destroyed along with all of the Maquis insurgents. Tuvok can attest to our acceptance of Starfleet ideals. He was undercover for you on the Liberty.  
You just met him on the bridge. If you can't take his word on the matter of how trustworthy the old Maquis crew was and is for Voyager.. just ask her captain....!"

Janeway tilted her head wearing a serious look on her face as she let her first officer begin the long process of convincing those at home just who and what his old crew had become.  
"There is no easier way then to let our complete records and logs of the ship speak for us."

She released the tapes to Mr. Data in a feeding speed that only an android could read. ::That's everything.  
That's all I can do for my Seconah..:: And then she got up and sat down right next to him, taking his hand in true comeraderie tightly in her own..

Chakotay realized the risk she was taking. There had been times in the past where her own command decisions had been questionable.  
Such as making deals with the Borg, handing over holotechnology to the Hirogen hunters,.. ::Oh, my god.. She's risking her self and command once again for us...::

It would most likely go well or badly equally for her when superiors scrutinized what had happened in the Delta Quadrant.  
But he knew he would stand by her for all he was worth.

He watched Data relay information to Riker in a confidential whisper and to the silent watchers on Utopia Planetia's observation deck and to those on Enterprise's bridge through the pickups.  
And then the expression on Riker's face changed.

Riker stood pulled down his snug red tunic and spoke to all in the room.

-  
(attachment)

Image : A serious Tom Paris sitting in his chair.

Image : A close up Chakotay Paramount promo shot.

*  
From: "Clairissa Fox" Subject: Why is everybody not happy on the ship story Date: Thu, 05 Apr 2001 18:05:11 -0000

I thougt I heard somthing. It wasnt Auntie Kathy's voice at all. It was mummys!

I opened my eyes and I saw her.

Mummy! Mummy! I was so worryed. I knew you were at work when we got in trouble and all got knocked out. I am ok, just a little sore.

Hey I cant remember what happened to me before this thing. And who is that big Klingon over there?

(I am writing that I dont know the ribbon or shadows here)

Then I heard Bootby giving names. One of them was 7s.

Mummy, mummy, 7s in the star lab. I havent seen her for so long. Then I hugged my mum real hard. Do you know how we got here to Jupitr?

I got up and the hollow doctor looked at me saying I was ok. I looked around the bridge. Auntie Kathy, Mr Pairs and Chakoty were somewher else. ::I think they are in a meeting.::

Then I rememberd. ::If we are back, then there are other peopl here helping us get fixed and ready to go to our new homes. Tuvok! Tuvok! Are you going to call your family?  
I want to meet your kids. I know I am going to meet my daddy real soon when mum is done working here today.

I hope you find them in a hurry Tuvok.

Then I tugged mums front. Should we go into the meeting in the readyroom? I want to hear what is going to happen to us.

I took mummys hand but she stayed back to say something to Tuvok. I went inside the room first. I knew mum would come if she could after me.

I snuck in and hid behind a empty chair to listen to all the talk.

I heard Chakoty tell about how the ship was doing. How many peopl were waking up and he seemed to be angry about a name he had called the Makeey. Then I rememberd Seska.  
She had been an evil Makeey. It was a group of robbers!

Why was Chakoty angry about them? I thougt we were all Voyager family now. So I asked him

Chakoty! Chakoty! Its ok. I know you are good. I have known you all my life. Plese Riker and Data, dont be worryed about those guys. They arent the bad peopl they were anymore.

I then saw Auntie Kathy standing by the tv screen, seeing one thing that showd where everything was. She wasnt paying attention to me. She lookd worryed to.

What was going on here? I thougt everyone would be happy to be home again. But I knew better than to stick my nose in other peopls busines. I knew better. I had to know.  
I had to know for me.

So I got some coffey and things for all the officers in the room. Riker even ruffed my hair to thank me.

I wonderd what would happen now.  
I knew I had plans. I wanted to see Auntie Kathy's farm in the state of Indianna in the Unitd States. (Thats USA not UK)

I wanted to see FeeBee her sister and meet her mum.

But then I saw a face on a TV I knew. And he lookd like Mr Pairs daddy! So I went after Mr Pairs to tell him his daddy was on the TV at the meeting.

Mum saw me go and wavd that it was ok, she knew I was captains assistent and somtimes gave messages out. I left the brige so fast I didnt see if mum went to the meeting or not.

I found Mr Pairs in the hallway using Bootby.

Mr Pairs. Mr Pairs. Dont you want to tell your dad that he is going to be a grandpapa soon? I am sure he would like that. No wait. He doesnt know that you are marryed. Maybe he woulnt like that so well.

Do you want some company? I see you are sad and angry.  
Belanna knows you are awake now. I told her in the meeting before I found you.

Plese dont be mad or sad. Chakoty is. Auntie Kathy is just plain serious and I dont know why. Tuvok is the only one I have seen who is himself now.

Plese come to the meeting with me. Everyone is going there.  
The hollow doctor says all of us are ok. Now we can get happy if we try.

Lets go! Lets go!

I held out my hand to see if Mr Pairs would take it and come with me to the readyroom.

-  
(attachment)

Image : Naomi hugging her mother.

*  
From: "Cassidy Meyers" Subject: On the job.  
Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2001 08:30:08 +0400

Deanna Troi stood in the main staging area of the great bay assigned to be the recovery operations area in Utopia Planetia for the USS Voyager. ::I'll say this for one thing, Barclay was right about her being a beauty. She's huge.:: "She's a looker..." she sighed, watching the drone pods buzz tether lines and tunnels to all of Voyager's access ports.

The Enterprise E was docked next to her sister ship. As if protectively hovering while her crew helped awaken Voyager's out of gee force comas.

Troi concentrated on the impressions she was perceiving even though she and Keiko were 1000 meters away behind transparent aluminum just watching the whole affair. No secondary personnel were allowed yet on board Voyager until she was made secure and all medical crises dealt with. ::Besides. Boarding Voyager needs her captain's approval and no doubt this Kathryn Janeway was up to her pips in meetings and duties right now. We can wait..:: Deanna looked at Keiko who was pacing inexorably up and down the carpeted rug in from of the windows. ::Correction. I think ..one of us can easily wait that long.::

Troi swiveled in her chair, pushing aside the datapadds she had been reading on the Voyager crew, it was from the download sent to the station of crew casualties and command logs they had endured during their long journey.:: Useful info. If you are a counselor...I think I have my baseline figured out for when I interview these people for their psych evaluations to update their records from the old ones seven years ago.

Troi regarded her nervous traveling companion, leaning elbows on her knees at the slight oriental woman, mumbling to herself. Deanna nonchalantly said one word when the woman came close at the end of one pacing sweep, "Boo.." she said mildly.

Keiko O'Brien jumped about five feet into the air and staggered back, "Oh, my god.." she bubbled, "Did you have to shout?"

Deanna's forehead crinkled, "I whispered that.."

"Oh." Keiko giggled nervously, "I guess I am a little keyed up."

The languid dark eyed counselor smiled, "Just...a little.. Want a drink? I can wave the server over.."

"NO! no no no.. Miles would never forgive me if I had synthehol on my breath. He'd know right away. Heh. I...." she swept denying hands in front of her, "...wouldn't want him to know that I was really worried about him."

Troi didn't move an inch or change her ironic expression, "Worry is natural and normal when one's husband is pulled twelve light years into a spatial rift to end up on a starship that's been missing for seven years.." she said dryly.. The counselor flagged down their table server and she told him, "Give my friend here one of these.." and she pointed to her fizzle banger melon decanter.

Keiko started to protest when Troi said, "Synth has no odor and you can wish away the effects with a thought. Miles will never know...."

Keiko plunked into her table seat for the first time and literally grabbed the drink arriving via server tray before he even go to their table. She downed it in seven gulps. "Oh, that was good, I'll have two more.."

::Magic words..:: Troi mused, ::'Miles will never know'::

Troi return to her study of the tiny lights glowing in Voyager's outline. She was receiving emotional impressions she knew wasn't from anyone on the station because the telltale mundane workday feeling present with the station inhabitants wasn't prevalent there. "It's ok, Keiko. I am sensing no grief. No one has died over there. And...I sense Worf... and an old friend, Riker. I'll know right away if they find your husband on board. Worf's worked with Miles before. And he's worked with Wil Riker. No doubt when Miles turns up they will BOTH know. Then I can glean the discovery easily from them based on their reactions. So far, Worf's concentrating on something mental, most likely at a work station, and Wil's meeting the command crew. He's feeling awe right now being with them." She shared with Keiko.

"But what's taking so long.." Keiko said, starting to relax.

Troi waved the server away when he returned with the two additional tropical mixers. "Thanks, but she's fine now.." she said slipping a credit voucher onto his tray. She winked at him. "I'll take care of her now."

Keiko protested, "Hey... I wanted tho-- those."

"They're not needed. I have a triple pour in this melon and so do you. Err.. you did. Just relax and enjoy the synth. It'll calm you down even more so the waiting won't seem like an eternity." ::Too bad Betazeds can't feel synthehol like humans do. Synth's a flavoring where I come from.:: "Just watch the shuttles come and go and I'll let you know when I get any new impression from my friends, ok? Here.... I am running a rank order starting with the captain all the way down to a little girl child who was born on the ship. Could you help me arrange these names in order according to that?"

"S-Sure.." Keiko said, She swept Troi's padds over to herself like poker chips and started dutifully rearranging names on a list. "Why are I er..we doing this?"

"Because I'll know who to schedule first in my appointments. Usually command has a lot more emotional baggage to deal with than the average civilian. I like to do this as a sort of priority system.." Deanna admitted.

Mrs. O'Brien buried herself into her work.

Troi was then freed up to receive more impressions from Voyager now that the emotional noise from Keiko was turned off.

A feeling of anger and inadequacy from one window she was looking at focused Troi's instincts.. "Hello.." she said to herself. "Who's this I've got?" she took a visual enhancer and looked through it to the face she saw in Voyager's port. He was leaning on the window, head bowed, shaking his head in denial. Troi could see lieutenant's rank on his throat. "Hmmm red and black uniform, Sandy hair... " Deanna mumbled. Then the man looked up, ::Bingo.:: The turmoil feelings from that man were definitely the highest stressed of the entire crew on Voyager. "Move over Janeway, this man's got first slot in my itinerary..." She matched the face she saw to a name from her datapadd. "Bridge crew, A Lt. Thomas Eugene ....Paris..."

Keiko looked up from her working, "Did you say something? "

"Yes,.." she said, putting two and two together. "Do you know if the admiral, " she shook her head, knowing Keiko didn't know most Starfleet brass types. "uh,.. if Admiral Owen Paris has a son?"

"Oh, yeah, old crusty.. He lectured the kids in school about academy enrollment last year. I think his son's name is Tom or Tim or something."

"Thanks.." Deanna said. "That's all I needed to know." ::Well. well. well. It never rains, but it pours.::

She sent a empathic impression to Wil subtlely.

#Imzadi. I am here if you need me. Let me know about a Miles O'Brien if you should see him. I have a drunk wife here pining away for the Deep Space Nine engineer even as we speak.#

-  
(attachments)

Image : Keiko O'Brien holding a goblet.

Image : Troi and Riker snuggling.

Audio : Computer- That is not a valid question.

Bev Crusher- Like hell it's not.

Gif : A combadge divider bar from gold to bluish silver.

********************************************************************

From: "Roxy Dee" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] When the bough breaks~~ Date: Sat, 07 Apr 2001 09:35:37 -0000

~Kim winced, ::One stranger found, how ever many to ~go... This is going to be a loooonnnngg day.::

It wasn't long before a typical specimen of Ferengi heritage came onto the bridge. Kim made it a point to have guards in place even before the being made it two meters off the turbolift.

"Nice welcoming committee, Where's your captain?" Quark said, squinting in mild smugness as he surveyed the bridge for the center chair.

Harry put hands on his hips, "Indisposed. Anything you need, direct it to me, and me alone." he said politely enough.

"I will. I'm getting hungry. Would you have commissary send up some beetle grubs in a light broth in about five minutes?" Quark patted Harry on the shoulder, "There's a good hu-man.."  
He stepped beyond Harry to lean on the railing above Tuvok's head. "Ooo, I like that starship over there.. What's it called, the Enterprise E?"

"Classified." Harry attempted after closing the mouth he felt flopping open.::Am I so gullible to be used as a floormat this way? You think I'd be a bit tougher now days.::

"Surreee.. And that's why her name is painted in two story high black lettering there on the saucer section..for every eye to see.." the weasly Ferengi snorted.

Kim blushed redder than Quark's scarf. "Listen,.. I don't need to be confronted on my own bridge. So turn right back around and these two gentlemen will escort you to the messhall so you can just snack on a whole bowlful of those baby insects you were requesting.. hhhmm?  
Tah for now.." Harry waved a sarcastic but smug salute to the Ferengi as the two burly guards picked up Quark by the elbows and marched him bodily off the bridge.

"Hey, wait a minute.. What kind of treatment is this?!"  
Quark barked..

Harry smiled as the turbolift doors closed between them,  
"What? You're our guest. Your wish, is my command. All of our more exotic food is stored in the messhall. To get at it. You're going to have to go there. Bye."

The turbodoors shut out Quark's indignant reply.

--------------------------------------------------------

Harry kept checking his sensors at the Enterprise away teams progress in reviving his shipmates. Soon, no one was unconscious any longer. ::That was fast.:: Kim caught himself looking at the chronometer again. ::D&mn.  
Why am I doing that?:: It was about three minutes until his relief came and beta shift transferred to theta.  
::Technically., there is no red alert so shift schedules and standing orders still hold true. Listen to yourself Harry Kim. You sound like a second rate cadet.::

But truth was truth. One minute fifteen seconds later,  
Sampson was there to relieve Harry at his post.  
Ensign Kim couldn't make it off the bridge fast enough. ::The captain hasn't called me to the briefing, so I guess I am off duty now until I hear otherwise.::

He rushed to his quarters and then queried his terminal for any new conditions Tuvok might have flagged for everyone on the shipwide network. There were no communication restrictions in effect. ::Good. ::

Kim sat on the bed, nervous and feeling a little like a kid in the candy store. ::I'm finally going to call her. After so long. Grandmama will understand that I am safe from the newsvids. I'll call her right after.  
I just have to know..if...::

Ensign Kim punched in the directory code for San Francisco Apartment Five, French Quarter and nearly ripped the screen off the computer in his impatience for things to move a little faster.. ::Come on, Libby. Pick up..::

His face didn't know what to wear. Anxiousness,  
happiness, seriousness.. Harry even almost checked his appearance in the mirror.

She came into his viewer wearing seagreen. Her hair was up in a bun and she was securing it with jade skewers shaped like New Year's Dragons. When she looked up from the hail tone to see Harry, Libby's fingers dropped the combs from their own volition.. "Oh...my god... Kimchi?"

Harry's eyes watered at the sound of his own nickname and he couldn't talk right away.. He put his hand to the screen.

Libby began to cry tears of joy in silence, not believing that her fiance had come back to her. Then she sniffled,  
breaking the spell. "How are you? I couldn't believe it when I saw the news. Are you coming home soon?"

Ensign Kim finally caught in the breath he was holding.  
Libby looked older and wrinkles on her cheeks that weren't there in Harry's memory of her lined her face but the love she had for him in her eyes was as bright as ever.

"Well. As soon as we're ..." Harry didn't even want to blink. "..we're debriefed. It..won't be long."  
Harry laced his fingers together tightly and nestled them against his mouth until it hurt.  
He couldn't control his overwhelming emotions.  
"You can't know..how I've missed you Lib-- How's everyone? Mai-Ling, Phon-pei.. Mr. Sopheliz at the corner coffeeshop..." he choked up.

Libby Thompson closed her eyes, freeing tears to course down her face.  
She found it hard to speak for several moments. Her joy became muted as she remembered an event she had lived every hour since it happened.

"There's something you must know Harry.."

Kim felt a dread dig into the pit of his stomach. He saw pain behind her joy at seeing him. "What's ..Wh- what's wrong? You're not ill?"

Libby wiped her eyes with a hand, "No,.. no, I'm fine.  
never better.." Her face twisted once more.

"Libby..." Harry asked, pleaded around the sudden lump in his throat.

"It's your grandmother... She..." Libby looked ceilingward as she forced herself to form what she had to say, "..she.  
died two months ago... of a stroke."

A pain deeper than physical crippled him into a ball.

"Th- There was nothing they could do. No one was home when it happened.. I-"

"Mai-Ling?.." Harry gasped. He fell off his chair.  
His world contracted to a gray tunnel. ::No! :: His denial echoed over and over deep inside, mocking him.  
::No! It's not fair. She is the only family I got -t--t---tt!!::

He began to moan hideously in quiet sobs.

"Harry?"

He did not hear.

"Harry? " came Libby's voice into the room again. "Harry.  
You're scaring me.... Harry, would you answer me??" came Libby's shattered voice..

Then she heard a sound..

"....M- mm.. *sob*? "

"Harry!!! " Libby's anguish cried.

A ragged breath. ...Another.

On the third breath, something very fragile and integral inside Harry Kim.........broke.

They found him without clothes on the floor beneath the computer desk folded around a traditional Chinese ink mug.

It was the one his grandmother had made for him the day he shipped out for his first mission on board Voyager.

They decided not to pry it out of his fingers when they beamed him onto the starbase and alerted his starship's holoEMH.

-  
(attachment)

Image : Janeway crying with Harry's out of focus face in the foreground.

****************************************************************

From: "Belle Carmen Paris" chief_ Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Bewildered Mother and A Hollow Woman Date: Sat, 07 Apr 2001 17:16:32 -0000

Sam smiled at her daughters sudden spring into action, happy that she could be so full of life and energy. She still couldn't remember what had happened to them recently, or how exactaly they had gotten back to Earth. But she didn't question it. Her husband was the first thing to come to her mind, now that Naomi was fine and bustling about the ship. She had been in communcation with him via the Midas Array, had sent him pictures of herself and Naomi, and read his letters to Naomi every month. But Naomi still had never met him, and he hadn't had the chance to hold her like she had. She was pleased that the crewmembers of Voyager had stepped up and helped fill the void of his not being there, like the old saying went, "It takes a village to raise a child." It was about time Naomi met her father. But their was a meeting going on, and she might as well pop in and see how Captain Janeway and Commander Chakotay were holding up, it was part of her duties after all. She smiled at Naomi's retreating off the Bridge, shure that she had been sent on some Captain-sanctioned errand of some sort as she got up and walked over to the door of the Ready Room, actavating the door chime and wating for admitence.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Seven had checked and re-checked her scans, run every dignostic she could think of over the scanning arrays themsevles, but the edvience was still there. Voyager was back in the Alpha Quadrant. The Doctor had often suggested that she take a few moments to assess her own emotional state before acting upon anything. Thankfully the Astrometrics lab was empty except for herself. She took a few deep breaths and thought for a moment on how she felt.

She felt nothing.

That didn't surprise her, it shocked her. With the crews strong desire to return to the Alpha Quadrant she had always thought that if they ever did she might feel something as well. But she had never known it like her fellow crewmembers did. Perhaps that is why she lacked an emotional response. She started to gather data and compile a report for the Captain, clinging to something normal and indasputiable as cold hard facts amongst the turmoil that she knew was happning amongst the rest of the crew. And yet she wonderd what would happen to her now that they were back home.

*************************************************************

END WEEK THIRTEEN RECAP ()

WEEK FOURTEEN RECAP 04-10-01 {}

From: "Samantha ." Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Who I am is who you wanted me to be Date: Mon, 09 Apr 2001 01:39:33 -0000

From: Admiral Owen T. Paris Personal and Confidential To: Lieutenant JG Thomas E. Paris Stardate: 51479.6

Tom:

Your mother never believed you were dead.

Five years. She refused to go to the memorial service. Your sisters went. Ann and Michael left the boys with her, and Claire and that... Claire and Marc they got married, you know. Command waited to have the ceremony until last year, when Voyager was officially declared lost. Claire and Marc went. They said it was a touching ceremony. I was deep in negotiations with the Cardassians and the Bajorans I couldn't make it. I'm sure you.... I hope you understand. I told her she should go. Your mother. I told her she should go it would give her some kind of closure. She wasn't doing herself any good holding on to impossible hopes. But you know your mother. Stubborn as anything. I suppose you and the girls got that from her more than me. I've always prided myself on knowing when to let logic override my emotions.

But as it turned out, this time she was right. She'd gloat about it, if she wasn't so busy calling Starfleet Command, pestering them to find out what they're going to do to bring you home. Seven years of believing, and I still thinks she was shocked to find out you were alive, and it wasn't just some figment of a mother's imagination. "I'd know if he were dead," she always told me.

I knew before it hit the news nets, of course. That business with the Prometheus when they debriefed the EMH and found out the was from Voyager, I got the call then. We thought it was a crock at first, but those programmers checked him out up one side and down the other.

They gave me a copy of his debrief. It seemed.... I would have thought it was fiction, or some kind of crazy computer malfunction. 60,000 light-years. But if anyone could do it, Kathy Janeway would be the one. I always knew, even when she was a wet behind the ears Lieutenant, that she would make a fine Captain. When she approached me about granting you Observer status and taking you out of Auckland, I admit I thought she was being foolish. But she convinced me. Second chances and all that. And the fact of the matter was, I hoped she would succeed. Maybe she could get through to my headstrong son, knock some sense into him. God knows I'd tried and failed. And it stung a bit, admitting that Kathy might be able to reach you when I your own father wasn't able to. My pride took quite a hit. I'll admit that. I probably should have admitted that a long time ago.

I've read the catalogue of your achievements. When I found out that Janeway had given you brevet rank of Lieutenant JG... Janeway is as much of a hard-ass as I ever was, and she wouldn't have awarded you the rank if she didn't think you deserved it. And from what I've heard from the report, you deserved it. The warp ten experiment alone has pretty much assured your place in Starfleet history. Your mother thinks they should build a statue of you. She was only half-kidding. I know how hurt she was that you didn't want her to visit New Zealand. I told her it was pride talking but I think more than anything else, she was always afraid that you died believing she didn't love you we didn't love you.

Of course we love you. You're our son.

I'll be blunt: I know you don't think I was a very good father. And I know we haven't seen eye to eye in the past. But I want you to know that I was hard on you for a reason. Not just because you were my only son. I know you always felt singled out but that's not true. I was hard on you because you needed it. You had incredible potential, Tom. And it broke my heart to see you waste it. And I probably went too far sometimes and only succeeded in driving you even further into rebellion. But it was intensely frustrating for me both as a father, and as a Starfleet officer seeing a young mind so full of promise squander it in bars and chasing women. I know you think I was just living my life vicariously through you but the truth is, I always had to work so hard at the things that came easily to you. If I had had half your talent...

You always poured so much energy into those hobbies of yours from the monster movies to flying. And if you had just devoted a fraction of that effort to your career, you could have been the youngest Captain in the Fleet. Heck, you were always better with people than I ever was again, your mother's gift, not mine. You had all the makings of a first rate officer, and it nearly killed me when you were cashiered. Not because you'd let down the family name though I admit, that was part of it. But because you could have been a better officer than I ever was. And you threw it all away.

I was hard on you because you needed it, Tom. And I know you don't believe that, but it's the truth.

If I busted your chops, it was because you needed it. If I lambasted you for your mistakes, it was to make sure you never made them again and I hope to God you learned from your mistakes, Tom. Caldik Prime was a tragedy, but your lying about it made it worse. And it took a man to admit he made a mistake, and I was proud of you for coming clean, even if I never said so at the time. The problem was, you should never have lied in the first place. I can't ever understand why you didn't see that from the very first. It's not about living up to my expectations of you, Tom. A real man doesn't give a care about others' expectations and what always bothered me is that you didn't know that. That you sacrificed your honour and your integrity out of pride. That was your only real crime. There's no room for pride or ego in Starfleet.

I know this is all in the past. And for all out differences, I hope you can let go of your adolescent fantasies that I was some kind of monster who never loved you. You are my son. Of course I love you. From the moment you were born, I would have moved heaven and earth to keep you safe, to protect you. I know you're a grown man, but to me you'll always be that little eight year old kid with skinned up knees, trying to scam your way out of bedtime to fit in just one more chapter of Jules Verne. Or whatever took your fancy that week sailor, pilot, Indian chief. Your eyes always were bigger than your stomach, and you had such a taste for adventure. But you're not a child any longer. And I'm pleased that you've matured into, and these are your EMH's words, "a fine officer, and a man I'm proud to call a friend." I don't usually put much stock in computer programme's opinions, but Command insists that this EMH of yours is a kind of wonder the likes of which haven't been seen since they uncovered Soong's android. Frankly, no matter what kind of precedents there are, I still have problems with the idea that any computer programm can achieve sentience simply by being left turned on for five years, but... Well, a lot of that may well have to do with the fact that Lewis Zimmerman is such an incredible man.

But the fact of the matter is, you've obviously finally found a place where you belong. And I'm glad you've finally achieved some of the potential I always knew you possessed. I always knew you had it in you, if you just applied yourself.

I had better stop now, before I make a complete idiot of myself. And your mother is here, waiting to write her own letter. But I wanted you to know that she and I are proud of you. And that we will do everything in our power to see that you are brought home. And we're looking forward to finally hearing from you.

End transmission.

----------------------------------

The Admiral looked at his wife who had just arrived from Earth. She was smiling as she read over the last paragraph or so that her husband had written. Handing over a clear PADD, he straightened his uniform and walked towards the door. She nodded and he exited, letter in hand, on his way to the debriefing on Voyager.

*  
From: Fran Catrair Subject: [voyagerliveaction] A Matter of Priorities Date: Mon, 9 Apr 2001 22:16:52 -0700 (PDT)

As she headed to the briefing room, B'Elanna sensed something was not quite right. She steeled herself even more; prepared for anything.

The first thing she noticed was how quiet Captain Janeway was. ::She must be in a state of shock:  
B'Elanna thought. That would be understandable;  
considering all they had just been through. She waited patiently, waiting for her presence to be acknowledged. Finally, she noticed the other commander's eyes shift to her. "Lt. B'Elanna Torres,  
Chief Engineer of Voyager, reporting, sir." she said,  
looking him in the eye, but not threatening. ::He is still a commander, and Will Riker has a fine reputation.:: she thought. No need to be unfriendly...yet. She noticed him nod in acknowledgment to her and turn back to address Chakotay and Captain Janeway. This annoyed her greatly. She didn't want to be here. She had other things to do. She was worried that Tom hadn't woke up yet. ::They shouldn't be here right now. Why couldn't they wait for us to get our bearings and have our own 'debriefing' before they just barged in here?:: she thought.

She felt a slight tugging on her pant leg. Looking down, she saw Naomi standing there. Quickly looking around the room, she noticed everyone's attention elsewhere and knelt down to speak to the girl. She heard that Tom was awake, which relieved her greatly. She also told B'Elanna that Tom had left the deck abruptly, apparently worried about something. B'Elanna thought to herself, ::Worried about what? Why would he just leave the bridge in such a rush:  
when the answer hit her. The letter. The letter Tom had written to his father when he was in the brig a couple years ago. He had directed that it be automatically sent within transmission to earth.  
::Dmn.:: she thought. ::He's going to be tearing himself apart for that.:: Tom had written that at a vulnerable time in his life; and now, so much had changed. ::Namely, us.:: she concluded. Looking at Naomi, she smiled and gave the girl a quick hug.  
"Thank you, Naomi. I'll go and check on him as soon as I can." she finished. She kept the smile on her face as Naomi, her chores as 'captain's assistant'  
completed, departed the ready room.

He watched Data relay information to Riker in a confidential whisper and to the silent watchers on Utopia Planetia's observation deck and to those on Enterprise's bridge through the pickups. And then the expression on Riker's face changed.  
He stood pulled down his snug red tunic and spoke to all in the room.

B'Elanna noticed the change in Commander Riker's demeanor. The friendly expression had hardened. She didn't know what those on the 'other end' of his communications had told him, but she didn't like it one bit. ::After all we've been through...all we have accomplished together...they have the audacity to judge us?:: she seethed. Getting the Commander's attention, which wasn't hard to do, considering she had broken at ease stance, she noticed him close his mouth and look at her. "Permission to speak, sir."  
she said. She noted Chakotay's warning look and brushed it aside. As Commander Riker gave her a hesitant nod, she spoke.

"I want you all to consider everything this crew has been through, everything we have encountered over the last seven years, before you all rush to judgment on us." she said. "You could have at least given us the courtesy of gathering ourselves together as one crew and allowed us to gather our bearings before sending in your swooping Starfleet investigators on us; acting like we are some kind of...lab experiment or something!", she seethed. "We are not an experiment! We are all Starfleet, just like you. Some of us are former maquis, but I can assure you, we are now one crew. We have bonded together as a crew. We have formed friendships. We have formed relationships. The point is, gentlemen, until you have studied everything this ship has been through, over in the DELTA Quadrant the past SEVEN years, you have no right to apply your antiquated, ramrod, Starfleet procedures on us!" she stated bitingly, her nostrils flaring.  
"Now, if you all will excuse me, I have a more pressing issue that requires my attention; someone who is more important to talk to than the likes of you!"  
she finished in a huff. She looked in challenge at Chakotay, who looked stunned, and nodded to him.  
"Excuse me, Commander, but my husband needs me." she said, as she turned on her heel and exited the room.

As she exited the room, she thought to herself, ::Boy,  
have I really just asked for it!:: but she knew she HAD to get out of there. Ever since Naomi's message,  
she had thought of nothing else. #Computer, what is the location of Lt. Paris?# she asked. Upon the computer's reply, she nodded. She knew where he would go. She changed her course to go to Tom. After all,  
it was all a matter of priorities.

(attachments)

Image : Schematic of Voyager's outer hull in vivid blue on a LCARS screen.

Image : B'Elanna Torres in promo pose.

*animated* gif : A rotating displaying Voyager.

*****************************************************

From: "Cory Anda"  
Date: Wed Apr 11, 2001 4:31am Subject: What price is true identity in the eyes of strangers...or family?

Tom was deep in his thoughts leaning on an observation window on Deck Nine. ::God D%mn it. Here I am, one of the best pilots in the Delta Quadrant, yes, of the Delta Quadrant and what am I doing right now:  
"Running away...: he mumbled to himself.

He nodded to the Enterprise crew teams returning in waves to the transporter rooms to beam back to their ship. Their work was done. All Voyager crew was now awake and accounted for. ::Now they know how I felt after I woke up after breaking the warp ten barrier.  
"I feel a bit like that far future salamander the captain and I were when we had our k--" Tom Paris saw his face flush red even in the observation deck window glass.

He was glad that everyone was better. They had gotten off easy on that fast trip back home. ::No one has died,..so why do I have an uneasy feeling right now. I know it isn't because of my letter in dad's hands right now, because I'm not angry.. Just anxious in a way I've never felt before.::

Then he felt a hand tap him on the back. It was Naomi Wildman.

Do you want some company? I see you are sad and angry.  
Belanna knows you are awake now. I told her in the meeting before I found you.

Plese dont be mad or sad. Chakoty is. Auntie Kathy is just plain serious and I dont know why. Tuvok is the only one I have seen who is himself now.

Plese come to the meeting with me. Everyone is going there.  
The hollow doctor says all of us are ok. Now we can get happy if we try.

Lets go! Lets go!

::B'Elanna! Good lord. She's gonna kill me if she finds I've been hiding out without telling her.::

"Hello kid. Thanks, I could use a friendly face around me right about now. Thanks for telling B'Elanna that I am back with the land of the living again. No doubt she'll be onto us any second. Oh, and things might get mushy with a kiss or two,.. try not to get embarrassed."

Paris winked at the little girl and together, they leaned arms on the ledge watching the shuttle drones zip around Voyager and the Enterprise, gathering personnel and supplies to where they were needed.

"wow..." Tom whispered, "Doesn't it seem strange that we are now seeing more people than stars again?"

Naomi just laughed, nodding.

Tom ruffled Naomi's hair and intentionally didn't say anything when she rambled on about his father potentially not liking the knowledge that he was going to be a grandfather. ::This kid's pretty observant, I'll give her that.. hah..::

"Guess what, Naomi. It's been hard enough for me to even accept the fact that I am going to HAVE a little girl let alone, knowing how my family is going to like the idea."

Then Naomi took Tom's hand and asked him if it was time or not to go to the ready room where everyone was gathering.  
Paris felt a qualm. ::Dad's gonna be there.. Am I ready for the great Paris Sr./ Paris Jr. reunion.?::

"Tell you what , Naomi Wildman. I'll go there and quite possibly,  
you'll see fireworks the likes of you've never seen before go off in front of your Auntie Kathy's eyes and for all the world to see.." he said dryly. ::And I'm not talking about physical ones that can be extinguished by water either...::

Tom felt a tug and followed the little girl in the turbolift.  
They stood, Naomi beaming happily that she was doing for the crew and Tom, neutrally cordial on the outside, quaking catastrophe on the inside. The helmsman decided to have a little offering for Janeway, like a complete report on Voyager's crew recoveries.  
He tapped his combadge. =^= Paris to Ops.. Harry. Bail my butt, will ya? Flash me the latest on the med teams activities to Naomi Wildman's datapadd. I've got to look like I've accomplished something useful since I left the bridge..=^=

=^=Lieutenant Paris?=^= came a strange voice from the bridge.  
=^=It's beta shift now. Ensign Kim's offduty.=^=

"Sampson.. yeah, that's right. Sorry. uh, would you do that favor for me anyhow. I am kinda in a pinch right now.." He fluttered "gimme" fingers at Naomi until she caught on and gave him her datapadd.  
Tom winked at the little girl as he took it. "I'm ready for the feed."

=^=Patching you through..sir.=^= Sampson said.

A moment later, and Tom had his butt covering report.  
"Thanks, man. I owe ya.. Oh and Mike, where's the Admiral right now?"

=^=Boothby shows him en route to the ready room.=^= came the answering reply.

::Great. I will let him come to ME...:: Paris said. He toggled the turbolift a little faster.:: "Thanks, Sampson. I owe you a beer. Make that two."

The commline cut out. And Tom hefted the now full datapadd in front of his young companion significantly and made a show of wiping non existant relief sweat off his brow.

He put a foot on one wall while he read the data streaming in the casualty report. Then Tom kicked himself. This is going to take too long. The lift's gonna get to the bridge any moment.  
"Computer. Give complete crew status report and list any discrepancies."

#Two crew members are off ship. The EMH and Ensign Harry Kim.#

Tom raised an eyebrow at Naomi, who also frowned. "That's odd. I thought no senior officers could leave Voyager yet until after all the formal debriefings..."

Then Tom found corollary findings that took away the red of father/son tension completely off his face. Kim was listed as one of the casualties beamed off ship. He hadn't been ambulatory.

"What?!" he shouted, nearly dropping the datapadd. "That's impossible!"

The turbo doors opened and Tom gripped Naomi's hand. He made her run with him to the readyroom. Paris barely acknowledged Tuvok's nod or Sampson's conspiratory wink from Ops.

He found Sam Wildman there waiting at the door of the readyroom waiting for admittance. "Hi Sam.. were you on any of the medical team sweeps with the Enterprise away teams? I just found this." he handed her the section outlining the Enterprise away team's finding Harry Kim in his quarters and the classifying tag of immediate casualty next to his name. "What the heck's going on here. I saw Harry not a half an hour ago and he was fine.."

Samantha Wildman shrugged and motioned Tom next to her as she chimed the admit button once again.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Chakotay was still mulling over B'Elanna's quick exit and his head was still spinning over her impassioned B'Elanna Torres on her soapbox speech once more. He didn't even care if Riker and Data were stunned by that. In fact, he admired Torres for once for her freely spoken mind.  
::She's absolutely in the right this time.  
I think I'll let her Klingon temper sink in to Will here and this android. Might be the icing that'll sweeten any review this crew gets in the logs we sent out to all. Maquis rebels indeed. Next thing you know. Lt. Paris will come barging in here with a similar gripe and we'll all be home free.::

The first officer let his smile be a very tiny one that he didn't share with his captain. She seemed to be content to just follow along in the Enterprise med teams progress in her ship. Riker and Data were respectfully silent while she did so. "Kathryn,.. what do you think might happen to me and the other ex-Maquis? I don't think either one of us remembered that Starfleet is still seven years behind our game.."

Janeway glanced up at him and then her eyes snapped back to the live link she had on her datapadd. She was about to comment on something when the computer came on overhead.

#The EMH has beamed off ship. Medical priority#  
"What?" Chakotay said. "I didn't know we had wounded."

Then the readyroom doors chimed an entry hail.

"Come in ." both he and Janeway said together.  
They looked at each other at their alike replies.

Samantha Wildman, Naomi Wildman and Tom Paris came through the door.

"If you are looking for B'Elanna, Tom. You just missed her."  
Chakotay anticipated.

Tom came over to the table his eyes full of seriousness. He didn't even notice that his father was not yet arrived.  
"Have you been going over the casualty reports yet?"

"I don't know what you mean." Chakotay said.

Paris set his mouth in a thin line and ordered, =^=Computer.  
Locate Harry Kim.=^=

#Ensign Harry Kim is not on board Voyager.#

Chakotay stood up, not happy at all. "Computer, when did he leave the ship?"

#At Oh nine seven hundred.#

Janeway spoke up. "Computer, just when did the EMH gain his mobile emitter and go offship.."

Chakotay and his captain put two and two together.  
They echoed what the computer said,  
"0907"  
#0907#

::Damn.. What happened to Kim?:: Chakotay said.

A nod from Janeway told him to see to it while she turned to address Riker and Data about goings on.

Chakotay excuse himself from the formal table and went over to Tom, Sam's and Naomi's end of the table.  
"Something's up I don't think I'm going to like.." the first officer said to them. "What have you found out?"

Tom answered, "The same as you. Harry was for some reason, marked as a casualty by the scouting Enterprise away team and beamed with the EMH to the Starbase."

Chakotay comm'd the Starbase and received the usual fifty people who didn't know anything. Even his personal security codes meant nothing to the secretaries manning those areas he needed to reach. ::Great.. it seems my first officer's rank and priviledge is only recognized on Voyager.. Damn beaurocracy.::

He glanced at Janeway. ::Her codes are "still valid"  
I assume. But she's busy running the briefing with Commander Riker and Commander Data and the Admiral is on his way. I'm going to have to find out answers another way..::

Then he snapped his fingers, "Boothby." he said aloud. He flipped a tabletop computer around and toggled into the consult program's matrix.  
It wasn't one second before the wizened face appeared.

"AH,.. Mr. Paris.. come to apologize?" Boothby said.

Tom ignored the jab, "Later.. Now, we've a priority scan check for you. Fill us in on the latest bioflag file on Ensign Harry Kim."

Boothby was cowed by the request and became all functioning hologram. "I have his data tracing now."

Tom and Chakotay blinked impatiently while they waited.

Samantha Wildman and her daughter were pulled into the matter as well, the older Wildman knowing something very serious was going on. She kept quiet and didn't ply Chakotay and Paris with unnecessary questions. She hushed Naomi when the little girl tried to ask what was going on.

Long seconds later Boothby coughed up the information,  
"I've got normal vitals until...0854. Then, everything went haywire. Firing EEG's, elevated neonor synapses endorphins, pulse and resp rates skyrocket. Then,  
I get an Enterprise casualty tag signal, the kind rescuers place on people who have no combadges and he was beamed offship by the Enterprise to the Starbase. Shortly after that, the EMH got a communique mentioning an emergency about Harry. I felt the holodoc activate his mobile emitter and he too, beamed off using the Enterprise transporters."

"He would. Voyager's own transporters are offline. It was part of the bereyon sweep we are undergoing to contain the residual radiation we sustained being dragged home."  
Chakotay nodded.

The first officer slapped a hand on the table, "We're not going to learn anything until we're all cleared to leave Voyager.. That's AFTER the admiral is through with us."

Paris protested, "Sir,.. with all due respect.. We got to find out what happened to H-"

"Dont' you think I know that?" Chakotay said dangerously,  
"Turning maverick isn't going to help us find out any news any faster."

Tom blinked. He did already have half formed plans to fake a medical emergency on himself to get his rear beamed to the starbase medical ward using his med knowledge but it was died aborning under Chakotay's withering gaze,

"So I'm giving you a direct order Paris." Chakotay continued, "No stunts trying to get yourself beamed offship to find out about Kim. If his situation were truly serious, Captain Janeway would've been informed by now.."

Tom let the rebel in him surface by flicking Boothby off in anger. "Oh, yeah? Well, maybe they haven't determined just how serious things really are with Harry.  
Has that thought crossed your mind yet, sir..?" he said sarcastically.. "Sometimes the worst injuries take a while to map out.."

Chakotay and Tom broke off their angry stance. There was no point. Their anger was at the system and their current limitations to being stuck on Voyager until further notice.

Chakotay confided in Sam, Naomi and Paris aloud.  
"A few hours ago, This ship felt like home. Now, it feels like we're all a jury sequestered in a hotel before a court trial.. First, that android questioning our Maquis roots, now the stay of departure except for medical emergencies.."

Paris grumbled and Sam frowned, learning quickly just how rocky Voyager's arrival home was becoming. She hugged her daughter closer to her.

He then added, "Janeway's already under enough stress with her career and reputation under the microscope.  
Let's keep Harry under wraps and investigate what happened to him until we know the whole story. Kim's bad news is one more brick the captain doesn't need to bear.."

Tom nodded in confidential agreement. "She'll need to know eventually." he amended his sentence at Chakotay's warning finger, "..but stalling is good.. yes.. I'll use Tuvok's natural tendency to not give a report until all facts are known as an ace in the hole."

Chakotay lightened up, "I'll do some checking myself to see what I can learn about what happened to Harry."  
He shrugged, "But,.." it would be nice if someone with clearance would beam aboard to us to tell us what is going on themselves regarding him."  
::Don't they send in a counseling representative to all ships declared lost who find their way home again:  
he wondered.

He regarded his lieutenant helmsman and felt a little of that man's pain and stress too. "One step at a time, Paris. We're just going to have to hold up each other for a while until all of this blows over.  
Then it's onto important things. Like family and a REAL vacation. Who knows? Maybe Voyager will be refitted and returned to operate once again in the Fleet with us as her crew. Maybe we'll get a chance to do what we were meant to do before we were swept away by that caretaker array... Be one of the fleet."

Tom was dark, "That's IF we survive our brands given us.  
Maquis rebels, turncoat captain, giving Starfleet technology away to alien cultures just to get her ship home, ex-con helmsman... Nice Botany Bay ring to it wouldn't you say Chakotay? I think we haven't rounded the Cape just yet.  
I think the worst waters to navigate are yet to come..."

Chakotay couldn't deny that.  
::Some of those undertows have already taken one of us down. Hang in there, Ensign Kim. Whereever you are. Don't you ever even THINK of giving up on us..::

Then Chakotay turned back to Riker, Data with Janeway to get back into reorienting those men to Voyager's events of the last seven years and to teach them a little of her boundary shredding history. A crew's bonding despite huge differences. The first officer decided to show Riker and Data just what different meant.

He tapped his combadge,  
=^=Seven of Nine, report to the captain's Ready Room immediately..=^=

-  
(attachments)

Image : Chakotay and Tom Paris on the bridge

Image : Janeway, Chakotay and Tom Paris working at a computer terminal.

*  
From: "Clairissa Fox" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Eat your lunch and dont worry.  
Date: Wed, 11 Apr 2001 21:04:51 -0000

I held my mums hand as tight as I could. I didn't like what I was hearing. How can Ensign Kim be hurt without having any sore spots? I saw Chakoty try his best to talk to the starbase people but that place was to big.

I had never seen so many people like I did when I saw the sensors pointd at that shipyard. There were so many dots I couldnt count them!

I tried to talk to mum but she shushed me until Mr.  
Pairs and Chakoty were done coming up with a plan.  
Then I whisperd.

Mummy! Mummy! I know what we can do to make the Earth pepole about us and Voyager. We can show them all the captains logs and all the private ones to.

I can show them my diary. Then theyd know we were a good crew. I wrote about evrything I did for Auntie Kathy evryday. I didnt know what to say after that so I got up and hugged Mr. Pairs.

Dont worry. You will find out stuff soon. Starfleete always calls back.

Then I went over to Data.

Data! Data! You can read real fast. Take our logs and read them. I have a code for my diary. Read it and youll see how we are. Why is evrybody looking at us so funny.  
We spent a long time, ever since I was born to get home.  
And now we are here. And what happens? We get looked at so much we are all angry and sad and scared.

I have never seen my mummys home. And I dont think I like what I am seeing so far at all. There is no war or anyone who didnt follow rules on the ship here. Auntie Kath I mean Captain Janeway made sure we all got along good. So take my word for it. Voyager has nothing but good people on her so stop being so mean.

I saw Mr. Riker look at me with suprise. He looked at his friend Data and then he nodded to him.

Data took my code chip and nodded.

Good. Now he would read my diary and he would know a different way how things were since the day I was born.

Chakoty ! Chakoty! Auntie Kathy! Why arent the helper people here? I saw the doctor teams help get everybody awake. Why dont the others come? Your bosses and the ones who want to hear our story?

I didnt mean to be so inpashient but I realy realy realy wanted for us to be happy for once. I went over to the tray I left for everyone and looked at it.

Comeon I said. Nobody has eaten one thing. And the coffeys cold.  
How can you feel good if you are hungry and thirsty? I put the old coffey drinks into the food maker and then I got out new ones. Enough for all of us. I got milk for me.

I sent a sandwhich down for Riker and Data and Auntie Kathy and Chakoty and Mr. Pairs and Mummy and me. Then I got loud.  
We are home now so why arent we having a big party dinner?

We should get a huge one for all weve been throug. Ok, so we have to stay on Voyager until the admeral comes. So what? He is just a man who has some questions. He is Mr. Pairs father to. That shouldnt make him a scary guy. So eat. Or I am going to get Neelix up here to get some other food for you that wont taste as good as my sandwhiches.

Mummy smiled at me. I think I said the right thing for I saw them slide ther plates closer. And Auntie Kathy ackualy took a sip of coffey.

I sat down again in my chair by mum and Mr. Pairs and Chakoty. I ate like I couldnt stop. This is good.  
Just think the next food you get will be real Earth food!  
I dont know about you but I am going to get a hotdog when I see daddy next. I have never seen one.

Then ther was a announsment from the computer.

All other helpers can come to the ship. Rescues are over.  
Authoris by Admeral Komack.

Oh. I thougt. Now the ones who can tell us about Harry will be here soon. I smiled and pointed to the talk button flashing on Mr. Pairs datapadd.

Mr. Pairs! Mr. Pairs! I just bet that is the ones who took Harry away to the starbase. Pleas answer them.

But inside. I wanted to know what had happened to my friend.  
I wanted to know for me.

Then I saw Chakoty call 7 to the readyroom. And I knew why.  
Data and Mr. Riker had never seen her before. She was a robot lady who had got away. I just bet Earth never saw that before.

I couldnt wait for 7 to get here but I stayed in my seat and had my dinner. She would come when she could. I wondered how she felt about being near Earth. I saw from Boothby that this new guy Mr. Riker said that borg had come to Earth a while ago when he first came into this room.

But I knew that wasnt so bad. Auntie Kathy beat the borg when we were lost because we had 7s nanorobots. We could just do the same thing if the borg came back.

I was curios so I took my Datapadd and got all the libary stories about that time Riker told us of. The borg had found us again Not the time when Picard was made into that bad guy Lokutes.  
Another time and it was only one ship like before. And Data didnt tell them to go to sleep. It was another starship who beat them.  
But I didnt know its name to good.

It was the Exselcior? Or Excaleeber or something like that. And it happened a year ago. The Grand Canyan was one big borg crater now.  
But no one had died and Earth was still safe. That borg ship did not get out a messege to the other borg ships when it blew up.

But people were still looking around the canyan to see if any borg were wandering around there. And it was a big place. I remembr 7 showing me it in the star lab once. What if the robots who didnt blow up were down there? 7 could help find them before they could do things again. They didnt know that ther messege couldnt get out of the canyan.

So I waitd to show 7 about this borg story Riker told us about.  
And my thery about how some might be lost in the grand canyan.

She hadnt come yet but it was to soon to yet.

I thanked Mr. Pairs for the datapadd peek and I handed it back to him so hed have the report he needed for Auntie Kathy about how everyone was rescud.

-  
(attachment)

Image : Naomi and Seven of Nine at a console.

*  
From: "Roxy Dee" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Moment by moment~~ Date: Wed, 11 Apr 2001 21:23:55 -0000

There was absolutely no one in the messhall .

::Except these two goons who so graciously muscled me here.::

Quark took another mouthful of grubs and chewed loudly. The bartender tried grossing the guards out by sticking out his tongue to show writhing beetle larve.

He chuckled when the youngest one looked away.

Smacking loudly he delivered his coup de grace,  
"Don't let me detain you gentleman. By statute 7 A of the Starfleet civilian code, I can leave this ship anytime I want. Especially since the red alert rescue operation has stood down for good. I heard that computer announcement saying for secondary personnel to report on board Voyager. So that is my cue.  
I am not accused of a crime by this vessel's commanders, nor am I interred in medical isolation for a space going bug! I...am ..." the sated Ferengi tossed his empty bowl into Neelix's sink with a flourish, "free to go..."

Quark knew he had them then. For the two security guards didn't stop him from leaving the messhall. Nor did they when he entered the transporter room to join an outgoing Enterprise party awaiting transference off Voyager. He told the transporter chief to send him to the public hub of the Starbase where all visitors and tourists milled about. Quark waved a jaunty air at his escorts as he dematerialized off Voyager.

One of the guards tapped his combadge =^=Odegard to the bridge. Quark the Ferengi just left Voyager. Thought you should know sir. He figured out his rights halfway through lunch.=^=

Tuvok answered the hail.  
"Did Quark leave with Voyager property of any kind?"

=^=No sir.=^=

"Then we must let him go about his business. Return to your posts gentleman. Tuvok out."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Quark was at the nearest commlink unit less than one minute after he beamed on board the starbase. He didn't even look at the sight of Voyager looming in the spaceport windows behind him.

"Listen Rom! If you know what's good for you. You will telefax me those credits to my hostel in one hour or your waiter days are over. Let's see. I could use another janitor in the bar... especially to send in to clean up after Morn has visited the biffy!"

Bubbling pleading noises rose musically in Quark's ear at his brother's usual kow towing.  
"Fine. Give me the credits so I can get my sorry butt back to the bar and you're forgiven. S0, hop to Rom.  
I'm waiting.."

Slam. Quark had the off button click just that so fast the whole unit's lights flickered. "Heh.. I think I'll make him suffer the chore of a trace to find out exactly where my phone call came from. It'll teach him to keep on his toes a little better for the future. If he's fast. He'll meet my deadline."

He saw Counselor Troi and Keiko O'Brien in line to beam over to Voyager. He didn't stop by them.

But he was a softie at heart. He saw the school teacher crying and knew the possible reason why. ::The chief's done a pop in appearance over there just like I did no doubt. Wouldn't hurt to end a lady's tears.  
Being cruel is for family members only.. ::

Quark rubbed his hands in satisfaction and wandered over to the reception desk who kept track of all the beamings on Utopia Planetia.  
"Hey, mister. Do me a favor will you? Has a Miles O'Brien of Deep Space Nine showed up in your logs yet?"

The man behind the desk checked and said, "No one by that name or ident sir. Are you looking for any others on board Voyager? We show an Ensign Kim being the only crew beamed offship to date, then you."

Quark frowned. ::Only casualties were beamed before me. I wonder what hap-- Wait a minute. I don't think I want to know anything. It might rub off:  
"Thankyou..I'm not searching for anyone else."

Quark wandered just near enough for Keiko to recognize him as coming from the lost ship. She knew right away that he could answer her immediate question. He shouted to them over the crowd barrier.  
"The chief's not there, Keiko. But, I'll snoop around Deep Space Nine when I get there to see if he's turned up at all.  
No doubt he'll be at my dartboard with Bashir by nightfall."

Keiko's relief was only half there on her face when the crowd closed between them.

Quark smiled jauntily and went to his hostel room assigned for Voyager survivors to wait until Rom's money fax came in.  
::There's my good deed for the day. I just hope that ship's bad luck doesn't follow me back to my Dabo tables.::

He looked at Voyager's outline through the windows and shuddered. ::She's home but is home ready for her?::

Unconsciously, Quark gestured himself a charm to ward away off thoughts.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He was cold. A warm, heated blanket was given to him. He cried out but was not soothed.

The horrid gap was still there and he couldn't see.

Harry Kim struggled and was held down. Voices chattered at him but they didn't make sense at all.  
::I don't unders-- Go away!!:: Kim thought on a brink between wakefulness and the dark.

The sharp cutting darkness was encroaching. Kim began to whisper in fear of it.

They weren't words.

He was swept away by an old memory.  
Mai-Ling showing him the path behind their house leading to the gardens on his home colony world.

Six year old Kim bounded excitedly ahead and pointed to a gnarled old bonsai just his height on an island in the family lake.

A lightning bolt shattered it and Harry's joy of discovery turned to one of horror. He whirled to his grandmother in slow motion and she, too, was struck by lightning. Her violated body fell as the tree did into the lake and boiled there.

Harry screamed. Out on the outside, in the starbase sickbay, his nausea was making him cast out what was there in his stomach.

The taste was brackish like the lake itself.  
One word he shouted was lucid, "Mai-Ling?! Mai-Ling?!"

Harry was held but he didn't know it. His throat was cleared by suction and he was restrained on his side by medical personnel trying to help him.

A face swam into his vision shortly before his eyes twisted into another nightmare. A face that had no hair and brown eyes.  
Talking.

"Ensign Kim. Can you hear me? It's the doctor.. You are in the Starbase sickbay. Say something if you understand me at all.."

Kim fought the strength holding his shoulders and his hands tore the silver blanket constricting around him. But speech was something Harry Kim had forgotten. Along with his identity and memories. All was swallowed by the darkness that had no name. His vision whirlpooled into the pit and he vomited again.

Again his throat was cleared but his ears refused to work and he heard nothing after that. A sting at his throat took away his consciousness.

"This is the only course open right now." the EMH "He's not even oriented to who he is." he said putting away his hypospray and arranging Harry's intravenous tubing around the diagnostic arch closing down on the young man's chest.

Unanimously, the starbase physicians all agreed the move was the right one. They had been forced to sedate Harry Kim to protect him from his acute symptoms which were undeniably those of a complete mental and emotional breakdown.

The EMH left the ward once Kim was stabilized physically. He had already conferred with the Starbase doctors about Kim's patient file so they could start getting a baseline pysch-profile on the young man to see how they could salvage his shattered mind. It did not look good. The holodoc's tenative initial diagnosis was only confirmed after he spoke with the ensign's distraught fiance. The holophysician beamed back to Voyager to take notes and be available to the command crew when the questions invariably came from Kim's shipmates.

The EMH looked at his hands that had done miraculous things in the past. Humanized Seven of Nine. Brought Neelix back from the dead, saved crew time and time again from the edge of death.

But this was not death of a kind he could fix so easily. There was nothing physical for the EMH to see or touch to know what the hurt WAS. This was something that didn't show up on medical scans.  
This injury was not quantifyably classified. The mind of living beings was a universe in itself. And the holodoctor was at a loss.

"How do you suture together a man's soul?"

He heard the computer announce that secondary support personnel were beginning to board Voyager. He put in a hail to the medical division requesting the counselor assigned to assess the Voyager crew's emotional health. He got a name. Counselor Deanna Troi.

The EMH sent a query to the readyroom that he had returned and that he would be there in twenty minutes with a prelim on Harry Kim.  
::That's after I show this Deanna Troi to Harry Kim and get her assessment on the ensign's status.::

He went to the transporter room to meet her to tell her about the one casualty Voyager's doctor could not readily cure.

Only then would he break this news with the captain.

-  
(attachments)

Image : Morn at his bar on Deep Space Nine.

Image : Harry and the EMH working on a photon torpedo embedded in a cliff.

*  
From: "Alex Delet" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] A Briefing, for details.  
Date: Wed, 11 Apr 2001 23:56:01 +0100

"Command has instructed that a debriefing take place aboard the Enterprise and we're to hold station at McKinley for your repairs to take place. Also I've been ordered to bring you up to speed as to the events that have taken place. Since there is a time lag between Command's reports to you and what has taken place. The Borg have attempted to strike again at Earth."  
Janeway's eyes were wide, as she let her gaze scan over, the pale skinned Lieutenant Commander, whom she recognised as Data, from the Enterprise... then to her own Commander Chakotay. Deliberately, Kathryn hadn't considered what would happen 'when the dust settled' - she decided, once again, to maintain that.  
They'd missed Seven Years of the Federation, Two years of War, and countless incidents.  
And the Federation had missed Seven Years of their lives, deaths, marriages, births... and most importantly, development.  
"The Borg," Janeway managed, her voice was hard, "I see," she continued.  
"Seven of Nine, Neelix and Kes will be needed at the de-briefing," Janeway allowed herself a small smile.  
"There was allot we didn't fit into the data packets each month,"  
It was true, during the transmissions - after space for personal messages, assorted Holograms, and various other information.  
There had been a tiny amount of space available to start updating Starfleet, as to their missions inside the Delta Quadrant, over Seven Years.  
It was quite a backlog.  
Riker went on to describe some of the changes that took place around the galaxy. "We're still exploring the galaxy Captain. That's one thing that won't change. Admrial Paris is going to be present at the debriefing.  
Janeway listened, maintaining her position, "I'm glad to hear that," she answered, meaning it in response to both Statements.  
It was as if her faith had been justified, that every exploration they'd undertaken whilst away, had been worth it... That every ideal they'd upheld was justified.  
It would be good to see Admiral Paris again, it would be good to see everyone again.  
Captain Janeway felt a stab of guilt, at not contacting her mother or sister yet. Starfleet would no doubt have informed them..... :: And Mark :: she remembered. That was one call she did not want to make soon... Going back to the task at hand, Janeway was more at ease. They knew she was safe... she'd see them soon.  
Janeway watched Chakotay's exchange with Riker, and Data, with interest.  
Although she kept quiet, and her expression neutral. The Maquis were a thing of the past... :: Chakotay, Torres... I don't see Maquis, I see crew, apart of the family :  
Chakotay didn't miss a look he was getting from Data.  
He paused for long moments, "I know what you must be thinking. Last time I passed this way I was a renegade.  
A fugitive from the law. A member of the band called Maquis.  
Well, I and those who used to be Maquis are Maquis no longer.  
We..." he hung his head , "...got the report that the Maquis cluster headquarters was destroyed along with all of the Maquis insurgents. Tuvok can attest to our acceptance of Starfleet ideals. He was undercover for you on the Liberty.  
You just met him on the bridge. If you can't take his word on the matter of how trustworthy the old Maquis crew was and is for Voyager.. just ask her captain....!"  
Janeway interpreted Chakotay's reaction - he was obviously dealing with this, in a different matter to his usual one.  
:: I've only seen him talking to friends, or in diplomatic mode:: she noted.  
Chakotay still had the passion... he hadn't needed to be on his guard for some time.  
She knew him. she trusted him more than anyone else.  
But they didn't, Starfleet...didn't. It was the beginning of a long road. Every choice, and order she'd made... would be checked. Handing the logs, records and data to Commander Data. Kathryn moved to sit with Chakotay. Many times, over the years, had she noted the honourable, heroic and praise, for the Maquis. And praise for her First Officer.  
If Starfleet could see that she had made the judgement... She was still a respected Starfleet Captain, she'd made a call, to trust the Maquis, to treat them as family, as crew.  
At that moment, B'Elanna entered. Kathryn watched the display, before seeing her Chief Engineer leave.  
Kathryn offered a glance to Chakotay and Riker - making it clear that they should let her go.  
Janeway, stood up, and lead the way across the room to the Bridge , "We have a de-briefing, I believe," she said, nodding to Tuvok.  
"Assemble the Senior Staff," she said, pausing, "And our assorted, Passengers, In the Mess Hall,"  
"Deck Two," she announced, as the Turbolift doors closed.

"Approximately One Hour ago," Janeway said, to those gathered, "The Federation Starship Voyager was recorded entering the Sol system," there was a great deal of emotion that could have been conveyed in her voice. Instead, Janeway kept her voice plain, emphasising the relevant parts.  
"We're home," she had been pacing up and down the centre of the mess hall. Pausing, Janeway looked at the assembled, "I know that a great deal of those aboard, cannot remember our passage back here.  
or the place we came from," "It was called the Nexus, this vessel, Deep Space Nine, the Enterprise were merged together for some time, along with several other vessels," Janeway was careful not to aim for too much detail yet, "Some of the officers from these vessels, and other civilians, who were aboard, were aboard the common ship when it left the Nexus, and re-formed into Voyager,"  
"There is an added complication," Kathryn continued, "Most of you here, will have heard about the Nexus - as it passes through, over and across vessels, it leaves a shadow of the people, inside it,"  
"There is no doubt," Janeway considered, "That we are real people - we should know, in a few hours, if duplicates of us exist," she remarked, on the hurried subspace messages sent out across the federation.  
"Right now, we have a starship, lost for Seven Years, home at last," she looked around, "There are allot of details to sort out, but I think we're overdue for a celebration," Janeway looked around, "Details first," *  
From: "patti keiper" Subject: Mon Capitan, Mon Capitan.  
Date: Thu, 12 Apr 2001 09:45:01 -0000

Janeway was about to add more when a brilliant flash froze all in the room and she was abruptly clothed in an apricot nightgown.

"My dear Kathy... Bravo..bravo.. I do believe you are getting used to the idea of ranting and raving to the masses.. It puts my heart to shame.." Q gushed.

He swept her up into a close hug that made the color rise in her face. "Now, for the real reason I am here.. A bedtime story mon capitan. For one who is just seven infinitessimal years out of style for her own blue and white tiny world."

He traded the coffee mug raised in toast in her hand for champagne. He noticed her fighting his French dipping hug and he said, "Don't worry. I've froze them all in place and besides, Only you and me are here right now. The rest haven't had time to arrive to the messhall just yet."

Q whirled Janeway into a chair and began with a huge breath in dramatic style. He fingersnapped in a musician playing a violin with a very heartwrenching air.. as background.

"Let me tell you the tale of what is to become my dear human captain. Forget the Nexus, no one but you and Barclay remember that gas so forget it. There are no shadow selves to rescue. Lore and the others have sent it far from the Earth system with his precious dead Seska and dead Jadzia where it won't bother us anymore."

::The important thing is to have a play. The play is the thing..!:: The deluded omnipotent being shrugged.

He pranced around the room, tugging at his captain's uniform admiring the reception spread being arranged by Janeway's order. "OOooo nice spread.. Is this your attempt at winning over Riker and his tin plated sidekick to rule in your favor in their investigation.. Well I can tell you right now that it won't work.. Data, simply has no nose for flavors except revolting ones with his sparkling new emotion chip and Trombone over there has too much integrity.. " Q scoffed at the sight of Riker frozen in time with his trombone. "I suppose it's Picard rubbed off on him."

He swept a frozen crewman at a table setting up flowers out of his way after styling her hair into a fashion he seemed more appropriate before he went on. "No, my dear Kathy. This all isn't what you want for your ship anymore. This is all about what you want for yourself..."

He pointed to Riker still in the readyroom that Q had somehow co-joined to Deck Two's messhall. "Straightlace Alaskan boy has dangled a carrot or two in front of you. There is that Borg incident that took place in the Grand Canyon a year ago. Little Naomi Wildman's onto something there. That might be a choice for you to go. Or...you can trapse on back to your quaint Indiana farm to see your sister Phoebe and dear ol Mark and reeeaallly get a hug or two.." He jabbed her arm in innuendo..

He pointed toward the glass of champagne that he had materialized in Janeway's hand. There was a reflection of a writhing, insane Harry Kim on a medical bed in its bubbling depths. "And what of poor little Harry. He's all "Cracked up." to being home, Kathy. You could deal with that too.. "

Q enjoyed examining everyone and everything in the room in their Q enforced frozen splendor while he cased the room. "Oh, don't worry about me.. I'm strictly here on a mission of my own."

He caught Janeway's expression, "And don't look at me that way. I didn't send me here. No.. It was my stodgy friends in the continuum. It seems they ....want to learn how Voyager's crew react to getting home again.. So far.. it's been real entertainment.. " He pointed to Harry's tortured visage in the goblet.

Q created a giant chronometer in the air.. "Oooo look at the time.. I must dash and make my next Rounds. Tah for now...." "Oh,... and another reason why I am here..

SEE SOUND BITE...

Q disappeared but not before unfreezing the others in the messhall party room. Janeway was shocked to find he neglected to return her to her uniform first..

-  
(attachments)

Audio : Q- Now I guess we get to find out whether or not the pants.....really fit..

Image : Q dipping a nightgowned Janeway into a hug.

Image : Riker, puffing away at his trombone.

*  
From: "Nick Lewis" .uk Subject: [voyagerliveaction] The Waiting Game Date: Thu, 12 Apr 2001 19:10:35 +0100

Nicholas Locarno sits back in his chair. Only another thirty minutes till his ship reaches Vulcan, then he can get rid of this damned cargo. He didn't expect to become a gunrunner when Jevin asked him to deliver 'a little something' to the motherland. Truth is he's nervous. Twice he's considered turning around and to hell with it. But a deal's a deal. If he fails to deliver, Jevin will never trust him again.

Nicholas makes a minor course correction, then decides to catch up on the day's news. Tapping a few buttons to receive from the nearest beacon, he's surprised to see FedNet a hive of activity. *Starfleet's excited about something*, he muses, then pauses as the major story of the day passes over the screen. "Son of a gun" he murmers. Of course he'd known that Voyager was still out there - his father has contacts on the Pathfinder committee.  
But it's still unexpected. He resolves to leave for Earth after the drop-off has been made.

"You were late" Jevin's contact at the starport says with all the emotion of a regular Vulcan.

Nicholas looks at his chronometer. "By two minutes? Be thankful you got them at all. If you see Jevin before I do, tell him I'm not going to play along with his counter-revolutionary games, favour or no favour."

The contact looks at him impassively. "I will inform him." His tone carries a sneering quality to it however. He goes through the motions of inspecting the cargo, then flags it as ok, the merest hint of a smile on his features. "You can go."

*Thank god* Nicholas thinks. He turns and boards his ship again, waiting for clearance for take-off. A short time later, he fires thrusters and takes the ship back into space. Adjusting the controls, he sets a course straight for Jupiter.

"Captain Locarno of the SS Firestar, requesting permission to land" he transmits to control.

"You'll have to hold, Captain. There's an high influx of visitors to the spacedock today, I'm sure you've heard why."

"Voyager, yeah. I've got a relative on board."

"As has everyone else. You'll still have to wait, Captain."

Nicholas sighs impatiently. "Well cousin, it looks like we're gonna have to wait just a little while longer" he says to himself.

Control weren't kidding when they said there was a delay, but eventually the Firestar is cleared to fly into Utopia Planetia. After putting his thumbprint on the required forms, he walks into the arrivals/departures lounge. Out of the massive transparent aluminum windows he sees the sleek form of the Voyager, clamped in position. He's always had a thing for the intrepid design. If things had of worked out better he might have been flying one himself.

Shaking past bitterness out of mind, he goes over to the bar. "Don't suppose you serve Romulan Ale by any chance?" he asks. The barman shakes his head. "No, thought not. One synthehol then." *Better than nothing I suppose.* He takes his leather jacket off and drapes it around the back of his seat - it's warm enough in here - then looks around to see if there's anyone he recognises.

****************************************************************************

From: Jenni-Lynn McNeill chief_ Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Speaking with Boothby, then going to the meeting./Looks like I'm not the only one who want's to see family.  
Date: Thu, 12 Apr 2001 08:24:09 -0700 (PDT)

Seven was working compiling the report, and was nearly finished when the Boothby program popped up on a console in Astrometrics.

"Hello, Seven. You look rather busy, why don't you take a moment to rest?" Boothby said.

"Resting is irrelevent, compling all avaliable data into a report for Captain Janeway takes preciedence."  
Seven explained.

"Seven, if you don't mind me asking, when was the last time that you regenerated? Or even stopped by a replicator or the Mess Hall for something to eat?"  
Boothby inquired.

"I can go for weeks without regneration, and I do not require the ingestion of foodstuffs at the present time." Seven replied, then tried her best to smile.  
"However I am...grateful that you are so concerined for me." She then turned back to the console she had been working on and started to download the finished report to a PADD.

She heard the chrriup of her comn badge, and reached up to tap it.

=/\= Chakotay to Seven, come to the ready room. =/\=

=/\= Acknolowdged. On my way, Commander. =/\= She replied as she picked up the report and left Astrometrics for the nearest lift.

--------------------------------------------------------

Sam couldn't help by smile at her daughter as she rushed around and passed out sandwitches and coffee.

"Naomi, I'm proud of you. It took a lot of courage for you to give Commander Data your diary. I just hope that we'll get all the loose ends tied up so I can show you what Earth's really like. And get your father to finally be able to meet you in person." She said as she sipped her coffee and reached over to wipe a bit of the sandwich filling off Naomi's chin.

She glanced up as the doors opned and Seven marched in stiffly. She really didn't know what angle the Commander was going for by calling Seven in right after the latest Borg invasion attempt on Earth had been mentioned by Riker. But she hoped that it worked out smoothly. But things on this ship rarely came off without a hitch.

Seven walked up to Janeway and Chakotay and stood behind them.

"I have compiled a pelerminary report based on what data that I was able to find in the ships's computer core and sensor logs." Seven said as she passed the PADD over, then glanced curiously at Data and Riker.

-  
(attachments)

Image : Seven and Naomi Wildman playing Kazkat.

Image : Seven of Nine in silver in foggy hallway.

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From: Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Q's Suprise Date: Sat, 14 Apr 2001 19:06:06 -0000

Riker was first talking with Captain Janeway breifing her and her senior staff about the devlopments that will take place according to Starfleet Command's instructions and next thing he knew he had his trombone in his hands

"Commander?" Data inquired.

Will realized he had his 'bone in his hands. "Yes Data?"

"Apperantly you have your trombone sir."

"So I do Data, check for chronometric particles or something simlar." He ordered

"Why do you wish to do that Commander?" Inquired Tuvok, the Vulcan Chief of Security. "We've had run-ins with a freind of ours. Mister Data, check and see if he has ever visited VOYAGER." Then noticing the mess hall. "This could be his doing."

It most likely was and if Jean-Luc was present he could have been eating a warp plasma condiut. Riker then noticed Janeway's change of attire. Without a doubt Q had just been there and knowing Q has he did the celesital if one could call it that was not finished.

"Commander, Counsleor Troi has arrived onboard." Data informed his freind.

"Thank you Data. Riker to Troi." Will was wondering how he was going to explain this.

*  
From: "robert catrair" Save Address - Block Sender robert catrair is Offline. Reply-To: To: Save Address Subject: [voyagerliveaction] back to back Date: Fri, 13 Apr 2001 00:41:21 -0000 Reply Reply All Forward Delete Previous Next Close

As everything is going on,Worf was trying to stay out of the way.  
As he was standing on the far side of the command deck, he saw commander Ricker,and date walk by.  
As that happen he also heard the medical rescue ( E.M.T.s ok patti)personal run around to wake the crew of this fallen ship.  
Then he started to help,While looking at Tuvok, with a look Worf went to the security console and started to secure all areas with no wounded or personal needing medical help.  
As he was doing this :: what have happen? what can I do to help:  
As he was working he notes Kes and Neelix,Worrying about him.  
"don't worry i won't hurt you or harm anyone on this ship" he told them help where you can,Commander Tuvok All systems are secure and all areas with no wounded are secure.

As the time pasted and personal of the starship Voyager,was waking up he seen the individual known as Quark walk on the bridge. "this should be good" Worf thought with a chuckle.  
as Quark was escorted off the command deck, Work wanted to know what this Individual was up too.  
As the events was going on Worf started to walk the bridge,when all of the sudden,the warring of an anomaly was coming in, with no or little warning.

-  
(attachments)

Image : Graphic grid of Voyager's systems in blue on black.

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From: "Cassidy Meyers" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Angel of Mercy.  
Date: Sun, 15 Apr 2001 00:00:50 +0400

The EMH sent a query to the readyroom that he had returned and that he would be there in twenty minutes with a prelim on Harry Kim.  
::That's after I show this Deanna Troi to Harry Kim and get her assessment on the ensign's status.::

He went to the transporter room to meet her to tell her about the one casualty Voyager's doctor could not readily cure.

The EMH was impatient and he let the transporter room operator know about it.

"What do you mean Deanna Troi's in a line WAITING to board Voyager?! I have a medical priority on my hands. Beam her aboard at once. And NO you may not ask the captain first."

The young ensign at the controls of Transporter room two looked uncomfortable as he checked his scans for a Betazed/Human mix from the jumble of officers in the port gate waiting area near Voyager's mooring.

The EMH started to tap his foot. He added another barb to the man already sweating. "Don't bother thinking you're through once you've beamed her aboard. You're gonna redirect us BACK to Utopia's medical ward by bed number two as soon as I get onto the transporter pad with her."

The transporter operator's fingers danced a little faster over his board. ::Mother.. save me from this holonightmare:  
He swept curly hair out of his eyes and smile faintly at his source of torment.

The EMH didn't blink, the foot tapping grew louder.

------------------------------------------------------------

Deanna Troi looked at Keiko O'Brien. "It's time. Uh, Keiko,  
don't you think you ought to shake off the synthehol now?  
We're ten from the front for beaming now."

Keiko burped. "Huh? Oh, yeah." She gave a little shudder and the fuzziness left her eyes. "Thanks for indulging me with that drink. I don't think I'd normally imbibe. Was that Quark I saw zipping by earlier?"

Troi took one of Keiko's hands to steady her, emotionally.  
"Yes. He said that he didn't see Miles on Voyager at all but that he'd recheck his bar for him when he got back.  
I wouldn't worry about your husband, Keiko. If Quark arrived safely, it would stand to reason that so did Miles. So why don't you relax and take in the sights. This is a prime chance to be at a historic event. The USS Voyager's home.  
And you get to see what happens first hand.." she smiled.

"I guess you are right. " Keiko said, fully sober. "I might be able to offer some help to you while you're going about your assignment. I could be your secretary as cover while I try to get details on the whereabouts of my husband."

"There you go." Troi nodded encouragingly. "If you're as fast at organizing sober as you were arranging my datafiles on Voyager's crew drunk, I'd hire you full time.."

The two woman laughed, watching as another set of people beamed on board Voyager. Troi was relieved. The ship's red alert had been downgraded quickly, meaning that the injuries for the medical teams had been light. It had been only an hour since the Enterprise away teams swept on board her to aid them.

Then Troi saw someone she knew at the bar near the line.  
"Excuse me...." she called out.

A young blond man in leather turned at her. "Mr. Locarno.  
Do you remember me? I was with Wesley Crusher on the starbase during his competency hearing about the starfleet cadet shuttle incident. "

The man didn't visibly react, taking a long swallow of his drink.  
Troi wasn't reading much off of him. ::Oh boy. Maybe I've stepped on some toes. This is Nicholas Locarno, that fleet cadet Squadron "captain" at the hearing. ::

She kept her face neutral. "I...am reporting on board Voyager if you'd like catch up on news with anyone from the Enterprise. I've a surprise for you about Wesley. He's become quite the traveler now days."

Nick downed his drink and gave a short nod. Troi wasn't sure if that was an accepting gesture or otherwise.  
She waved cordially, "Nice to see you again, Mr. Locarno. I don't see familiar faces that often anymore. Look me up."

And she turned away. She had just gotten to Keiko's side when she felt the tug of a transporter yank at her. "Ah..! Keiko! Take my bags!" Her last sight was Keiko overbalancing backwards with the sudden load tossed at her.. "Sorrrryyyyyy!!"  
Then Troi was gone.

------------------------------------------------------------

::I wonder what's up? A site to site transport without warning is highly unusual.:: Deanna must have said some of that aloud for a balding man in medical blue answered her just as she hit full solidity.

"Not when there's a medical priority concerning the EMH. Me.  
Hello Counselor.." he gestured at her. "Don't get off the pad. We're leaving again. Ensign..." he gestured at the transporter controller across the room.

Troi frowned, the young man was awash with heated emotions then she smiled slightly and winked at him in sympathy. ::Huh, typical emotional backwash I've seen with people to whom an EMH Type I has just rubbed the wrong way.. I understand everything now.::

She became all business as the holodoc stepped onto the transporter pad roundel next to her. "I thought EMH type I's were restricted to places where holographic emitters were prevalent, sickbay,  
the holodeck..."

"I'm a special case, counselor.. Gifted with twenty fifth century technology." She saw him point to a small silver device on his arm. "This allows me to go where I need to go in a pinch. It houses my whole holoprogram subrountine. Right now, I've a patient that needs us immediately. I'll tell you more once we get there."

Deanna felt her face freeze as the transporters took hold of them.

-------------------------------------------------------

Troi recognized Utopia Planetia's sickbay ward when the world returned around her. She was next to a bed with a young Asian Human lying on it heavily sedated and restrained. She remembered her crew padd lists. "This is Voyager's Ops Officer. Harry Kim."

The EMH looked up at her from his scrutiny of the monitors over his head. "That's right. The only thing is we don't know what has happened to him. He was perfectly fine two hours ago.  
Our bridge officer on duty, Tuvok, got a message from Libby,  
the ensign's estranged girlfriend on Earth of the emergency.  
When the Enterprise crew found him, he was completely catatonic,  
and dysfunctional, he had taken off all his clothes and wasn't oriented at all to where or who he was. I wanted your opinion to get a baseline assessment on the Ensign before I determine how to treat him. If this is an acute nervous breakdown and not just a shock of some kind, it would be very valuable to know which it is.."

"I'll do what I can, doctor." Troi said, "Is it all right if you wake him? I can't get any emotional impressions while he's sedated."

The EMH moved to a tray and returned with a hypo spray.

Troi added, "I'll only need a minute or so to get a feel for his emotional state. Did this Libby mention what they were talking about when the ensign became ill?"

The EMH shook his head. "No one had time. Apparently, the girl disconnected as soon as the rescue teams came into the cabin."

"I'd like to speak with her if you can have someone track her down.  
If Ensign Kim is unable to articulate she might be able to shed some light for us."

The EMH frowned ruefully, "That had also occurred to me. But,  
" he waved a hand over the ensign's restraints, "My hands were full at the time. Here goes."

Troi took a deep breathe and prepared herself for an onslaught.  
She hooked a hip onto the bed and took one of Harry's hands as the shot took effect.

A wave of chaos jolted into her mind. Loss. Anger. Despair.  
Terror.

She gasped.

The EMH spoke, "Are you all right , counselor?"

"I'm ...fine. He's awake now."  
Deanna fought to sort out the emotions to find where they were seated and why they were there. "He's feeling alone. That's odd.  
And there's an overwhelming feeling of ...loss. This is being covered by a numbness in his own mind. It's rejection of something he's learned. Doctor, this is tramatic breakdown, I'm sure of it.  
He's all the classic signs. One of my old patients, Ebron exhibited these signs once."

"What happened to him?" the EMH asked.

"He abandoned humanity in the belly of a lifeform ship called Tinman. We couldn't save him."

The EMH sighed, "Thank you counselor, for your insights. It's difficult for me to assess emotional trauma in some cases."

Troi watched Harry fight his bonds, his eyes focusing on nothing and no one. She went near his face, taking it into her hands.  
"Harry Kim. I'm counselor Deanna Troi of the Enterprise.  
We know you are hurting, Harry. We are here with you. You are not alone." Harry began to breathe faster and tears leaked out of his eyes.  
::That's good.:: Troi realized, ::He can understand me:  
"We are going to talk to Libby and she will tell us what happened to you. Just try to relax, ensign. Someone will be with you constantly.. I promise.."

The EMH spoke, "That's all I'm going to risk for a while.  
His vitals are sinking again." The holodoc returned Harry to unconsciousness. "I've given him Lexon. He'll be able to awaken on his own only if he chooses. It'll be a buffer from the outside world while he begins to work through whatever got him this way."

Deanna waited for Harry's face to relax into sleep. "I need to get some of the ensign's personal facts. His family records, that sort of thing. I only have the logs from Voyager so far."

"You'll get them." the EMH said. He snapped out orders to the surrounding nurses and doctors outlining treatment for acute psychotic breakdown. "Now that we know what his problem is, we can treat him properly." He chuckled, "I sure could have used you a lot during Voyager's seven year journey.."

"Oh?"

"Imagine a six month journey through an absolute void in space,  
several weeks of those in an absolute power outage. Mr. Neelix was absolutely terrified... Talaxians are notorious lovers of sun and small spaces.."

"Talaxians?" Troi smiled politely..

"Well... I'll tell you along the way.. We should be getting back to Voyager. There's a briefing in the messhall and an interesting being has just showed up who's not the most popular ship guest. He's just twisted the captain's ready room into the messhall."

Troi's face fell. "Oh, don't tell me.. Q.."

The EMH was surprised, "Yes... How did you know?"

"He's been tormenting my captain for years. Come on, we'd better hurry.." Troi said, leaving sickbay. The EMH guided her along the way to a transporter room to return to Voyager.

"Why should we hurry?" the holodoc asked.

"Your captain just may become like Harry here if we leave her with him for too long.." she joked. "Q has the tendency to really get under people's skins..." ::Besides. My imzadi has absolutely no coping tolerance with Q ever since Q gave him Q powers and embarrassed him in front of the whole Enterprise bridge crew.::

Troi and the EMH beamed directly to the Q inspired messhall/ readyroom and into a real scene.  
::Oh, Boy...:: Troi thought. ::Looks like I've just missed round one.::

She saw Captain Janeway at a replicator, calling up for a robe to cover her nightgown personage with a very controlled half amusement half anger.

::She doesn't need the uniform to look every inch a captain.:: Troi admired. ::I think she's fended off Q before.::

Deanna Troi stepped forward, "Hello Captain Janeway. I'm Counselor Deanna Troi, Commander. Formerly from the USS. Enterprise. I've news about your fallen officer, Harry Kim. When you're finished here,.." she gestured to the briefing room and those gathered here... "I'll tell you more. He's stable for now."

Janeway nodded her thanks and took the uniform Commander Chakotay handed her. She retreated to the kitchen to change.

Troi saw Will Riker and Data and she went to their sides. She didn't even see the EMH leave to go back to sickbay to finish his duties there.

"Will..." she didn't hide her affection for her friend . #Imzadi.  
How are you holding up here?# She gave him a hug and gave one to Data too,  
which made him smile like a child in curiosity.." I see that emotion chip's just perfect for you Data.. I do believe you are blushing.."

Data "blushed" even more..

Will took a chair by Deanna and Data by Will as they waited for Janeway to return to resume the briefing/slash interrupted celebrations.

It wasn't long before the Voyager Captain took her place back by the banquet tables and datapadds in her usual command garb.

Everyone faced her expectantly.

Then a thought occured to her as she counted the heads of Voyager's command crew present in the room. "Wait a minute," she said out loud.  
"If Tuvok is here..who's on the bridge in command?"

A screen popped on near her and a jaunty Q waved at her from the captain's chair. He gestured impromptuously with an I'll-be-right-here move.

In a huff, Troi flicked off the screen and buried her face in her hands. ::I have a feeling this isn't going to be your usual lost ship recategorize crew assignment..::

Privately, her own memories were shoring up themselves after her close contact with the ensign's pain. She began to feel her own losses SHE'D suffered over the years. One came into the foreground..

::Oh, Tasha... I remember what you tried to do for me.::

Deanna Troi suppressed her own relived nightmare of the moment she felt her friend die.

On the bridge, Q was thoughtful. His boredom left abruptly.  
::Ahhh.. now this is interesting..::

----------------------------------------------------------

Then the anomaly Worf saw abruptly arriving came...

Troi was furious..

#Q!!! Are you responsible for this...?!#

The whole of the Starbase, ships and shuttles shook.  
The banquet tables overturned spilling their contents onto the carpetting. People barely regained their footing.

Both ship and stations sounded red alert.

Then Troi comm'd Worf, who's emotions she could track anywhere.  
=^=Worf, it's me.. What did you see on sensors? You and Q are the only ones on the bridge right now so far. I am just trying to save Janeway some steps.. Respond..=^=

-  
(attachments)

Image : Troi looking worried with Riker in the background.

Image : Harry and B'Elanna in a memory

Gif : An anomaly looming over Utopia Planetia *

From: "Nick Lewis" .uk  
Date: Sat Apr 14, 2001 4:18pm Subject: Good Samaritan

Then Troi saw someone she knew at the bar near the line.  
"Excuse me...." she called out.

A young blond man in leather turned at her. "Mr. Locarno. Do you remember me? I was with Wesley Crusher on the starbase during his competency hearing about the starfleet cadet shuttle incident. "

Nicholas doesn't recall her, but then he'd spent most of those first couple of years trying to push that whole experience from his mind. A promising career shot down in flames, all because that Crusher kid couldn't keep quiet. The flash of irritation is supressed before it can register on his face. Instead he takes another drink of his synthehol.

Troi wasn't reading much off of him. ::Oh boy. Maybe I've stepped on some toes. This is Nicholas Locarno, that fleet cadet Squadron "captain" at the hearing. :

She kept her face neutral. "I...am reporting on board Voyager if you'd like catch up on news with anyone from the Enterprise. I've a surprise for you about Wesley. He's become quite the traveler now days."

God dmnit, he doesn't want to hear about Crusher. The fate of Picard's protege is a matter of supreme indifference to him. He gives Troi a polite enough nod though. "Actually it was news from Voyager I was interested in hearing, but thanks for the thought."

She waved cordially, "Nice to see you again, Mr. Locarno. I don't see familiar faces that often anymore. Look me up."

*Yeah, right!* But he doesn't voice the thought. "Maybe I will" he says,  
non-commitingly

And she turned away. She had just gotten to Keiko's side when she felt the tug of a transporter yank at her. "Ah..! Keiko! Take my bags!" Her last sight was Keiko overbalancing backwards with the sudden load tossed at her.. "Sorrrryyyyyy!!"  
Then Troi was gone.

Nicholas turns round again, just to see the last vestiges of the transporter beam-out fade. *Now what the hell was that all about?* He jumps down from his seat and jogs over to Keiko. "Allow me" he says graciously, taking some of the bags from her and placing them down, allowing her to steady herself.

He looks at the oriental woman. "It's quite a spectacle isn't it" he says cordially to her. "Everyone's going to remember where they were the moment they heard the legendary Voyager was home again. Are you waiting to hear of family on board?"

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From: "Nick Lewis" .uk Subject: [voyagerliveaction] We are the Borg Date: Sun, 15 Apr 2001 16:43:48 +0100

The whole of the Starbase, ships and shuttles shook. The banquet tables overturned spilling their contents onto the carpetting. People barely regained their footing.

Nicholas instinctively puts a hand out to steady Keiko as spacedock shudders. He wonders if this has anything to do with the sudden disappearance of the Enterprise Counsellor.

Both ship and stations sounded red alert.

Nick runs over to the nearest security officer, who has one finger stuck in his ear, trying to listen to a comm signal amidst the sudden noise of civilian panic. "What's going on?" Nick questions.

"Please sir, go back to the lounge, everything's in hand."

Then the station is rocked again, more violently this time. "Like hell it is." It feels like an attack, but who would be stupid enough to try that in the heart of Federation territory? *Ok, the Breen did a pretty good job on us during the war, but still...*

"There's no need for panic" the security man says, like he was taught.  
"We're taking care of the problem?"

A third shudder.

"Forget it" he tells the junior officer. The guy's about as useful as a spent phaser. As he walks away, Nick tries to think who he knows here on the station... then smiles. Finding an empty console, he quickly patches communications. "C'mon Alice, talk to me" he mutters.

A few seconds later, the face of Lt Alice Neilson appears on screen.  
"Nick?" she says in surprise, recognising her old friend. "Bad time to make a call, we just went to red alert."

"No kidding. The station feels like it's trying to shake itself apart.  
What can you tell me, Alice? The jobsworths down here aren't saying anything."

"A spatial anomaly just opened less than a thousand metres portside. It's playing havoc with our structural integrity. I don't know........ Oh my god!"

Nick furrows his brow. "Alice, what is it?"

Shouting is heard in the background. "It's them..... call the Admiral........ evacuate."

"Nick, get yourself out of here. Right now!"

"What is it?" he repeats, concerned at the look of fear of Alice's face.

"Go!" she pleads. Then visuals cut out. But Nick heard one word before the screen went black... a word that chills him to the bone... Borg!

Out in space, a familiar cube shaped vessel has emerged from the anomaly,  
followed by a ship even more enormous and of a configuration Starfleet has never seen before. A Borg Pyramid.

If the occupants of the lounge weren't panicked before, they certainly are now. Many people start crowding the departure gates to get back to their ships. Nick is way ahead of them. As it is, control has already authorised evacuation so the security officers don't stop anyone, but try to form orderly lines to avoid a log-jam.

Dropping into his command seat like a bomb, Nick starts take-off procedure.  
"SS Firestar to control" he pipes through the comms. "I'm going whether I have clearance or not, so you'd better open those damn doors."

Thrusters engage and Nick starts to pilot the ship out of dock, the spacedoors already opening in preparation. The Firestar is one of the first ships to leave. It's then that Nick sees the ominous shapes, almost blotting out Io. As ships start flying outside, desperately trying to escape Utopia Planetia, the Borg start firing. The more experienced pilots start weaving in and out of the lancing beams, but the civilian transports are sitting ducks.

*Where the hell's the Enterprise?* he seeths. It should have been released from its clamps to help defend the station by now. As explosions erupt on one of the passenger ships, Nick can't stand by and watch it happen.

Turning around, the Firestar propels large disruptor bolts into the vicinity of the cube's weapons The plan works and for the moment, the cube suspends it's assault on the transport Nick is trying to draw away fire from. The bolts are all but useless of course, but it's giving them a new target to worry about.

*Who am I kidding? I must be like a fly to them* he thinks, as he steers the Firestar between two green energy beams. But then flies can get annoying if they buzz around you long enough. "C'mon you ugly metal morons,  
try an' swat me if y' can."

Meanwhile, the Pyramid just hangs there, impassively, as if surveying the scene.

The Nebula class USS Hyperion is just re-entering the solar system, when its captain, Commodore Stephen Locarno, starts hearing the garbled reports from on and above Io. Starfleet hadn't been expecting another attack so soon.  
He turns to his helsman. "Lt Parker, set a course of Io, full impulse."

"Aye, sir."

(attachment)  
Image : A Delta Flier attacking a Borg Vessel with a new design, a pyramid ship.

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From: "Alex Delet" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Never Straight Forward Date: Sun, 15 Apr 2001 21:27:16 +0100 Kathryn tapped the spoon, against the side of the china cup she held in her hand. The Coffee set, had been out, non-stop for several years. When Voyager had been in the delta quadrant. Janeway had been on the couch, against the viewport, coffee in her hand.  
The Aroma was strong, and the taste robust.  
But it was replicated... The Water, the Coffee itself, all replicated. Janeway, was of the opinon that it tasted better, when she only replicated the ingredients. And poured the water in herself.  
As soon as they'd arrived at Utopia Planitia, the chance had come to get some home coffee aboard.  
They'd been 'home' for hours, and Janeway had spent all of that time aboard Voyager, on duty, fuly alert,  
and as Captain.  
Maybe that was why, she was focussing so wholly, on her Coffee. A Break from the chaotic circumstances.  
Maybe that was why she'd refused the offer of 'home' coffee. Voyager had been, and would be home for her.  
She wasn't home yet...she was still on-duty.  
The Briefing had entered it's middle stage. Everyone was working on separate parts, as they stood around the room in small groups.  
Janeway smiled at Naomi Wildman, as she stood with her mother. After handing the files to Commander Data.  
Janeway had been on her own, within the crowd since the news about Harry had come through.  
All the troubles her crew were facing, proved her theory, that the longer they were away, the harder it would be to truly return.  
Finally, the Captain stood up and headed for her desk. Kathryn froze, when she saw the message waiting indicator ... and a picture of Mark on the screen of the desktop terminal.  
Years ago, Janeway had packed away the holo's, pictures and mementoes of Mark, they had only served to keep the wound of separation open. She had stored all of the pictures in her personal database, locking them away, after she found out about his engagement.  
Her fianc e had given her up for dead. And she didn't blame him. The Captain's voice was terse.  
"Computer, Identify Sender of Message," she asked.

The Tone had distracted some of the assembled, who looked at her. "Mark Johnson," the Computer started.

"Acknowledged," she said.  
Now wasn't the time to deal with personal phonecalls, and that was one phonecall she really didn't want to deal with.  
Sitting down, the Captain slammed her fist down onto the console's deactivate control.

The room was in silence. Standing Up, Janeway returned to her 'Captain's Mode.  
"We've been cooped up here for some time," Janeway glanced at Chakotay, then at Paris, "We have a de-briefing to get to, and .  
At that moment, Q turned up. Janeway mentally frowned.  
She listened to Q's thoughts, without commenting, not wishing to spur him on.  
When he finally left, Janeway did a double take when she found herself....out of uniform.  
Rushing out, she activated the Replicator.  
In way of explanation, Janeway said just one letter... although her voice carried alot of emotion,  
"Q,"  
Deanna Troi stepped forward, "Hello Captain Janeway. I'm Counselor Deanna Troi, Commander. Formerly from the USS. Enterprise. I've news about your fallen officer, Harry Kim. When you're finished here,.." she gestured to the briefing room and those gathered here... "I'll tell you more. He's stable for now."  
Janeway felt a great deal of relief, but nodded curtly, taking a uniform from Chakotay and heading to change.  
She did, and returned quickly, she'd changed in a time that would have made her proud in her Academy days.  
She'd just gotten over her reaction to Q's prank before...and it did not fill her with happiness, to regard him in the Command Chair, HER Chair.  
Janeway felt her ship shake, a practiced commander, she knew it was most likely gravitational waves...interfering with Ship inertial dampers, artificial Gravity.  
When Voyager jumped to Red Alert, Janeway had to stop herself leaping out of the door.  
Tapping her comm-badge, Janeway spoke Quickly, =/\= Captain Janeway to the Bridge, Report =/\= She added Captain, knowing that her crew were not the only ones on the bridge.  
What she heard, was not encouraging...

Hearing Commander Troi mention Worf and Q being the only ones on her bridge... That was it.  
"Counsellor, Commanders," she gestured, encompassing Chakotay, Data, Tuvok and Riker.

Janeway left the invitation to any one else who thought they could be useful. Tapping her comm again, =/\= Seven, Report to the Bridge =/\= As Troi continued her conversation, the officers headed for turbolifts, in two groups.  
The Turbolift ride seemed to take forever, but as Captain Janeway threw herself onto her bridge, she went instantly into action.  
The Ship had continued to shake, they were still moored to the Starbase. Chakotay assumed his station, Janeway nodded to Commander Worf.  
"Q, Your in my seat," she looked at the intergalactic jester, pointedly.

(attachments)

Image : Mark on a computer padd.

Image : Janeway hugging Molly her holodog, irish setter.

Image : Janeway looking upset for Harry's fate.

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From: "Samantha ." Subject: [voyagerliveaction] They try to put us under, but here we stand together and we're millions strong Date: Sun, 15 Apr 2001 22:53:17 -0000 Admiral Paris re-materialized on the transporter pad only to be met by a violent shudder. He was uncerimoniously thrown to the ground in the process. Flustered, he quickly got to his feet and immediatly left the room. The ship shuddered under his feet again as he made his way to a near by turbolift. Quickly stepping in, Owen braced himself against another jolt.

"Bridge!" the word came out short and quick. The computer took a second to process the command then began to hum towards the command center. After only a few long seconds passed by, Admiral Paris started to manually make the lift go faster. It only cut a few seconds off his trip. When the doors swished open, the Admiral stepped onto the bridge only to be greeted with the vision of a large Borg...pyramid?

A look of complete surprise replaced that of anger and he had to steady himself by placing a hand on the Tactical console. It took a few minutes for the scene before him to sink in. Once he had steadied himself he walked around the rail and stood in front of the Command chair.

"Request permission from the base to release docking clamps." he called out to a junior officer standing at the operations console. The officer quickly nodded and began punching commands into his panel. While that was being done, Admiral Paris noticed the hustle of the crew, all knowing where they were going and exactly what they were doing. It surprised him at first but he quickly pushed it aside to concentrate at the task in hand.

"Start scanning for more vessels. Cubes, spheres, pyramids...they could be dog houses for all I care! Alert me as soon as anything comes up!" it had been a while since the last time he "in command" of a vessel. With the absence of the Captain, who would undoubtly arrive at any moment, he had no choice but to get the ball rolling. As if Kathryn Janeway had read his mind, she entered through the turbolift doors, senior staff in tow.

"Captain. Sorry for my tardiness, I had other matters to attend to. I've released us from space dock and the crew's began scanning. She's all yours." he quickly told her of his actions and then stepped to the side to watch his protege and friend in action. He caught a glimpse of his son as he took the CONN. His letter came back to him briefly and he wondered if Tom had recieved it yet.

That was not important at the moment. There was a Borg threat and all his concentration and energy had to be put into this battle. No outcome was secure at the moment. The Borg were trying to put the Federation under, but here they stood and they were millions strong.

-  
(attachements)  
Image : A makeup artist putting an actor into Borg makeup.

Image: Janeway and crew in a foggy wash of white.

Gif: Admiral's pips.

Image: A starship sweeping away from a Borg Cube in Earth's orbit.

*****************************************************************

From: "robert catrair" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] build in the delta quadrant Date: Sun, 15 Apr 2001 23:45:12 -0000

As worf was standing on the command deck, his comm.. link chirps,=^=Worf what does the sensors show =^= as he stops and punch in a couple of commands to the computer.  
What he find on the sensors report drains the life from his face,"tuvok do you see what i see,At this time Worf turn on the main screen and there they are two borg cubes with no warning of there arrivals to this sector of space.  
Shields up and photon torpedoes load and lock,phazer lock on.  
As he set the motion to fire full spread they vanish.  
the sensors logs were wipe out and the shield drop on no one command and worf showed multiple beam in. =^="Worf to all on voyager the borg are on board be ready to fight hand to hand, Emh and all deck crew shield all areas and stare to jettison the warp core"=^=.  
AT the same time two borg beam on the command deck and the fight was on,Worf fired his phazer at the first on point blank into it chest and killed it,the other one went after commander tuvok.  
As worf turn to engage the second borg, it disappeared from sight.  
::What the he## is going on here, back at the consol worf is hitting more buttons and finally found the case of this:  
"Commander tuvok the Q is on board and on level two in the mess hall.  
Security team to the mess hall on the double force fields or up around the area."  
At this time the turbo lift hum and open letting out Admiral Paris.  
When Worf turn back to the screen there was one big borg pyramid

******************************************************************

END WEEK FOURTEEN RECAP 04-16-01 {}

WEEK FIFTEEN RECAP 04-16-01 {}

From: "Alex Delet" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Like Old Times Date: Wed, 18 Apr 2001 00:13:31 +0100

Captain Kathryn Janeway took her Command Chair in an instant,  
she had no hesitation, no problems with it.  
:: This is my ship :: Janeway mused, ::My Command ::, she reflected.  
::How many times have I been called to the bridge, over an attack:  
The Borg were back for another try. :: I do this :: she considered.  
:: I did this every day:  
Janeway watched officers file into the assorted stations, "Clear the station Now!" Janeway called.  
At that moment, Worf shouted something about shields being down.  
Janeway stood up, "Arm Yourselves," she looked toward the Admiral and nodded. A Silent message, thanking him for taking charge, but letting him know. The Captain was on the bridge.  
As Borg arrived, beaming in.. Janeway's heart sank. Borg aboard ship, was always the last chance, final, end of day scenario.  
Because when the borg came on, and got ahold of her ship, Janeway knew it would be near on impossible to clear them out.  
"We didn't fight the borg, half way across the Delta Quadrant, just to wind up loosing in our own back yard," Janeway saw two drones materialise on the command deck.  
Janeway took a step back, she was no match for a drone, in hand to hand combat,  
Janeway turned toward the weapons locker, already planning.  
Tuvok tossed a Phase Rifle toward her, the Captain knew he would have set it up for her, first. Rotating Frequency's and maximum setting.  
Janeway fired, at the drone... it slowly collapsed and was eventually beamed away.  
"Bridge to Engineering," she called, "We need Shields!" she knew badgering her staff would not save any time... but she had to let them know the gravity of the situation.  
Worf had dispatched another drone across the bridge, where it collapsed.  
Captain Janeway held the phaser tightly as she scanned the bridge.  
The silence, told her that the shields must at least be partially up.  
"Report!" she called, bracing herself against the forward rail, as the ship shuddered.  
"We have no shields, but a transporters scattering field is in effect," Tuvok announced, his Vulcan manner, a blessing in the situation.  
Janeway didn't say anything, their chances were slim with Voyager at peak, they were low, without shields.  
The Captain studied the Borg Pyramid onscreen. That was a new one...and it looked to be worthy of the shocked expression most of the crew had assumed, when they looked at it.  
Janeway returned to her seat, noticing they were still inside the spacedock's envelope.  
"Get us out of the base NOW," Janeway called.  
"Q!" Janeway shouted.  
At a part of her mind, Captain Kathryn Janeway knew this was not going to work...The Few Starships within Earth's defence perimeter were engaging the vessel...The nearest starships had been alerted, but by the time they got there...it would be a lost battle.  
Janeway let her foot stamp on the carpet, :: This is not happening...We're not loosing this one :  
Captain Janeway returned to her chair, and looked around, they needed options, and her people, and those aboard ship would give her options as soon as they had them.  
But Janeway knew, intellectually, and in her heart, that whatever the cost...the Borg would not win, even if she had to let Q do it...

*  
From: Fran Catrair Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Prepare for Impact Date: Tue, 17 Apr 2001 22:50:44 -0700 (PDT)

As she wandered the corridors hunting for Tom,  
B'Elanna's thoughts were in turmoil. ::I REALLY shouldn't have said all those things. It's going to make it harder for all of us.:: she thought. ::No,  
I'm not sorry!:: she corrected herself, feeling the anger rise in her again. But just who would have thought they would be back home? When they had ended up in the Delta Quadrant, all indications were that a way back to the Alpha Quadrant would not be found in most of their lifetimes. They had all pretty much resigned themselves to that. So, they had carried on with their lives; with the journey back as their ultimate goal, a life's purpose, if you will. But in the meantime, they had developed friendships, working friendships, trust, comaraderie, routines and even relationships. They had become, as Seven of Nine would say, self-sufficient.

Now they were back in the Alphra Quadrant, through a quirk of fate, and were facing their ultimate realities directly. It was like waking up in the morning and splashing ice cold water in your face. Or, waking up from a dream. But this was no dream. They had ALL lived through this together. Looking down at her hand, she wiggled her fingers, the wedding ring capturing some light and winking back at her. ::At least I know this is real.:: she thought, sighing to herself. As she rounded the corridor and entered the observation lounge on deck nine, she found no sign of Tom. Puzzled, she tapped her foot and began to think. She had already checked his, and their,  
hideaways and had not found him.

A voice sounded close at hand and startled her from her musings. Looking at the side panel, she saw Boothby smiling at her. "You know, you're alot like your husband, Lieutenant. You both just don't ask me where the other is; you have to go traipsing off on your own anyway!" he finished, a mock scolding tone in his voice. B'Elanna glared at him. "Ok, Mr.  
Know-It-All, just where is Tom, anyway?" she asked him. Boothby looked at her in that wizened way of his and replied, "You just missed him. He and the Wildman child just left for the de-briefing." ::The de-briefing.:: she thought. ::I REALLY don't want to go back there right now.:: she concluded. Sighing,  
she looked at Boothby. "They really didn't make this easy for us, did they?", she said, leaving the observation deck before Boothby could reply, leaving him with a puzzled look of his own on his face.

Resigning herself to her fate, she started to walk back to the ready room. In mid-stride, she felt an enormous jolt shake the ship. ::What the h#ll was that?:: she thought to herself. A moment later, she felt another jolt. Breaking out into a run and cursing to herself, she changed course and headed to engineering, the lights in the corridor changing to red alert status as she sprinted off, the dreaded de-briefing forgotten.

Upon entering engineering, she noticed the familiar,  
comfortable signs of activity around her. Her engineering team was frantically working to stabilize the situation.

"Bridge to Engineering," she called, "We need Shields!" she knew badgering her staff would not save any time... but she had to let them know the gravity of the situation.

=^=We're working on it, Captain!=^= B'Elanna said, answering the captain's hail. "Status, Ensign Vorik!"  
she barked. Before he could reply, three borg drones materialized around her. ::Borg?:: she thought,  
momentarily stunned. Recovering quickly, B'Elanna directly attacked the one closest to her, taking down the slower, mechanical drone with ease. Vorik and another crewman dispatched the other two drones. Then, before anything else could be done, the three drones quickly vanished. Looking at Vorik and the crewman, remnants of her Klingon battlelust in her eyes, she said to them, "What the h#ll is going on here? It just looks like this day can't get any better!" she concluded, sighing grimly. Going over the sensor readings, she put the outside images on the monitor in engineering. They looked at the screen in shock. A Borg Pyramid? She also noticed how the Borg Cube was doing all the attacking, and the pyramid was holding back. ::Ooh...I don't like the looks of this!:: she thought. Turning back to Vorik, she woke them all out of their shocked states by getting back to business. "All right, everyone, we need the shields back! Let's get back to work, shall we?" Looking around, she noticed them slowly getting back to business. ::Good.:: she thought. ::Can't let the best engineering crew in starfleet rest on their laurels now, can I?:: she concluded, chuckling to herself.

Looking back at the viewscreen in front of her, she noticed something unusual. The Borg Pyramid looked strange. It appeared to be taking on a glowing, blue appearance. She felt an undercurrent of humming; it wasn't actually heard, it was just something she could FEEL. Hitting a few controls at her console, she hoped the auxiliary power she had implemented would be enough to sustain the shields. =^= Engineering to Bridge=^= she called out. =^=Prepare for impact!!=^= she yelled and grabbed the console she was at, hoping for the best.

-  
(attachments)

Image : Nice Torres portrait with a navy backdrop.

*animated gif* Borg Cube zooming at you...

*animated gif* Red alert bar flashing.

*  
From: Jenni-Lynn McNeill chief_ Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Borg Invasion Date: Thu, 19 Apr 2001 00:21:53 -0700 (PDT)

Seven stood still as she heard the voice of the collective in her mind. They were close and she had to activictly fight the urge to give in to that one voice of perfection. Some of the strain mush have been showing on her face because of the way that the crew was looking at her. She composed herself and replied to the Captain's order.

=/\= I'm on my way, Captain. =/\=

She said as she walked out to the Bridge. She saw the Borg Drones on the Bridge and her eyes widened in a moment of fear. She then started to act, reaching for a phaser rifle and engaging them in combat.

--------------------------------------------------------

Sam didn't like the way things were progressing on the ship, everyone seemed tense. She glanced out the viewport and saw the reason why, a pair of Borg ships.  
One cube, and one pyramid?

~That's odd, I've never seen that type of a Borg ship before.~

She thought as she glanced back to Naomi, hoping that she hadn't seen the ships yet.

_  
(attachments) Image : Shuttle firing on Borg pyramid

Image : Voyager lancing fire on Cube in close up splendor.

Image : Seven of Nine leaving turbolift with a phaser rifle.

*  
From: "patti keiper" Subject: Q-thousand leagues under the .  
Date: Sat, 21 Apr 2001 07:31:52 -0000

Q came out of his place in the continuum to phase onto Voyager's bridge. His face told it all. He was mad. He kept any Borg drone who managed to board the ship from reaching full materialization, or, if they already had, zapping their personal shields off so any weaponsfire from the humans would finish them off.

He turned and spoke to the air above his head once the ship was secure. "I thought it was your own rule, Q! Who? All of YOU!!" He stabbed an angry finger at the ceiling. "Never provoke the Borg!!!" He turned to Janeway who was still wavering in place, hair all out of place, having just polished off a Borg drone. "My dear Kathy... I had nothing to do with this..this.. this..abonimation..." he said pointing to the Cube and Pyramid outside the ship now on the main viewer.. "..and least, not my half of the continuum on my side of the war..."

Janeway rolled her eyes and Q suddenly snapped his fingers so she was back in her seat. The rifle was suddenly in Chakotay's hands and Kathryn found herself with a big teddy bear in her arms. "So relax... and take a load off.." Q went on, "I can handle these..." He got a closer look at the viewscreen.."Eeooww, my beleagured brothers have an awful sense of taste... Where did they drum up that pyramid thing? I didn't see any of those until the thirtieth century when the Borg retaliated against Species 847_.. well,,, never mind.." He soothed..

Janeway flung the bear over her head in disgust and stood once more, facing Q.

"Temper, temper,...Mon capitan... Whaa?? Didn't you like my teddy bear?"

Tuvok added a question, "Q, If you aren't responsible for the Borg returning to Earth and their subsequent confrontations with us... Who did...exactly..." The Vulcan science officer prodded.

Q drew himself up to his full height and metamorphosed into a Parody of a Borg Drone. "That is not relevant"

Chakotay aimed the rifle at Q so the muzzle poked into his face.

"Ahh!" Q qualmed, phasing back into his "normal" Fleet captain garb. "Easy with that thing. It may not be able to hurt me but I don't like being threatened all the same. Learn some manners, Chuckles." And he gestured..

Chakotay was suddenly on his butt, sitting crosslegged on his meditation blanket in front of his chair, in a trance state, the akoonah fully activated under one hand.

"There.. let him duke out his aggressions in the dream world where he can't harm anyone." Q laughed.

Tuvok scanned the first officer's lifesigns from where he stood at science three. "Chakotay is unharmed, captain. I am showing vital signs indicative of a deep hypnosis, similar to the one the commander usually engages in one of his dreamquests."

Janeway crouched by Chakotay, checking a pulse at his wrist anyway.

Q appeared at her side in a Groucho Marx mask with a toy stethoscope, listening to Chakotay's heart, "Ticker's ticking just fine, Kathy.." Another flash and Captain Janeway was right back in her chair with the rifle she wanted back in her grip. She thought better than to aim it anywhere near Q's location. She contented herself to listening and staring at him instead, letting Tuvok drill out some answers for her.

Her Vulcan security officer did not let his shipmates down.. Tuvok spoke, "Q,...You slipped out that this pyramid may be from the thirtieth century or later.."

Q threw mock fear eyes, "Did I?" He threw hands over his mouth.."And there's the temporal directive in the way now isn't there.. so I think I'll keep quiet on the subject my fine pointy eared friend. One must have little secrets mustn't one. Sort of like your own pathetic Ponn farr one you delude yourself into thinking no one else knows about.." Q squinted, regarding Tuvok,, "Hmmmmm," he snapped his fingers. The furry teddy bear insinuated itself into Tuvok's arms in a "bear hug". "Maybe you should have the teddy weddy instead. Looks like you need it. Your starting to sweat already.. The thought of your wife being so near firing off certain impulses again??"

The EMH entered the bridge from the ready room where he had materialized from the station's med ward before the shaking began. He had already dismissed Chakotay's condition as non critical and glommed onto Tuvok's now exposed state. "Mr. Tuvok, why aren't you returning to Vulcan and your family? Your hormones are skyrocketting. I think T'Pel would not approve..."

Tuvok merely handed the teddy over to the EMH without comment and folded arms behind his back.

Q Grinned, "You Don Juan you.... Pshawww..." he gestured with mock coyness at him.

Then he adopted an Albert Einstein air and look, "It seems matter and time and space ovah dere aren't what zey seem..." His pointer stabbed out to hit the view screen and the image of the Borg Pyramid floating there.

Then B'Elanna's warning came over the frantically opened comm..

Looking back at the viewscreen in front of her, she noticed something unusual. The Borg Pyramid looked strange. It appeared to be taking on a glowing, blue appearance. She felt an undercurrent of humming; it wasn't actually heard, it was just something she could FEEL. Hitting a few controls at her console, she hoped the auxiliary power she had implemented would be enough to sustain the shields. =^= Engineering to Bridge=^= she called out. =^=Prepare for impact!!=^= she yelled and grabbed the console she was at, hoping for the best.

Q began to dance around the bridge.. "Dive! Dive! Dive!!" He now looked like Captain Nemo.. and he pulled a golden string attached to an anchor hanging from nowhere.

Voyager lurched Zee minus ten straight down, causing everyone to feel their stomachs in their throats at the sudden acceleration downward. Sea sickness gripped everyone and it was an effort not to be ill for all.

The iridescedent Pyramid missed the ship entirely.. It seems to be out of control.. Half its lights were out. Pursued by one tiny unknown Federation ship..

Tuvok zoomed in on the call letters.. "The USS Firestar..." He toggled a sudden audio transmission squirt from the vessel.

"!!" came a male voice. "Time to round up the dogies.."

At his seat, Tom Paris cringed, instant recognition on his face. He turned back forward to hide his reaction.

Janeway's glower at Q made the omnipotent being offer more in apology.. "Believe me captain. I am just as stumped as you about that thing out there. All I know is that my fellow Q members in the continuum, have this rule against provoking the Borg in any manner, including far future translocating... that." He glanced at the looming pyramid now missing Voyager's trajectory on its way careening out of control under its mysterious malfunction. " I am only guessing that a few Q are ignoring the rule, if it's them doing all this Borg shinnanigans.." He shrugged. "It's time we got our thinking caps on...."

And suddenly, everyone on the bridge had one.

-  
(attachments)

Image : Q as a Borg

*animated gif* Energize..in red flashing

*moviette* Multiple ships flying in formation against a Borg ship firing volleys.

*  
From: "Cory Anda" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Like gas to a flame-- Date: Sun, 22 Apr 2001 09:30:39 -0000

Chakotay opened his eyes. He was elsewhere. Not in the woods he knew so well. There was an ache in his heart with the knowledge that his spirit guide Matseyeho was no longer his. ::She did give herself freely for another to gain my ship's escape from the Nexus.. but...::

He fell to his knees in this new place, a dim awareness knew Q had brought him into the dreamscape realm without preamble. Chakotay scoffed in his mind. ::I wasn't going to be the aggressor and fire at him.. ::

He was about to break the trance and return to his place on the bridge when a light from the far side of a meadow drew in his attention. It was familar and green tinged.  
"The Borg?.. what do they know of the dreamquesting world?"

Chakotay got to his feet and felt soft moccasins tread the grass as he moved nearer the phenomena. He silently mouthed a reverent prayer to the other spirit guides he knew were around him unseen. "I know I am not meant to see you in this life. But if you could show me why the evil ones are here,  
Do so. In the memory of Matseyeho, my sacrificed guidefriend."

Animal chatters and half heard speakings whispered in his mind and a night wind swept away the fog intervening between him and where the light was coming from. Chakotay used caution, keeping thin cover between himself and the bright way before him.  
He could almost hear Borg voices in the air around him as he focused his listening. %Seek parameters. Determine location sector. Temporality has been altered off course. Main power grid is offline. Seekkkk.. Knowww...%

A cold sweat filled Chakotay's face. The Borg voice chorus was different, somehow known to him.

Crouching lower in the grass of the night place, the first officer located a movement, tall, lanky and not at all humanoid.  
"Ohhh.." he sighed as he saw it.

Angular backward limbs and an insectoid head turned toward him.  
##It is this one again.. The one who's Borgfemale sent me on to be hunted by the armored ones..## With a hiss.. the creature charged Chakotay and he flailed onto his back, screaming in terror.  
"Nooooo!!" He flung protective arms over his head and the heavy bug head neared his own..

Just as easily, Chakotay was awake and blinking from where he sat upon his prayer fur on the bridge. He saw Q and Janeway and the others and his head hurt from where he hit it when the starship lurched downward to avoid the Borg pyramid's collision trajectory.  
He ignored the pain and shouted, "...I've seen them...they are over there!! "

The EMH moved away from Tuvok whom he had cushioned from the worst of the jolting of evasion Tom had put Voyager through, He said, "Easy commander...let me check out that bruise on your head."

Chakotay pushed away the hologram's hands, "The Borg are no longer alone on those vessels out there..." he caught his breath fighting his Q induced dizziness, "It's Species 8472.. They are now allies with the Borg..."

---------------------------------------------------------------

Tom Paris gave a shudder, feeling every moment, every second under his hands at his controls, amazingly,  
his father was the furthest thing from his mind. ::Q has a tendency to do that to people. More than your usual distraction:  
he groaned mentally.

Then he anticipated the captain's next wish at Chakotay's stunning announcement. He got someone who might be able to learn more from the drones and any 8472 on the pyramid. He comm'd Troi directly and asked her to report to the bridge.

"Commander....Now's our chance, The pyramid's totally powerless on a drifting course. Something's knocked out their dimensional portal thrusters and I don't think our current thorn in the side had anything to do with it." He ignored Q's indignant look. ::If he wanted to fingersnap me he'd have done it already..:: Tom reasoned.

He kept his back to the captain, making sure sensors stayed on the Firestar and the Cube and pyramid. So far.. the Cube was not returning fire in spite of the vessels spitting phasers that were biting into its sides. No damage was being inflicted upon the Cube at all.  
::Uh, oh..:: Tom saw that as a not so good outcome. It meant they weren't getting hurt. He felt his father's scrutiny like a poker but he didn't falter his duties.

He knew the Commander and Janeway saw it too. ::Trouble on the horizon:  
He saw a look of puzzlement on Q's face and he shuddered.  
"I'm reading an incoming message from the Firestar.. I know him.  
It's Nick Locarno, freelance cargo captain.. Shall I put him on?"

-  
(attachments)

Image : Chakotay in Q enforced Dreamquest.

Image : Tom Paris looking dubious at helm controls of the Delta Flier.

*  
From: "Roxy Dee" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Patch job~~ Date: Sun, 22 Apr 2001 09:37:14 -0000

Harry felt a warm saltiness in his mouth. He frowned and withdrew a thumb, wrinkled and bitten. He felt another wipe away the blood and he felt the itching buzz of a protoplazer as it was instantly healed.  
"Hey,... that tickles..." he said without opening his eyes.  
He jerked his hand away. He opened his eyes.. and screamed.

An 8472 menaced near him, a string of clammy drool landing on his chest. Harry fought his bonds. "Let me go!! Let me out!!"

The figure was suddenly Q as a Borg.  
Harry sobbed, "I tried... We...we're back now.. Please..I.."

The figure faded and a bright light lanced into his retinas making his eyes water. Kim suddenly smelled medications and felt the snug of a diagnostic arm across his body.  
"easy..." he heard a feminine voice say which shouted into another direction.. "He's conscious, doctor."

The EMH moved into Harry's field of vision, blessedly cutting down the fire of the sterile lights above Harry's bed.

"Doc?" Harry said a little confused, "What am I doing here? Last thing I remember was....was..."

The holophysician set firm hands on the ensign's shoulders, "Don't push it, ensign. There's a reason for your amnesia. Call it an emotional bandage if you will. Don't scratch at it until you're ready.."

"Oh. O.k..k." Harry said in a small voice. Kim set back down into his pillow licking dry lips. They were soothed with a moist towel from a nurse he did not know. "Where am I, doc?"

"You're on Utopia Planetia in the starbase's sickbay. You've had a mishap of sorts but seem through the worst of it." the Voyager doctor smiled. He retracted the life support arm and said crisply,  
"Feeling hungry? There's one benefit to being in a hospital bed here. The food's real.."

Harry chuckled weakly, "I'm a little sore.." he said holding the aches he felt in his stomach muscles.

The EMH's cheery face didn't lessened, "You....were fighting us for a time when you were first admitted. Nothing to be embarrassed about.  
You were upset.."

Harry sat up suddenly, "Where's Libby...? I was talking to her.  
She'll be worried..."

The EMH set a steamy bowl of real wan tan soup in front of Harry.  
"Eat.. She's the one who prepared this for you.. "

Harry almost got up then reconsidered the EMH's abilities. "I want to see her..but...this DOES look good...ok, I'll stay and eat."

The doctor "Thanks, ensign. Libby's been appraised of your situation , even now. " he indicated the direction the nurse had departed.  
"I'll let you have visitors as soon as we're off red al--" he cut off.

Harry didn't miss anything, "Red alert?... Doc you can't have a red alert in a shipping yard.." he joked.

The EMH slid his holoeyes sideways.. "Ahhhh..yes, you can. You see.  
everyone is a little occupied right now.. with.."

"With who, doc?"  
Then Harry remembered his fevered dream of a few minutes ago. "Wait a minute.. doc.. you can't be serious.. I sort of .. made up a crisis coming out of it.. I saw stupid Borg and an 8472 who didn't look very chummy with anything else but them."

Harry saw a look of surprise in the hologram's face. The subtle kind which meant that he didn't anticipate a reaction he just experienced.  
"No way..."

Slowly the EMH nodded.

Harry downed the last of his soup, "That's it.. I'm going back to Voyager." he hopped down, "Who knows how quick they will reach Earth.."

"Try not to get worried. Libby's here with us.." the EMH countered.  
"I haven't released you yet!" he said firmly.

"That's all right. You said I had an emotional bandage stuck on me.  
My amnesia.. All that's needed now is a little healing time, right?  
I promise I'll hold off scratching it..." Kim smiled.

The EMH couldn't argue with that line of reasoning. He helped the ensign dress and said, "I'll go with you, there are some facts you need to know about events on the bridge.."

"I already know, doc. Don't tell me, Q's back."

"Yes,.. how did you deduce that?"

Kim tapped his forehead, "Fever dreams are great! Better than one of Chakotay's dreamquests for gleaning the truth.."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A few minutes later, Harry, in the company of the doctor came onto the bridge in uniform with the EMH shadowing him with a tricorder. A quick shower had made Kim presentable and he relieved the officer at Ops. "I'm back on duty, captain, commander. My difficuty isn't that...pressing for the moment.. Permission to man my station?"

Harry Kim waited for one of his superiors to answer his request.

-  
(attachment)

Image : Harry Kim looking very Borgish..

**************************************************************

From: "Clairissa Fox"  
Date: Sun Apr 22, 2001 9:50 am Subject: I want to go find out why

I saw 7 on the bridg and I knew that coming there was good.

7! 7! Why are the robots here again? And that Queue is back.  
Hes the one Auntie Kathy had teasing her to be his girl.

I dont like him at all. I stuck my tongue out at Queue and he turned purpl. But I knew he couldnt harm me. I was a kid.  
He had a kid of his own and so that made him not do it.

I said to 7 That other peryamid ship almost hit us! Why did it do that? Belana said it was on the way near to us. She might know why.

And Tom knows that other Firestar fighting shutle man. Maybe that other man there is the one who made the power go away on the Borg ship and made it almost crash into us.  
That was dangiross. Didnt he know bettr ?

So I went over to Tom and askd him

Tom! Tom! Who is that other man on the fast ship? He sounds like he is a racer. Is there a race going on? I thougt the robots were bad but some has that broken ship that almost hit us and the other square is just taking the gunblasts without doing anything!

I went over to Chakoty who had a tape on his head.

I hope that doesnt hurt. Did you say that the purpl monsters were back? I dont like them. Theyr scaree. Make them go away!  
I dont want the robots and the monsters to be friends. I want them to be bullies only to themselfs like last year. Then they would leave us alone!

Then I went to Queue and kickd him right in the shin! I just guess whos friends realy brougt them all here to be mean. I am not afraid of you! I may be only ten but I know alot. Robots Borgs are grounded all the time! Everyone knows that real good. So ground them. Send them home! Or you are just as dumb as your friends who brang them here.

I waited for Queue to do something with his magic again.  
Nothing would suprise me at all any more.

Auntie Kathy! Auntie Kathy! Maybe they are all going to the grandcanyan ! They went there last time said Mr. Riker.  
Maybe something is there we need to find.

Lets go! Lets go. I want to see. I want to see for me.

-  
(attachment)

Image : Naomi loaded down with datapadds in the turbolift.

***********************************************************

From: "Cassidy Meyers" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Spider in the Web. Date: Sun, 22 Apr 2001 20:30:36 +0400

Deanna pulled herself to her feet, her hair in total disarray using the edge of the ready room table.  
"Now that felt familiar. I wonder how close that scraping was..."

Her glance was swept to the window and a looming Borg Pyramid tumbled past the windows, so close the counselor could see the pock marks of many asteroid craters on the hull of the craft. Then another unusual thing occurred, the lights on board the new shaped ship flickered, losing their greenish fire and an eerie glow began to encompass it. The pyramid began to drift and Troi knew instinctively that whatever it was that disabled it had been sudden and unexpected.

Deanna dragged herself to her feet and left the ready room, no longer trying to contact Worf. ::He's probably up to his forehead ridges in tactical trouble.  
Then she receives the comm from both Tom Paris and Wil Riker.

"Commander, Counsleor Troi has arrived onboard."  
Data informed his freind.

"Thank you Data. Riker to Troi." Will was wondering how he was going to explain this.

Then he (Tom Paris) anticipated the captain's next wish at Chakotay's stunning announcement. He got someone who might be able to learn more from the drones and any 8472 on the pyramid. He comm'd Troi directly and asked her to report to the bridge.

Deanna tapped her com badge, =^=Troi to all parties,  
I'm here.=^=

The computer kicked in, #Your current combadge design is not configured to ship specifications. Do you want to reformat bandwidth and telemetry to compensate?#

"Yes, computer. Repeat my last hail once its been reset."

#Affirmative.#

Troi heard her last transmission go out once more over the comm lines. She didn't even wait for their acknowledgement or reply. She could feel the tumultuous emotions on the bridge. Something had gone seriously wrong. She headed for the door, motioning to Riker,  
who was in the chair across the Room from her where he had been wondering about the trombone he had been thinking about. =^=Troi here. I'm on my way Mr.  
Paris. The commander is too.=^=

Wil Riker was tugging his uniform top down as he regained his feet. Troi gave him a hand up,  
"Thanks Wil, for hailing me over the combadge.  
I felt a little overwhelmed by the crew's panic when the Borg ship nearly hit us." She grinned tightly. "I've just received a summons from Voyager's helm officer. They need us on the bridge. Something terrible has been discovered."

Deanna ran out the readyroom door ahead of Riker. She knew her imzadi was all right and uninjured from the huge lurch they suffered avoiding the Borg. Immediately,  
Troi understood.

She had missed any dialogue exchanged on the bridge but the unusual expression on Q's face told it all. ::Something's taken Q by surprise. That isn't good.::

Troi stood behind the captain's seat and slowly lowered her emotional barriers to those around her. She got Tuvok's difficulty right away. From looking at the Vulcan, one couldn't tell the depth of his roiling emotions. ::He's suffering the beginning of his Pon Farr.:: She shut his impressions out.

Q was unreadable but that only helped the counselor. Then she saw Tom motioning her over and as she passed the Admiral,  
Troi nodded to him. Then Paris said one word to Deanna's ear before turning back to his task of giving Voyager manuevering room to flank the two Borg vessels. Strangely, the Borg Cube wasn't firing on the Ship Troi knew was Locarno's. In spite of his hot shot decoy bait gyrations in front of them.  
::That's odd.::

Troi dampened out any humanoid impression on Voyager and fanned out to encompass the Cube. ::Huh, nothing there.. Only Borg drones:  
She reached and "felt" the Pyramid. And was staggered, she felt an arm draw her to her feet.

It was Harry, looking pale but functional.  
He was even back in his uniform. "I know. But there's only one 8472 on board that ship."

Troi sensed a heavy malevolence coming from that one powerful mind. Dripping with puzzlement and an unstoppable aggression aimed at the Starfleet vessels converging to Enterprise's side to aid Voyager's attempt to encircle the two Borg ships.  
"An...8472?"

Boothby came online next to Tom's hand at the helm station.  
"Yes, Counselor. Species 8472. I thought they were at war with the Borg. We encountered them in the Delta Quadrant and they had almost decimated the heart of Borg territory. Janeway had to negotiate our way through Borg space allying herself with them to defeat the 8472. They come from another dimensional realm, Fluidic Space. They use biological weapons and any physical contact with them releases a protein eating enzyme that liquifys anyone who is touched."

Troi felt a wave of memory from the young ensign. She looked at Harry. ::He's been a victim of that once:  
Deanna shook herself free of his fear and that of the others.  
"Only one on board that Pyramid? I thought you said they were mortal enemies, Boothby."

"I did. I can't explain why it is still alive. Commander Chakotay has learned through a dreamquest that this 8472 is most definitely allied with these Borg. Q here, spilled a hint on the Pyramid's origin, the thirtieth century."

Troi's eyebrows raised. "Five hundred years into the future?"

Boothby shrugged, "Yes." Then he grubmbled, "That's if we can trust anything Q says.."

Q crossed his arms in insult, "You may in this case, diode dirt digger."

Troi looked at Janeway still considering things with her first officer, who was wearing a bandage over his cheek. The EMH was nearby standing near Worf watching how the Enterprise tactical officer was communicating with his old ship and the other Starfleet vessels converging to Utopia to head off the two Borg interlopers.

Troi announced to all on the bridge in a loud voice. "I am going to try and get a hint of what is going on over there.."  
She pointed to the Borg pyramid drifting slowly, still encased in its strange incapacitating glow. It seemed to be completely dead now, only its very core was alive. It was from there Troi got a gleaning impression. The "voice" that came to her wasn't formed by any mouthparts that she knew of. It seemed to be in her head.

##The past will cease. We will return to the seas. Gain function.  
Assist, drones, and I will take us to safety.##

Then Troi saw that all on the bridge could "hear" that 8472 in their minds. ::My god, this species is a broadcast telepath of extraordinary degree to reach us from here.::

She heard Boothby speak, "That's new. Our Ocampan, Kes, could read the 8472 impressions only at close range with difficulty."

Then Troi felt mental eyes turn on Voyager and the images they all saw briefly flared brightly.

The lone 8472 was huge. Around eighteen meters high. Again she was told from the consult Boothby that this was new. All crew on all the vessels nearby Utopia to the range of half a light year saw the same images.

Borg drones in highly augmented streamline suits inside the Pyramid.  
All working around a focal point tethered to the rest of the ship tunnels and conduits to a thin glasslike doorway surrounded by flashing blue, amber and red characters. Troi gasped,  
"My God.. That's Iconian. Captain Picard and Data and Geordi LaForge once found one of these doorways underground in the Bendaii sector. They barely managed to use it before that planetoid's sun went nova, destroying the whole solar system. It's a portal into other times and places."

Q even seemed shocked.

The admiral straightened into an even taller stance, absorbing the implications. "Iconian.. like the Guardian of Forever.."

"Yes." Boothby said, "Only slightly more sophisticated. What do you all see over there in your minds?"

Troi related, "We see this Iconian doorway, webbed into the innermost workings of the pyramid. This 8472 being is at the controls of the portal but there doesn't seem to be any power there. Bolts of blue energy are overloading to encompass the whole Borg ship. That's the glow were are seeing on the viewscreen flowing over it. The 8472 is speaking to others through the doorway in its own language. I.. Ahhh!!"

A sharp interruption as the giant 8472 caught wind of the emphemral humanoids around it. ##Speakings we will not have.  
Peoples here are unimportant!!## It slammed the telepathic link down and all images stopped so suddenly, crews on every ship felt a jolt of pain.

Troi gasped. The void left behind from that strong mental link was acutely felt. ::It's as if an area of our minds we were born to use was yanked away from us::

She rose and turned to all on the bridge, noting that Harry had left her side and had returned next to Worf. He seemed to be waiting for permission to return to duty. Troi hastened to remedy that. "Captain, Harry's feeling normal emotionally. He can return to duty."

Captain Janeway gave a short nod and motioned Seven of Nine over to her side to speak with her.

Troi realized how this must all be for that Borg survivor.  
"Seven of Nine. Are you all right? Those drones from the future are very powerful in their collective energies. I can sense you are trying to filter them out."

The counselor watched Seven look at her but the woman leaned over to her captain without replying back right away.

The EMH caught some of Troi's concern and whirred a medical probe in Seven's direction. He gave a short "she's fine" nod to the counselor.

Troi returned to Paris's side, "Mr. Paris I only know of one person who knows Borg better than anyone. That is Picard, my captain. He should be on the Enterprise. But Wil hasn't given any sign that he is there. Maybe we should hail him. His knowledge of the Borg is very complete. Maybe he knows about this Iconian doorway at least in theory from the Borg of our own time."

Paris got a nod from Janeway and he and Harry set up a computer link to the Enterprise sitting nearby on the opposite side of Voyager, following the Pyramid's tumbling path at a safe distance. "Use a computer hail." Janeway ordered.

=^=This is the USS Voyager to the USS Enterprise E, Respond.=^= Boothby sent using his own computer voice.

The hail got through to Voyager's sister ship. The computer qualities in the frequency easily punching through the glowing temporal interference wash pouring off the Pyramid.

-  
(attachments)

Image : Deanna Troi close in Blue gown.

Logo: The Utopia Planetia Shipyards emblem.

Image : A Species 8472 full shot facing you.

*********************************************************

From: "Nick Lewis" .uk  
"Alex Delet"  
Subject: Joining Forces Date: Sun Apr 22, 2001 4:21 pm

Nick Locarno is having a whale of a time. After a short skirmish, the borg are now not even offering passive resistance. The Firestar is free to hit them as many times as it's pilot likes. And it's pilot likes hitting them very much, taking satisfaction in every small explosion. Eventually though,  
phaser energy starts running low and it's getting a little boring taking bites out of them like a oversized mosquito. "What am I missing?" Nick muses. "Why aren't they attacking anymore?"

With the pyramid drifting uselessly and the cube motionless, there's not a lot now to do. "I'm starting to feel very unloved here, guys" Nick says as if the borg could hear him. He glances starboard side and sees the Voyager there. "Ok, let's see if you know anything." He taps his console, sending a transmission. "Captain Locarno to USS Voyager. Do you have any ideas what's going on? Not to tempt fate here, but the borg shouldn't be this easy to beat?"

Janeway risks a glance around Voyager's bridge as the communication comes in. "Let's hear it" she decides. Bracing herself against a forward railing, she listens to the opening hail. "This is Captain Kathryn Janeway"  
she calls in reply. "They definitely shouldn't be this easy to beat. We believe them" she looks at Q, "to be from the future!"

Janeway walks back to her seat. "Our scans barely get through their hull"  
she reports as she grips the rail. "What have you found?"

"Not a whole lot" Nick admits. "I shouldn't be surprised these guys are futuristic though. Sometimes I think Federation space is just one giant temporal anomaly magnet." He looks at his weapons status panel. "Well.  
unless someone has a better idea, I say we keep hitting them while they're not in the mood to fight back. Know any weak spots we can concentrate on?  
I hear you have yourself an ex-drone on that ship, maybe she can give us a few inside secrets? I've been letting them eat phaser for the last ten minutes, but it doesn't seem to be having a great lot of effect."

Janeway frowns, :: that got out fast ::, she risks a glance at Seven. "Out of her time period I think" she considers, "but we'll see what we can do.  
We have to assume they can adapt to us very quickly." She walks across the bridge. "I'm hoping there's another explanation, we believe Q brought them here... and hopefully a Q will send them back. Otherwise" Kathryn accepts,  
"we'll have to be unconventional."

"Unconventional is my middle name, Captain" Nick smiles.

The Captain puzzles the comment out for a second. "I'm glad to hear it."  
She gives Tuvok a questioning glance as to the status of their weapons. "I suggest you recharge the banks, and hold your fire until we know it's useful" she tells Nick.

He shrugs. "Okay, but don't take too long." Then a thought occurs to him.  
"Captain, while I'm here, would it be possible to dock with your ship? The Firestar hasn't been checked over by a real engineer for a while now and I'd like to be able to restock on a few supplies."

Janeway exchanges a glance with Chakotay, from what she can tell, he's looking intrigued. The Captain sounds her agreement. "Download your sensor logs, Commander Tuvok will direct you to the nearest docking port" she says.  
"It may be time to call together a brainstorming session."

"I'm way ahead of you" Nick smiles, accepting the upload link, but making sure a few archives are exempted. It wouldn't do him any good for them to find out exactly what it is he trades in. Nick follows Tuvok's instructions and the Firestar moves alongside one of Voyager's external docking ports.

The Captain waves her hand and waits for Tuvok to mute the channel.  
"Standard Protocols, Captain?" Tuvok gives her a questioning stare. The standard protocols are a list of protocols Voyager had devised, when faced with aliens meeting aboard her.

"Discreet" she nods, "we don't have time to get picky." The channel is closed. Janeway looks around. "Maintain evasive action" she looks forward,  
aiming her voice to Seven, "Counsellor, Seven, keep scanning the borg" she orders, calling up some status readouts on the console between the command chairs.

-  
(attachments)

Image : Nicholas Locarno in civvies with a gun looking stern.

Image: Janeway looking updeck, concentrating on her given orders followup.

***************************************************************************

END WEEK FIFTEEN RECAP 04-24-01 {}

WEEK SIXTEEN RECAP 04-25-01 (}

*******************************************************

From: Jeff Seltun finiteridery...  
Date: Wed Apr 25, 2001 3:47 am Subject: Hoist by a Picard, the perverbial carrot..

Jean Luc could feel them in his very soul.

It was only that very morning, over Earl Grey, that he had been blissfully still alone inside his skull. Like billions across the galaxy, he knew a sister ship come home. ::I'd love a chance to meet Voyager's captain. No doubt Wil was on his way to her side even before the steam left the docking clamps.:: He stretched in his shuttle's seat and rubbed his hands together.

Then.. they had come. The mental pall that they had been, returned, and he knew no peace.

He had cut his own shoreleave short using a little persuasion to the powers that be. "Oh, Admiral Nguyen, remember when I safely delivered those Mintakken artifacts and masks to you, before they spread their metamorphosing influence to the entire Traquesii sector?"

The rest had been easy. ::One more favor pulled.  
And I think twenty three years mission service has me owed dozens more.:: Jean Luc grinned and smiled, setting down his Dixon Hill Data Pad.

It was half way through lunch when the Enterprise captain kicked the little shuttle into subwarp maximum. The feeling had been unmistakable. It was his working through perogative hunches which finally made him act upon the feeling.  
::They're back. Lord knows how I know, but I do.  
The Borg.::

When Picard saw the Borg vessels hounding Utopia all trace of his early doubt vanished. He radioed ahead to Enterprise and was told Riker wasn't on board her at the time of the sudden appearance of the Borg over the station and Jupiter's moons.

The captain scanned the scene ahead. ::There's no debris field. No bodies. That's odd. Couldn't have been much of a battle.:: He used the pyramid's sudden misfortunate power loss to order Enterprise to beam him aboard. ::Where is their typical aggression?:: he wondered. The thought was chilling. ::The Borg, progressed beyond acquiring technologies? What would be their driving force then?::

He went straight to the holodeck to learn more information. He knew about the Boothby consult program and how it existed on board all starship class vessels due for long term missions into new territories. It was a simple matter to call up Enterprise's own unused Boothby consultation matrix program and link it remotely to become a displaced clone of Voyager's. It worked even through Enterprise's raised shields. ::And entirely based on some of the technology discovered by Kirk in his famous battle with the Romulan craft following the hundred year peace time of twenty two seventeen. Plasma matter transfer. Quite useful.::

Picard hastily scanned Voyager's volunteered ship logs from Utopia's database and he used his own command overrides to install the Boothby tie in with Voyager's fascimile to scan them and see through Voyager's eyes.  
He watched Boothby's program matrices transform from the beginning parameter personality to that of the one found on Voyager, with all of that one's experiences, memories and data files.

Picard knelt in the Academy Gardens where the Boothby program setting began and waited for the tie in to settle fully. "Boothby.. Talk to me." he said.

The altered image blinked from the gardenias he was pruning on the hologround to regard Picard thoughtfully.  
"So, it's you again.." he gruffly said, "What the H&ll happened to your hair, Mr. Picard?"

Jean Luc tugged down his uniform and stroked an amused hand over his bald pate. "Twenty years of captaincy is bound to have it's toll, my old friend. It's good to see you again as well. Looks like the cinquepoil isn't so bad this year in the beds."

Boothby grumbled, "Well, I know you aren't here for civiltries. I felt my datamatrix double and now I am linked with Voyager's Boothby program. Let's cut to the quick.. Here's what I've learned since Janeway activated me, ah,..him, almost seven months ago."

Captain Picard quietly listened to Boothby's related tale of events which led to Voyager getting home. He interrupted at the part where Boothby showed Picard Chakotay's bridge announcement that there was a lone 8472 on board the Borg pyramid. "Could this be the same 8472 Janeway encountered in the Delta Quadrant? The one she referred to as the Speaker?"

"No. This one is far bigger physically, by about five orders of magnitude. And we're convinced that this new style Borg vessel's is from the far future. Q was stupid enough to trod on the hypothetical temporal directive gray area giving us that slip, if you know what I mean. Heh.." Boothby laughed.

"Ah, if only we could trust the rogue to begin with."

"This time Q isn't lying." Boothby levelled.  
"We scanned the materials on the hull of the pyramid once her shields went down. The substances there only contain one eighth of the background radiation we have in the galaxy today."

"That would be consistent with...four or five hundred years more of aging by our cosmos..." Picard theorized.

"Yes. Quite. Putting it only from that future time. At least long enough for it to accumulate such an inherent radiation signature." the gardener admitted.

That fact was sobering. Q was telling the truth.  
::Why?:: It was d&mning evidence of...honesty.  
"Quite remarkable of him to do so don't you think?"  
Picard asked Boothby. "Very ignoble."

"So say you.." the holoman scoffed. "Be warned of Q. Always.. Every generation of my program has said this same advice to every captain since you met him nineteen years ago."

Picard stood. Taking the holocaretaker's watering can. "You won't be needing this where we're going.  
I'm recruiting you into the service."

Boothby shrugged, "That's why I was created Mr.  
Picard."

Captain Picard now knew everything he needed to know. He contacted the bridge even before he ended the Boothby holorun, transferring the hologram matrix to the bridge. ::I'll need a clear tie to Voyager no matter what happens and this is a way to do just that.:: he decided.

=^=Picard to Bridge. Contact Commander Riker and have him report back to the Enterprise. I'm going to need his input in handling this situation.=^=

He heard the communications officer hail Riker and receive his puzzled reply to report. His tone was mixed with a slight bit of surprise. Jean Luc grinned. ::Well. Well. Well. Looks like the appeal of command has finally rubbed off on him. Guess he never figured I would cut my own vacation short. I wouldn't miss an event like this for the world.::

=======================================================

Less than five minutes later he was in the thick of a captain's day; he was faced with an unknown crisis.  
The bread and butter of command.

Picard moved smoothly into his chair on the first deck of Enterprise. "Tactical.."

"No change, sir. The two Borg vessels are still in the plotted course trajectories they fell into when the pyramid craft lost its power emissions." a youthful ensign at Data's station answered.

"The Cube?" Picard asked.

"Still stationary, ignoring all sorties from Federation security and all hails. Even a civilian craft's phaser shots didn't set them into retaliation mode of any kind."

"Merde." the captain swore. Then louder. "Pipe this to Voyager through our Boothby tie in. Show the Enterprise bridge and all of us here. Sensors viewscreen, communications bands, everything...."

"Aye sir." the man acknowledged.  
"You are linked. Voyager's bridge can see us ....now."

Picard stood and moved toward his viewscreen showing Voyager, the Cube, the drifting Pyramid and Utopia Planetia over Jupiter's bulk. "Open a channel to the pyramid, make sure Voyager hears us."

"Channel open." said a young woman at Worf's old station.

Picard was taken slightly aback when he realized the big Klingon no longer served on board Enterprise, it had been seven years since he had left, but Picard always expected to hear that deep rumble ring out anyway. "This is Captain Jean Luc Picard of the Enterprise. You have invaded Federation territory. Please state the nature of your business here in this sector of space. It is my new found belief that this may have been accidental..... please respond."

There was no change on the viewer to show a response of any kind from the tumbling craft.

Jean Luc turned back to tactical, "Did they receive my transmission?"

"Aye sir, we show signal accept echoes in subspace being reflected back along normal parameters.."

"Hmmm." Picard sat in his chair. "Audio to the Borg vessel off." He waited until his order was followed. Then he turned to the Boothby scenario on his armchair screen.

"What would get the attention of Borg from five hundred years into the future??"

"Disaffection." Boothby answered crisply. "Anything that they don't understand or expect from an adversarial or prey species they are confronting."

Picard rubbed his chin. "I wouldn't call these Borg adversarial. They haven't fired a shot back yet. But I do agree with your assessment and recommendation, Boothby." He stood, pulling down his climbing tunic further along his waistline.

His voice rang out. "Has Riker reported on board yet, Ops?"

"Not yet, captain."

"Well, we can't wait. Prepare for saucer separation.  
Now. I want to see the stardrive ten thousand meters off our port bow in three minutes." he ordered.

::I am counting on that curious lack of aggression I sense in the back of my mind. These may look like Borg, but their fundamental identity is undeniably a horse of different color."

Startlement faded quickly on the bridge and the command Jean Luc gave was obeyed. Picard smiled at this crew whose fear of the Borg wilted by leaps and bounds under the salve of action.

"Just what the doctor ordered.." he uplifted the tea cup a young ensign handed him.::Here, Here, Beverly,  
whereever you are. I learned from the best.::

Picard made sure his tea's level was well down into his mug when the rolling jolt signalled the final bolts were away. Enterprise was now in two pieces.  
"Vent plasma from both saucer and stardrive. Make it look dire."

"Sir?"

Picard began to smile. "Do it." ::Janeway I hope you're watching closely. Ever heard of a kildeer? They have them in Indiana...::

"Yessir!! Engineering and secondary engineering is venting plasma off ports five, seven and nine." the helm man slid his head sideways in admiration. "Looks like a raging inferno to the outsiders, sir."

"Perfect." Picard said, setting down his mug, "Open a channel once more to the pyramid."

"Done sir."

Picard walked five steps until his face loomed huge on the viewer pickups. "Enterprise to Borg vessel.  
We unconditionally offer our surrender.. I repeat.  
Enterprise is damaged and we surrender to your forces. Cease your current activity or we'll all die."

Picard held up a hand to stave off questioning gasps and whispers from around the bridge.

He could almost hear the Borg recognition across space of the memory and promise of Locutus in Picard's voice.  
::Let's hope they remember their history..::

Then the image of an incredibly gigantic and ancient 8472 wavered onto the screen. It was flanked by streamline Borg of pure silver and rounded shapes. No sign of the hodge podge ragdoll designs Borg usually took was evident. ::If anything. They look like knights.::

Picard delivered his last point. The one needed.  
::A bluffing tactic basic but it must still work no matter the century..::

He extended open arms.  
"But, if you choose. We will serve and die for your cause."

The power returned to the pyramid full strength.

Picard on the Enterprise all her crew and likewise, on Voyager, heard the same reply both on communications channels and in their heads telepathically in drone chorus and organo air to air sound waves.

::So that is 8472...:: he thought. It formed a single word over the universal translator on Voyager and magnified to all.

##WHYY??##

-  
(attachments)

Image : Picard crouched by Boothby's garden speaking with him.

Image : The Stardrive section of Enterprise.

Image : The viewscreen view of the saucer sector flying free of the rest of Enterprise with Picard watching.

*****************************************************

From: "Roxy Dee" Subject: The Hole in the Ground~~ Date: Wed, 25 Apr 2001 21:14:46 -0000

"Get that baffling down now! We've got to make a good show!! You heard the captain..!!" Engineer Geordi LaForge shouted.  
He watched his team scramble to reconfigure the manifolds to vent discharging plasma and make sure the separation went smoothly. Geordi smiled as things followed through.  
The engineer on the saucer section was playing it safe,  
keeping the families behind Voyager and the stardrive even while she carried out her broken wing act.

He stopped worrying about the saucer the second she thrusted clear of her clamps. That wasn't his worry anymore. ::This is Borg we're talking about. Albeit dmned funny looking ones. I'll bet fifty credits to Data in our next poker game we're going to have to deal with that present time Cube before too long.::

He tapped his chest insignia, =^=LaForge to the bridge.  
We're set down here captain. All systems nominal.  
Saucer section reports same. You have full warp power to every station. Mark.=^= ::That goes for photons and phasers, too.:: he didn't say out loud.

He had his chief's monitor on to live images and sounds from the bridge overhead where everyone could see it. ::Smart of the captain to rig Boothby that way. I don't think that would've occurred to me. But then again, that's why he's captain. I'll stick to what I know, thank you very much.:: He grimaced as he shut down a conduit venting steam into his face.  
"Sloppy sloppy separation!! But I do believe that one was a new record. Two minutes and fourteen seconds.  
Gotta wave that one in B'Elanna's face next time I see her. I'll bet she couldn't lock down her engine room for a mock breach faster than I can do this little trick."

He had followed the exploits of that Maquis woman's adventures ever since Voyager released the datafiles of her logs and library to the starbase. Naturally,  
the Enterprise was entitled to view the info.  
Geordi had about five hours to pore over Chief Torres's engineering logs and recorded comments of her Voyager career to date. Her ingenuity out of tight spots was a constant source of wonder to Geordi. ::Man, I've got to buy that woman a drink one of these days. No wait, scratch that. She's expecting. OK, a Galactic Fizzler instead. We've got to compare engineering notes very soon. But .....there's the Borg to deal with.::

Deep inside, LaForge felt a little apprehension contacting the very figure he admired. "She wouldn't want to talk to me, I'm just another grease monkey of a measly galaxy class. Sure I've got transwarp systems with Big E, but she has bioneural interfaces...Man..what I could do with those...I've never even SEEN a bioneural gelpack."

There was nothing further to do now except watch the images coming over his module screen through Boothby. Then he thought of something Torres might not do with her engine room staff.  
"Good job people. I like to see times like this everyday. After we get through all this, drinks are on me in Ten Forward!" he said loudly in a mock toast with his raktajino chrome cup.  
::Oh yes, Torres you are quite the role model.  
Made me a better person that's for sure.::

He kept lightly on his toes to the monitor but he dove into a mission Torres once went on in the Delta Quadrant, the runaway warhead she herself had created. ::Man talk about your Frankenstein theme machinery nightmare.. I never knew Torres dabbled in wartime weaponry. Maybe that's why she was so valuable to Chakotay during her Maquis days.::

Then a voice cut through Geordi's musings,  
he shook his head, trying to shake it off, as did every crew member around him at their engineering stations. "Holy...mother of Goriah.  
What the hll is that?!" Geordi exclaimed.

He leaned into his computer screen and saw the image of the pyramid's interior and the horrifically huge creature speaking there.

##WHYY##

He shouted once more to his people who had finished their scrambling venting and ship separation tasks and were busy with just monitoring power flow. "Hey people!!! I know what caused that. Look here!!"  
He hit a button and the Boothby tie-in filled a newly installed giant screen above the entryway engineering doors. It was a live feed, the same one Boothby and Picard and Janeway had on their viewscreens.

Geordi controlled the tight knot of anxiety in the pit of his stomach. He asked his computer library to call up information on the lifeform he was seeing in Voyager's data on his terminal and he flicked the information he found onto a split screen next to the large image displaying for his people.  
"Looks like we have a new alien species here. Get cracking. See what you can find out from scans of that pyramid. Power feeds, energy thresholds,  
temporal residues, anything the command deck might need at a moment's notice. And find out about that glowing rectangle there in the back--"

Geordi cut off instantly. A flash of red and amber caught his attention. His attention was grabbed most fully. "Oh my, Data, where ever you are on Voyager. I hope you remember your Iconian code. I think that doorway's set on the Grand Canyon on Earth."

He hailed Enterprise's computer, =^=Computer.  
Record this visual sequence grid nine nine five of the screen display on the overhead. Transmit to Captain Picard's tactical monitor.=^= He recorded the series of flashing lights he saw there activating to solidify the image of the Grand Canyon on the Iconian doorway.  
"Amber. Amber. Blue. Red."  
He moved around his chair to get closer to his monitor.  
"Blue. Blue. Blue. Amber. White."

=^=Computer. This sequence is repeating over and over again. Inform me if it changes immediately."

##Understood. Monitoring specified visual grid#  
the computer confirmed.

Geordi LaForge began to feel a mix of emotion. "Just what the heck does a Borg vessel from five hundred years into the future need with a big hole in the ground?"

-------------------------------------------------------

On board Voyager, Harry Kim was controlling the sweat he was feeling dripping down his back. His mind was clear but his memory of his one time 8472 infection experience had full control over his lower brain functions.  
::It is there. I am here. So no problem, Harry. Keep looking at the screen. This isn't the one who attacked you. That one is dead in the Delta Quadrant. So pull yourself together.::

Harry glanced around the bridge and noted the same sweaty sheen on all bridge crew members faces. ::So, I'm not the only one to be a little nervous here.::

Then he heard that voice in reply to the Enterprise captain's shocking declaration.

##WHYY?##

Harry thought aloud to himself. "Oh boy. Now we all are just like Kes. Fodder for its telepathic messages."

Tuvok heard him over the intercom link in their combadge pins, "Ensign.. control your emotions. Fear has no power if you refuse to acknowledge it."

Harry glanced over to the science officer and smiled in half convinced reassurance. "Thanks for the advice, I'll keep that in mind. How are you doing yourself?"

Tuvok rubbed his neck thoughtfully. "My condition is nulled, ensign. The doctor has given me my usual medication to hold off the worse effects of ...my difficulty until this crisis has ended. It has worked for seven years. It can work for a while longer I surmise."

::Huh. A Pon Farr chill pill. Wish humans had something like that for cases of blind panic in the face of overpowering 8472 associational memories. Even the captain's damp about the collar:  
"Glad to here it. Tell you what. You keep an eye on me and I will you and then we have all our bases covered, sir."

Tuvok merely raised an eyebrow and said nothing. Harry took that to mean an affirmative. He held up a folded shut med tricorder for emphasis and smiled. Tuvok looked away,  
ending the little exchange.

Then Harry heard more from the ancient creature on the screen.  
It was addressing Picard but he had the feeling it was addressing all leaders within comm range as well, including his own ship.  
He saw Janeway straighten up subconsciously.

##YOU CANNOT KNOW OUR CAUSE. LEAVE US TO OUR WORK AND WE WILL KEEP THE CUBE AT BAY. WE WANT ONLY WHAT WE LEFT BEHIND ON THE PLANET.##

::That cube is from our own time. Now why would they be with the pyramid now. What could they possibly gain being there.  
Or were they trying to stop the pyramid when their altercation unexpectedly transferred both ships to our solar system?::

With a sinking feeling, Harry knew which planet. He hit his badge to Tuvok once more, =^=Harry to Tuvok. Look at the Iconian doorway behind it. That's Earth. The Grand Canyon. But 'when' is it?=^=

Tuvok replied over badge once more, "Astute observation, Ensign.  
I will relay this to the captain."

And he did. Likewise, Boothby relayed it to Enterprise's Boothby and Picard got the message as well.

Harry stood transfixed while the bizarre telepathically boosted transmission from the 8472 continued.

##DO NOT INTERFERE, SMALL PEOPLES. WE HAVE SHUT DOWN THE SEEKER.  
THE ENTERPISE SHELL SHOULD NOT BE HARMED ANY LONGER. WE REGRET ANY DAMAGE...##

::What the hll?:: Harry wondered. Then he realized that Picard had capitalized on the unknown blue glow surrounding the tumbling pyramid, pretending hurt to his ship in order to get in contact with the odd Borg vessel. It had worked. There was no harm to the Enterprise at all he knew. That was just a ship separate and standard plasma lightshow usually performed at special events and occasions for bureaucrats.  
::The pyramid doesn't know it was a faked move. Maybe because they are from the future. And don't know technologies from the past any more, like our Federation starships specs.::

Then Harry saw the being tilt it's monstrous head after one of the Borg leaned into its ear to refer information.

##YOU ARE OF THE RACE WHICH HAD LOCUTUS OF BORG. THAT ONE WAS AN AIDE TO US. PERHAPS YOUR RACE AND SHIPS CAN AIDE US AGAIN. A MELDING IS NO LONGER NEEDED TO LINK US. WE ARE LINKED NOW IN THE MIND. STATE YOUR REPLY. ENEMY OR ALLY?##

The image on the Iconian doorway behind it showed the Grand Canyon moving backward through time to a very familiar sight Harry had seen on many worlds in Starfleet's library.  
A huge, immense crater. One usually left behind by ravaging Borg.

-  
(attachment)

Image : Geordi by a warpcore.

Gif: The STNG logo in blue

Image : A Borg crater in a desert.

*  
From: Jenni-Lynn McNeill chief_ Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Mother's worry/Keeping your soul Date: Thu, 26 Apr 2001 02:00:08 -0700 (PDT)

Sam followed Naomi out to the Bridge, worry written all over her face. She didn't much like what was happning, but she resolved to help wherever she could.  
And right now it seemed that the best place she could help was manning one of the Bridge science stations in the back. She set about looking over the sensor readings of the cube and pryamid, comparing them to preavous scans that Voyager had in it's database,  
looking for anything that might be of help from a science standpoint. She tried her best to put her worry for the ship, it's crew, and her daughter in the back of her mind and just work. But she wasn't a Borg drone, and couldn't compleatly block out her strong feelings about her daughter.

~I always wanted to get Naomi home, get her to see the Earth that I know, it can't end like this! I won't allow it to!~

She thought fiercely as she worked, blinking back the tears that threatned to fall over the console and blur her vision.

--------------------------------------------------------

Seven fought to regain her compousure, but the strain was still ovious in her icy blue eyes as she worked at the station behind the command center. Her eyes scrolling in tandom with the information on her console, looking for any similarties between the Borg from the future and the ones she knew so well.

#Seven of Nine, Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrex 01. You are flawed, imperfect, return to the perfection of the collective.#

She heard in her mind.

~No! I will not return! I am an indivuial, I am one. I think for myself.~

She thought in response.

#Seven of Nine, we will take Voyager, you will re-join the collective with the rest of your crew.#

She heard the many voices blending into one and gripped the edges of her console tightly.

~I have a new collective, Voyager has become my new collective.~

She thought, fighting to get her voice heard above the many.

#They are home now. Voyager is no more. Come back to our perfection. They have no use for you any longer.  
They do not care about what happens to you any longer.#

Her eyes widened in shock, that couldn't be true.  
Could it? She wondered as her hands convulsively crushed the edges of the console, pices of it sticking into her palms, her blood running from her cuts. She backed up, removing her hands from the console in disbelief as she raised her hands and looked at them like they were someone elses.

~No, Janeway wouldn't let anything bad happen to me.  
Would she? What if Starfleet ordered me to be turned over to them and used as some sort of labertory experment?~

She thought worridly as her eyes looked up and fixed on the nearest members of the crew, her eyes wide with fear and looking almost to the point of frenzy herself as she felt her fragile self-controal slipping away.

-  
(attachments)

Image : Seven with her gloved hand.

Image : Seven in sparkling leotard.

Audio : J -Coffee? You look like you could use some.

7- No.

J-It's a human vise you might want to try one day, keeps you sharp.

7-One day....

*  
From: Timothy J Sowards Subject : Kirk's Return Date: Thu, 26 Apr 2001 09:49:38 -0700

Scene: The Guardian Of Forever Captain James T. Kirk, Stood on the world where the Guardian Of Forever was kept. It was a secret to almost anyone where the Guardian was located. However, The Guardian had surprisingly called him and he hopped a ride on the USS Cole, a Constellation Class Starship, One of the brand new ones Starfleet had been using.  
"Why" He asked the Guardian. As he looked at it the Guardian answered, Your future is in peril." Intoned the Deep Voice. "Enter and discover."  
"Captain, We are not sure about this. No one has entered the Guardian since your original mission and discovered it."  
"Lieutenant, when you wear that uniform you have made a choice. Risks are apart of the game if you wear that uniform." So Said Captain Kirk and he stepped forward and leaped into the future.

Bridge Enterprise E There was a ghostly appearance coming from where the main status read out was and as if by some powerful entity a figure emerged from the wall.  
Boothby instantly recognized him "Well I see you at least have kept all your hair."  
People turned around including Picard where Bootby was talking. "Boothby?" said Kirk.  
Yes young man I still remember you. Was the response from the old grizzled man.  
Kirk didn t recognize anyone else not even Picard whom he wouldn t have faced until he met up in the nexus which to James Kirk hadn t taken place yet.  
Where am I? Boothby, the academy groundskeeper answered, Your on the Enterprise Captain Kirk. This was the Enterprise? A ship he was unfamiliar with. Yet it had the right name. Instead of one Command chair, there were three.  
Walking up to where the man presumably in charge he said, What s going on here? On the Voyager Commander Riker walked with Captain Janeway to the bridge and noticed that he still had a 8472 to deal with. Riker here Captain. Will was given a set of orders to return to the Enterprise. Permission to leave the bridge Captain? He asked of Janeway. After all it was her ship.  
After the Commanding Officer of Voyager had given permission to disembark the Voyager, Tuvok escorted Riker to the transporter room.  
I look forward to talking to you again Tuvok. The pleasure would be mine Commander. Said the dark-skinned Vulcan Officer. Riker nodded and was beamed to the Enterprise.  
On the Enterprise.  
Captain, transporter room reports Commander Riker is safely beamed aboard. Came Mr. Daniels, the Tactical Officer.  
To Kirk this fellow named Riker must be the man s first officer. I m Captain James Kirk, It looks like we have a situation here. What do you need? Riker exited a turbolift and walked onto the bridge. He was surprised to see someone from the past. He shook his head. It might be a hallucination he couldn t be sure. After all where Q was concerned.  
Riker, William T Reporting for duty Captain. He said walking up next to Captain Picard.  
James Kirk. Jim said introducing himself while looking at the screen. Whatever it was the Borg appeared to be responsible for the moment.  
How Kirk got here Riker didn t know. He decided to brief Jean-Luc on the situation. Sir, There appears to be a 8472 onboard one of those craft. Presumably the Borg Pyramid. According to Starfleet s Reports from Voyager Species 8472 is the blood enemy of the Borg. Picard gave a surprised look at His first Officer. Quite so Captain. And it appears, Q is involved. That really got Kirk's interest. At the mention of a single letter of the alphabet Kirk was puzzled. What did a single letter of the alphabet have anything to do with their pickle that they were in?

-  
(attachments)

Image : Kirk in the Star Trek II uniform.

Image: Riker in close up, dress uniform.

*  
From: "Samantha ." Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Batten down the hatches and latch the doors Date: Wed, 25 Apr 2001 21:42:59 -0000

Owen stood behind the rail that divided the upper and lower deck of Voyager's bridge. He stood there silently watching Captain Janeway in action. A jumble a thoughts raced through his mind as his eyes fell on the PADD he held in his left hand. On the view screen the giant Borg pyramid loomed in the distance, no longer a big threat, yet it was still a threat.

Scanning the bridge, Tom caught his eye and Admiral Paris stood and watched as he worked, as Captain Janeway had said in there first communique, "admirably". Just then, a perverbial flash of light flashed before him and a scene from the past took it's place.

*****

"If I've told you once I've told you a million times, Owen! He's just a little boy, barely started second grade and here you are pushing him like on of your students!" cried Mrs. Paris. A look of anger was mixed with the red that the emotion usually brought. She had her arms crossed and was looking at her husband.

Earlier that day, there 8 year old son Tom was sent home after getting into a fight with one of his peers. His father was called at Headquarters and asked to pick him up. In a fit of dissapointment, the then Rear Admiral had yelled at his son and lectured him on the importance of obeying your seniors officers. Yet, this was irrelivent in the case the Tom was just a child and wouldn't be entering the academy for some time. This didn't stop his father at all and when his mother got home, it was her turn to lecture, but this time it was the Admiral and not Tom.

"He needs to learn not to fight with kids his age, older, or any age. Tom is lucky enough to be born unto this family and I expect him to uphold that honor. A long line of great officers have come before him and he has the potential to surpass them all." Owen kept his voice calm as he spoke to his wife, the expression on her face unchanged. She had uncrossed her arms and was leaning them against the counter top in the Starfleet/California style home. A compromise made when they first were married. Seeing that she wasn't going to go on, he continued.

"I knew from the very day he was born that he was destined to follow in his late relatives footsteps..." he was cut off.

"From the first day he was born? You weren't even there! There were other matters out there that needed your attention than the birth of your only son!" she exploded at him. Grabbing up her jacket, Mrs. Paris quickly left there home. Owen knew she would be back, she always came back after they had a fight like this.

Turning around to leave the room Owen noticed a small figure dash from his hiding spot behind the wall. The little pitter patter of feet could be heard running down the hall and then the unmistakable swish of a door opening, but not closing. Walking quietly down the hall, he leaned slowly around the corner and peered into the room. There was Tom sitting at the edge of his bed, wooden ship in hand, a silent tear falling from his cheek. Not having the courage to confront the tiny boy, Owen closed the door and with a heavy heart went back into the living area.

*****

The mystical look escaped from the Admiral's eyes as the current situation came back to him. The bridge was no shown to him in vivid color and the actions of the people around him were uncommonly detailed to his trained senses. A trait that he developed after the fight he had with his wife that day almost 20 years ago. No detail went unlooked to this seasoned veteran. In a way, though, this "sixth sense" had failed him. He now realized that every action his son took had the same effect on him. He never saw the hardships, the struggle...all he saw was a head strong pilot not willing to put his skills to use. That had cost him a relationship with his only son. Something that would have to be made up, and soon.

-  
(attachments)

Image : Locutus on screen.

Image: Season Two faded effect cast shot.

Image: Crescent faces of crew over Voyager faded effect.

Image : Gif created-- Saving Ensign Harry in the style of Saving Private Ryan movie poster.. :)

Image : Admiral Owen Paris.. Close up.

************************************************************************* From: "robert catrair" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] try this Date: Fri, 27 Apr 2001 22:54:45 -0000

While Worf is typing on the console to finger out what the other ships in the space station was doing for the fighting.  
As he was putting in his code for the maine Tactical data to come on his was a download of information from the damage pyramid, "What, Captain there is a download from the damage borg ship, with the full tactical purpose of this attack."  
AS Worf pored over this information,he ask commander Tuvok to help and transfer The information to his station.  
Also he found ut the reason the Temporal door way on earth,and the one on the ship are acting like magnets pulling at each other to close the door way as fast as we can, to stop the explosion of two forces interacting on one and the other.  
At this time Worf inform the captains what is happening with the door ways, permission to fire a full spread st the falling ship and the door way on Earth!

________________________________________________________________________

At the next second As Worf was setting the photons torpedo to trace and fire on Said "you are wrong with the information commander Worf."  
"what" as Worf look at the hologram to try and figure out what he was saying. "continue please" came out of Worf Mouth.  
The Item on earth and the item on the destroyed Pyramid,are working to together to open a bigger doorway for more Borg's Pyramids to come threw." How can we stop this from happing Boothby?" Worf asked.  
Well try to counter the frequency from the two door ways.  
This is working on overloading the temporal doors, but not closing them. They are opening wider to let them in.  
"Boothby, what is happening to the door ways?"

***********************************************************

From: "patti keiper" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Take your "Q" from me... Date: Sun, 29 Apr 2001 08:13:27 -0000

Q appeared right off Riker's left elbow.  
"Hello Reeker. How's it hangin?" And he tugged on the commander's short beard. "Haven't seen you since the tribunal hearing for my mortality wishing, suicidal counterpart with Janeway three of your years ago. But then again you wouldn't have any memory of that. Janeway made me promise not to tamper with the timelines again. Don't know why I listened to her then. He died anyway."

Then Q noticed the new captain in their midst.  
"Ah... the genuine article you might say.. Hello Jimmy? Sorry to hear about your pointy eared side kick but then again you Starfleeters are so fond of the ultimate sacrifice scenarios, aren't you?  
Well, don't you fret. Mr. Straightlaced is going to make a comeback before you know it." He looked into James Kirk's hazel eyes deeply, as if searching there for some deep character mettle he enjoyed in Picard.  
"Huh,.. I'd hate to be a Borg and facing this one."

Q straightened again, whirling around to face Captain Janeway, "Nice going , Kathy. How'd you drum him up?  
I'd say this stocky fellow's got the right stuff,  
might as well get up and hand over your command to Kirky before it's too late."

Q made a slow circuit of the bridge. "Worf! Good to see you again, but I'm afraid your paranoid guesses about your Borg buddies in the Pretty Pyramid aren't a prelude to an invasion force. There's nothing on your humans' pathetic little planet that could possible interest them. You should listen to Harry here.  
He's got the right of it. Why, these future fozzies have told you themselves they only want what was left behind on the planet.. Any firing on your part Woofie,  
will simply answer their question to you all wondering if you are ally or enemy to them."

Q kicked the Cube mentally and it spun about in space,  
"Now these guys are the ones you should be concerned with in your own personal sandbox. These garden variety Borg DO want you, Worf, and this vessel in the manner in which you are accustomed. They are, excuse me, were, hunting down their future cousins out of sheer territoriality."

Q went over to Seven who was struggling to control barely veiled emotions, "Dear Seven's got a little problem.  
The Cube is mailing her threatening psychic taunts in order to gain her enhanced nanoprobes she's modified over the years since she became an individual. Now this,.. surely is the dangerous thing you should be watching Woof.  
If Cube Borg were to get Seven's unique Borg blood, Nothing could stop them, not even your beloved Klingon Empire."

Q stood before the main viewer eyeing up the commlink and the 8472 speaking there to all on Voyager and the Enterprise.  
"Hello dehydrated dinosaur. We meet again. So glad you found your lost item. I figured the clues I left behind for you leading to the Grand Canyon were large enough for you to drive a black hole through. Now don't harm these Earth people or I shall be very put off. Just take your property,...NEATLY,  
from down there, then leave.. I will hold off your Cube Cousins from shredding your rears while you dig. So,  
hop to, 8472, that means....YOU.. Oh yes, I should take my cue from you before it's due.... Oh you landing away teams will find out before too long. That cute little girlie over there with the datapadds by her mother's smarter than the lot of you. Go to Earth. Go see what the Iconian door is REALLY for.. "

He looked at Worf skeptically, "Invasion force indeed,"  
he grunted sacastically, "Huh.. Go beat up on that Cube if you're ire is up."

Q decided he'd stay for the duration. He crafted himself a hammock attached to nothing and got into it with a pair of shades and a tropical drink. "Ohhh. this is going to be fun... an extended vacation on the bridge. I doubt you'll solve the mystery of the Canyon that easily without this fellow's help.. And Q metamorphosed into an eerie likeness of one of the people present on the bridge. Everyone looked at him in reflex and got a crooked smile in return back. Q just laughed.

"Ah,.. this is more fun than pestering Picard. I don't believe I've EVER just sat back and truly watched the primitives ...well.... proddle along with their day to day existence.  
Don't mind me.. I promise I won't get in anyone's way.  
Except for the Borg squares, no attack of theirs will reach Earth, I promise you captain, er...captains.. Continuum's honor."

-  
(attachments)

Image : Q as a ghastly Data.

Image : Lcars screen showing Earth data.

Image: A Borg collage in cool greens and blacks.

*  
From: "Cory Anda" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Face to Face Date: Sun, 29 Apr 2001 19:05:01 -0000

##YOU ARE OF THE RACE WHICH HAD LOCUTUS OF BORG. THAT ONE WAS AN AIDE TO US. PERHAPS YOUR RACE AND SHIPS CAN AIDE US AGAIN. A MELDING IS NO LONGER NEEDED TO LINK US. WE ARE LINKED NOW IN THE MIND. STATE YOUR REPLY. ENEMY OR ALLY?##

The image on the Iconian doorway behind it showed the Grand Canyon moving backward through time to a very familiar sight Harry had seen on many worlds in Starfleet's library.  
A huge, immense crater. One usually left behind by ravaging Borg.

Chakotay's mind reeled, ::The Borg ravished Earth before:  
Why? And Why only in the Grand Canyon? We had no technology to speak of back then.:: Then the moment reasserted itself on the Commander.

He addressed the giant 8472 on the screen behind the doorway showing the canyon of the past.

Chakotay got to his feet, moving forward into the view screen pickups. "As the Enterprise leader has said, Allies." ::I have to go along with this so Picard can do what he is planning.::

He went on.  
"Do you see our weapons bared? No. Our numerous societies are founded on mutual understanding. It is the basis of the principles behind the Federation.  
Obviously, that area of Earth was seen by your people,  
8472, long before there ever was a Federation. That looks to be a very long time into the past. Let us travel there with your people to help you find whatever you are seeking."

##WHY SHOULD YOU DO THIS FOR US? OUR CUBE ANCESTORS HAVE USED YOU AS PREY. WOULD YOU NOT SEEK REVENGE UPON US FOR THAT REASON?## the old creature near the Iconian doorway asked.

Chakotay glanced around the room, "We pride ourselves at times for being a tolerant species. Tuvok, of Vulcan, our science officer, is one who could tell you the validity of that. His people and mine, made it possible to even HAVE a Federation. You yourself did not attack here today. We've never seen a Borg Pyramid vessel before today. So there will be no fighting today. It's that simple."

Q started applauding from his hammock. Chakotay glared at him.  
::That did sound like one of Kirk's speeches, now didn't it:  
the omnipotent being mused.

Chakotay moved toward James Kirk, noting the strange captain's presence with a cordial nod. He motioned Tuvok over to give the Enterprise captain all he needed to know about everything to date. Tuvok showed Kirk data logs and visuals of all events up to current.

Tuvok addressed Kirk, "Here is the information you should know about Voyager and her status. Our journey to date, has been interesting to say the least. That being on the main view screen is of a Species who conquered the Borg in their home space in the Delta Quadrant. Here is the relevant data we've learned about them. Howeever, this pyramid and why that 8472 is aboard her is just a mystery to us as it must appear to be to you Captain Kirk. We are equally in the dark. Any insight you may have to offer or option is welcome, sir."

Chakotay paid no attention to Tuvok's getting Kirk up to speed.  
He offered the 8472 something else. "Perhaps we could talk directly, with you as our guest aboard Voyager. I am sure our flight deck is large enough to hold you. Let us...share information and perhaps we could help each other in this endeavor of yours."

##FACE TO FACE COMMUNICATION IS THE TRUEST FORM. I SHALL ARRIVE AT YOUR SIGNAL. STATE DESIGNATION AND LOCATION. I AM CALLED PRIMARY.##

Chakotay moved to stand near Paris, "Tom, take us to station keeping, fifty kilometers off the Pyramid's hull. Hold stationary for transporter beaming."

"Aye sir." Paris replied. ::I just wonder where the hell B'Elanna is for all of this. She'll eat this doorway into the past stuff up:  
"Voyager moving out to specified orbit. Enterprise is matching."

Chakotay glanced up at the split screen. "Captain Picard.  
You and members of your crew are welcome to join us Cargobay Two.  
Coordinates are 12 47 32 09. Primary? Did you receive the transporter coordinates?"

##THE DATA IS RECEIVED. I BRING THE DOORWAY.##

Tom's mind raced at that. And he saw his father startle too.  
Kirk instinctively looked up from the datascreen Tuvok was showing him about the 8472 species. Kirk thought.  
::A guardian of forever like portal here?::

Chakotay glanced at Janeway then. "We shall await you there in one half hour of our time measurements."

He saw Picard nod that he had heard and the Enterprise screen went audio silent while he conferred with Riker and Data near him.

##I SEE THE INCREMENT IN YOUR MIND. I WILL BE THERE ALONE.##

Chakotay saw the pyramid image on the main viewscreen wink out.  
He looked over to Kathryn, "Well, did I just offer our throat to an eighteen meter high pair of 8472 teeth? Or did I forward our understanding of our future Borg spokesperson's escapades?"

"And what about these Iconian touch pad sequences Enterprise's engineer relayed over to us?

"Amber. Amber. Blue. Red."  
Geordi had moved around his chair to get closer to his monitor.  
"Blue. Blue. Blue. Amber. White." (he had said)

Chakotay glanced at both Captains. "Might be keying sequences opening and closing the doorway portal. If we knew that and asked Picard what they meant, maybe we'd have an edge in case this meeting goes sour on us."

Janeway stood from her center seat and opened her mouth to say,....

----------------------------------------------------------------

Tom Paris waved over his junior officer. "Take the conn."  
A young lieutenant slid into Paris's place neatly. "Commander Chakotay, I respectfully ask to be present in the Cargobay.  
I ..know I might not be able to offer much in the way of expertise..." he glanced at his idol, James Kirk, "But.  
another pair of eyes is always good.."

Chakotay chuckled. "And I'm sure the doc will love to see Primary in person as well, if only to feed his medical curiosity."

The Commander glanced around the bridge at Sam, Naomi, Kirk Seven, and Troi.  
"Anyone can come. After all, we are home. Who am I to say who has to stay behind and who goes to Earth?"

Tom Paris hid his emotion. He filed behind those leaving the bridge, wiping nervous hands on his trousers. He did get the courage to stand by his father and wait in respectful silence for their turn into the turbolift.

They were the last pair to go inside the next empty turbolift.  
Tom noticed the letter in Admiral Paris's hand, "It's good to see you again Admiral... I mean....Dad. What's that?  
Already two steps ahead of Captain Janeway's command crew regarding this new Borg "Threat"?"

::That was really warm and family like stupid.::Tom thought to himself. ::Far better than a trivial hug now wasn't it:  
Paris cleared his throat nervously.

Then he met his father's eyes directly for the first time since Voyager was lost. ::My God. He's looking so old now.::

Then Tom extended his hand, which somehow turned into an awkward embrace. Unexpected tears stung his eyes. "God,  
it's really good to see you.. How's mom? I know I didn't return any of her letters once I was interred into that New Zealand penal colony seven years ago."

-  
(attachments)

Image : Chakotay and B'Elanna in Maquis clothes.

Image: Tom Paris kissing Torres.

*******************************************************

From: "Clairissa Fox" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] The purple monster and the door Date: Sun, 29 Apr 2001 19:10:37 -0000

I was next to Mum. She was said about 7 for something.  
I went over to 7.

7! 7! Are thos robots hurting your head? Don't let them!  
Have Worf shoot the Cube ship. Make them stop!

I called the hollow doctor to come over to 7.

Doctor! Doctor! 7 is hearring things again from the robots. I thougt you fixed all the machine bits inside of her to be good.

7 is scared and so am I for her.

"What is the problem, Naomi Wildman?" the EMH specified. He drew out his medical scanner and aimed it at the shaken blond woman. "Seven of Nine. How long has this link to the Borg Cube been active? I thought we had terminated your recall link to any Borg Collective once you found your abandoned home ship the Raven and it was destroyed. Your new cortical processor from Icheb should be free of Borg taps."

The physician scanned Seven of Nine's cranium and frowned.  
"Hmmm. Apparently, I missed something." He reached into his medical kit and pulled out a hypospray. "This inhibitor should counteract any transmissions the Cube may send you but I need your permission to treat you first. May I?"

The bald doctor held out the spray to Seven meaningfully.

I watched the hollow doctor talk to my friend. She just had to say yes. Had to! I didn't like the sad look on 7s face.

I ran to mum and hugged her. Mum! Make the robots go away.  
They are hurting 7. Mum hugged me and didnt let go. Then she showed me what Chakoty and Kirk were saying on the bridg.

I thought over again. Maybe the purple monster wasnt a bad guy on that funny looking robot ship. I realy wanted to see that time door thing. I could get into it. I was big enough.

I then thougt I was being silly. I had been on a Borg ship before. To rescue 7 last year with Ginan. But that was in the old story. This was the new one.

I ran to Chakotys side. You said anyone can go. You did you did! Mum and me can go, cant we mum? I want to meet the monster. What is his name again? Primerry.

And I want to see Earth. My dad may be there.

But Chakoty had already walkd into the lift and was gone with the crew who wanted to go see to.

I went to mums side and 7s. Come on! come on! Lets go down there. 7, let the doctor fix you so we can go.

Then I saw Captain Kirk. I went over to him.

Hi Kirky. Is that your real name? Queue called you that. I like your shirt. That maroon sweater looks warm. How do you do up the front? You have a corner flopping down.

And I fixed it up for him so the jacket lookd real neat.

Are you coming to see Primerry to Captain? I dont know where you came from but captains are captains, like my Auntie Kath uh I mean Captain Janeway and we have to do first contackt always.

I took his hand and led him from Tuvok to the lift.  
Are you coming with 7 and mum and me to see the monster and the door?

I knew Captain Kirk was very famous. Mum had studied him for her officer school at the Akademey. I saw his hollow picture once in her book about the old Enterprise.

I felt very small near him. Could my dad be like him?

(attachment)

Image : Naomi Wildman as a Borg.

*  
From: Cassidy Meyers  
Date: Sun Apr 29, 2001 7:49 pm Subject: B.C.

Troi barely contained a grin when she saw Captain Picard appear on Voyager's monitor. His coolly calm emotions were a balm to her inner turmoil.

She acknowledged Worf's order to keep getting impressions from the strange future Borg Ambassador ,  
"Yes, sir.  
I will let you know if I feel anything more. So far, I am getting nothing more than a burning curiosity and an overlaying sense of impatience to get on with a task. What that task is, I cannot tell."

Deanna saw Worf nod at her report. He was very busy keeping tactical data flowing from both the Cube's position and the Pyramid's.

Then both of them looked up to Picard's startling surrender declaration.

Deanna curbed her verbal reaction. ::Captain Picard's not stressed. He's in no danger... So why is he:  
Then the counselor knew with absolute certainty.  
::He's trying to get a response. An open communication. We can't outgun the Borg right now, nor touch their technology it seems. So he's biding his time, weighing a potential enemy.::

Then Troi saw Chakotay take on another command tactic.

A definitely less adversarial one then one might expect should this contact have been made with the Cube instead.

Of that ship. Deanna could feel only tenative probing.  
::The Cube wants 7. They are drowning her even as...::

Then she saw the EMH already offering Seven a hypo of relief. ::Good.:: Deanna thought. ::But I don't think it would be a good idea for her to join the away team to the cargo bay and the Primary. The impressions she might get may be overwhelmingly Borg. It may do more harm then good for her. But that decision is up to Seven. Chakotay did say that going to Earth is out of command crew decision spheres."

Then she looked at Q lounging away in his hammock, hands folded into a pillow behind his head, drinking in the bridge activity like water. She spoke aloud to him.  
"Just what do you get out of all this , Q? Does a history of tormenting lesser species somehow seem insufficient to entertain you now days? Now, you are throwing clues and hints, lording it over all of us while we deal with a new potentially dangerous situation!"

Q just looked at her. But he did lower his drink and stopped slurping on its straw.

Deanna went on, "I know you didn't bring the Borg here. And I appreciate you keeping the Borg Cube hounds at bay. But why don't you do something useful like...bring back some of the dead we've suffered if you want to feel useful..!!!"

Deanna Troi threw frustrated hands up into the air and followed Chakotay's lead into the turbolift.

--------------------------------------------------------

Cargobay Two was well lit. Chakotay and Tuvok had made sure that the temperature was well within tolerance for every humanoid on board. For the 8472 Primary, their efforts made little difference. ::Heh.  
heh. 8472 can survive periods in open space from what I've learned from Tuvok and Boothby.:: the counselor thought. ::So any life support concerns for him are wasted..:: she chuckled.

The far space door was ajar and open stars and the yawning orange face of Jupiter loomed just in sight.  
The cold vacuum was contained behind the glowing blue forcefield of Voyager's integrity field.

::Beautiful planet. Now let's hope the Primary's purpose is just as noble. I'm sick of having enemies.::

Then the Cargobay was ready. All Voyager and Enterprise officers who wanted to attend the momentous meeting were there and it was time for the beaming.

The Primary appeared in a blink without transporter energy fanfare. He was simply just....there in the next blink. The flat Iconian door clutched in his claws. The time door was still showing the Borg crater that was true heart of the Grand Canyon and now,  
Deanna saw that the time was one million years into the past. Boothby had diciphered Geordi's sent Iconian light pad sequences.

His ever presence monitor screen was showing translations of the amber red and blue characters streaming under the Primary's control station under his other claw.

##I COME. I WILL SHOW ANY ONE WHO WILL JOURNEY WHAT WE SEEK.##

Deanna leaned over to Chakotay, "I am still sensing no deceit or anomosity of any kind. Just an openess of sharing. The Primary truly believes in his cause,  
commander."

Deanna stepped forward, "I will accompany you,  
Primary. I've, always wanted to see a brontosaurus up close.." she joked.

The counselor waited for others to gather around her as well or speak further with the pyramid ambassador.

She felt herself get picked up by the sixteen meter high 8472 and tossed into the Iconian portal.

---------------------------------------------------

She landed in hot dusty sand. "Well thank goodness it's not an Ice Age a million years ago."

She gained her feet and her mouth fell open when she saw the 8472 pop into being, towering over her.

##YOU ARE THE FIRST. THE OTHER PEOPLES NEED THEIR SIMPLE TECHNOLOGIES FOR THE JOURNEY. I WILL BRING THEM WHEN THEY ARE READY. I AM AT THEIR DISPOSAL.##

Troi followed the Primary's line of pointing of one dripping claw.

##SHE IS THERE. UNDER THE MOUNTAIN. THE ONE WHO BIRTHED US ALL.##

The 8472 flashed an image into Deanna's mind of a child; half Borg- half 8472 female curled into a fetal ball beneath hundreds of meters of transporter shielding ferrous rock.

::Oh my god. She's a Borg Queen? No wait, a hybrid of 8472 and Borg?::

##SHE IS AS WE WERE. IN THE BEGINNING, BORG AND 8472 WERE ONE. HER ILLNESS IS WHY WE BECAME TWO PEOPLES AND HER LACK OF RESPONSE TO OUR PRAYERS MADE US BECOME TWO ENEMIES IN WAR.##

The counselor fervently wished everyone had entered the Iconian doorway with her. ::Knowing this 8472 technology, they probably are watching me and the primary through the doorway while they make preparations for their away mission here.::

##NOW WE HAVE FOUND HER. BUT THE BORG ANCESTORS IN THE CUBE WOULD DESTROY HER TO SAVE THEIR PRIMITIVE COLLECTIVE. EVEN NOW, THEY SEEK SEVEN OF NINE.##

"What?" Deanna whispered.

In the distance of the dawn canyon, she heard a T-Rex roar. She retreated into the cave mouth the Primary had pointed to for safety's cover.  
"But first, I think we're going to have to deal with that, ambassador. The creatures of this time look sort of like you.. only meaner I suspect."

##OH?##

-  
Attachment troi and Attachment

Attachment *  
From: "Alex Delet" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Drawing Closer.  
Date: Sun, 29 Apr 2001 21:42:37 +0100

Q straightened again, whirling around to face Captain Janeway, "Nice going , Kathy. How'd you drum him up?  
I'd say this stocky fellow's got the right stuff,  
might as well get up and hand over your command to Kirky before it's too late."  
Janeway turned her head sharply, "Back Off, Q," she said,  
resorting to her angry tone of voice. Tuvok addressed Kirk, "Here is the information you should know about Voyager and her status. Our journey to date, has been interesting to say the least. That being on the main view screen is of a Species who conquered the Borg in their home space in the Delta Quadrant. Here is the relevant data we've learned about them. Howeever, this pyramid and why that 8472 is aboard her is just a mystery to us as it must appear to be to you Captain Kirk. We are equally in the dark. Any insight you may have to offer or option is welcome, sir."

Janeway looked intently on the console in the centre of the two command chairs. Ignoring Tuvok's disregard for Protocol. Asking Captain 'Rodeo' Kirk for his opinion... on her Bridge.  
Janeway smiled inwardly, Tuvok had lived during his era... But the Captain was getting tired of Kirk syndrome.  
And no way in hell would she be turning over Command of Voyager to Kirk... Chakotay saw the pyramid image on the main viewscreen wink out.  
He looked over to Kathryn, "Well, did I just offer our throat to an eighteen meter high pair of 8472 teeth? Or did I forward our understanding of our future Borg spokesperson's escapades?"  
The Captain offered a short smile to Chakotay, "8472 has negotiated before,"  
Janeway considered, "And I would prefer to think you just volunteered to lead a diplomatic first contact," she paused, rethinking her words, finally she settled back into her chair.  
Janeway listened as Chakotay got going, about Iconian technology.  
She stood up, and rested her hands against the front railing.  
Her First Officer was obviously expecting her to say something.  
"Chakotay, take whomever wishes to be present, organise transports," she paused, "I'll work on our fall back and join you later," she nodded.  
If Chakotay was puzzled by Kathryn's sudden withdrawal from the First Contact,he didn't hesitate. Janeway watched Tom leave the Bridge With Admiral Paris.  
"Tuvok, Report to the Shuttle bay, and escort Mr Locarno to the Bridge," she said.  
"My, Kathy, Don't tense up now.." Q Offered.  
Kathryn crossed the bridge, her bridge, and stood very close to Q, close enough for him to feel her breathing,as he swung on his hammock. "Listen Carefully Q," her voice was quiet, "I'm only going to say this once," she straightened up.  
"This is my ship Q, and right now, you are on by Bridge...so either help out," she paused, "Or get out,"  
Captain Janeway turned to Kirk, "Welcome Aboard, Captain," she nodded.

The Captain had been monitoring status reports for some time,  
and found time to call up the visual sensor on Cargobay Two.  
Quickly she decided, they should all be there, since the threat of attack from the Pyramid was less and less likely.  
A pang of regret came over her, she still hadn't called Phoebe or her Mother.  
Or Mark.  
It was rare, that Kathryn allowed her mind to wander to thoughts of anything but the job at hand,  
a coping mechanism... This was the first lapse, in several years.  
Voyager was home - they were all home. But one of their most important, and hard hitting missions was coming to boil at the doorstep.  
Janeway returned to the Captain's chair, and watched her monitor.  
She gripped the armrest of her chair, waiting, indecsion was not a good thing to come on now.  
Janeway stood up, waiting for something to happen... before she headed down to the Cargo Bay, she needed something to happen...to justify her staying on the bridge for so long, and not running down immediately.

(Attachment)

Image : Janeway and Chakotay in the cargobay.

Image : mischievious smirk close up of Janeway with starfield behind her.

*  
From: "Samantha ." Subject: You don't know what you've got until its gone Date: Sun, 29 Apr 2001 21:29:25 -0000

Admiral Paris clung tightly to the letter that he had for so long held in his hand. He could hear Voyager's first officer subconsciously in his mind. Shaking the thoughts of the past from his head, Owen nodded to Janeway and the newly arrived James Kirk. That was a temporal mistake that he would save for Headquarters to figure out.

"I wish you luck Kathryn. If any Captain in the fleet can handle this situation, it's you." Smiling a little, and little over exaggerating it, he came into line beside Tom. It was a tense moment for the both of them as he could see. He glanced over at his son and saw how much he had grown since they last met. His features had aged through learning and wisdom, something Owen thought that he would never see.

Finally they were next to enter the lift. Owen dropped his hands to his side and stared straight ahead. He thought of things to say at that moment. Something that could sum up seven years in one instant. Nothing came to mind.

"It's good to see you again Admiral... I mean....Dad. What's that? Already two steps ahead of Captain Janeway's command crew regarding this new Borg "Threat"?"

The sound startled him at first, but he quickly composed himself. After a few moments he answered, still looking ahead.

"It's good to see you too Tom..." motions to PADD, "this is a letter for you from...me. I knew that I could never tell you what I thought face to face, heaven knows it's my worst virtue, so I wrote it down. Infact, I wrote it down almost a year ago. I revised the text after I read your letter." his voice wavered a bit as he turned to look at Tom, his only son. The one he had been pushing away since he was born. He saw a pained look in his eye that quickly faded.

Then Tom extended his hand, which somehow turned into an awkward embrace. Unexpected tears stung his eyes. "God, it's really good to see you.. How's mom? I know I didn't return any of her letters once I was interred into that New Zealand penal colony seven years ago."

"Your mother's doing well." he saw Tom blink a few times and anger arose inside of him out of habit. It quickly dispated as the memories of the past few years came to him. All the times that he wanted to let the tears flow. He held those emotions in.

"She never gave up on you. Every day she would tell me that you were still alive and that you were going to come home. Heaven forbid she doesn't turn the waterworks to full when she sees you." he looked into Tom's eyes as a rare smile crossed his face. He noticed the glossy look in his eyes and couldn't surpress the urge anymore. He quickly embraced his son and they stood there for what seemed like forever.

"I want to apologize for everything that I have done or said to hurt you. I guess the saying proves true...you don't know what you've got until it's gone."

-  
(attachments)

Image : Reginald Barclay by Admiral Owen's side at Project Pathfinder

Image : A gloomy Tom at a Cargobay console.

Gif : Pips of rank: Admiral's

Gif : pips of Rank : lieutenant's

*********************************************************************** END WEEK SIXTEEN RECAP 04-30-01

{}  
WEEK SEVENTEEN RECAP 04-30-01 (}

*  
From: Jeff Seltun Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Precursors Date: Sun, 29 Apr 2001 23:47:44 -0700 (PDT)

Picard turned his head as his executive officer entered the stardrive bridge. "Take a seat Number One. Mr. LaForge assures me that my ship will be back in one piece again before you can tug down your uniform.." His eyes twinkled. "Good to see you again Commander."

Sure enough, both officers felt the deep chung of hull bolts and clamps mate into place and the Enterprise was whole once again. Picard hit his combadge, "This is the captain to all hands. Our manuever has been successful. Our solar system visitors have offered a truce for a while. But maintain yellow alert only. I have it on the be-..firmish..authority that the Borg Cube will not be bothering us. Picard out."

Jean Luc mumbled under his breath, "Wish I could say the same for Q."

At the helm Data actually chuckled.

Picard raised an eyebrow, "Commander Data. Have you still got that emotion chip of Soong's in your positronic net?"

The chair spun around and Data was in his usual crisp mustard yellow uniform, "Yes, sir. I have grown used to its functioning for longer and longer periods of time. I believe my "father" was successful in adapting a suitable matrix for me. There is a probability of 84 % that I will be able to use it twenty four hours a day seven days a week in four point three four months time when all of my polaron relays are finishing recompiling around the circuit. You could say, I would be "thrilled" on that day sir."

"Glad to hear it." Picard smiled. "Keep that Tie-in with the pyramid and with Voyager secure. I want it patent 24/7."

"Understood sir."

"Oh and Data. Q seems to think that you would be a valuable commodity on the away mission shaping up through the Iconian time door. How fluent are you in the geology of the Grand Canyon, say...one million years ago."

Data tilted his head, "Accessing. Got it. Or rather, don't got it. Ha. ha." The smile shut off on his face like a switch and he was once more pure android, "Apparently, no one in the history of the whole Geological Survey has thought to include such study of the region for that particular time frame. My guess is that no one deemed it important, sir."

"It is now. Speculate and extrapolate geological maps using what data you do know and the information being routed through Geordi's link of that time door." the captain ordered.

"Yes sir." And Data returned to his board.

Picard got to his feet and crossed over to Captain James Kirk who was standing on his bridge. "You do seem to get around. First on Voyager's bridge holding that little girl's hand, then here with us... No doubt we've Q to thank for your ability to be two places at once, captain."

Q popped in, "Well somebody's got to keep the story flowing smoothly now doesn't one? Think nothing of it..." and he popped out again.

Jean Luc held out his hand and took Kirk's. "Welcome to the USS Enterprise...E.." he enunciated. The fifth letter impressed the original Enterprise captain as the being with the single one did not.

At Kirk's obvious blank look regarding Q, Picard elaborated,  
"A sort of omnipotent galatic baffoon. Always tampering with the human course of history... He has a penchant for dogging starship captains and making a thorough nuisance of himself."

Picard released Kirk's grip and sat down again, offering Kirk the counselor's chair. "Quite frankly, I am surprised he's never bothered you yet. Feel honored. You don't want to be on the receiving end of Q's charms."

Q's sunglassed mug appeared hovering between the two captain's chairs in front of Kirk, Picard and Riker. "I heard that pickled peccary." Just as suddenly he winked out.

Picard sighed, "Q has even reached the USS Voyager's commanding officer, Captain Kathryn Janeway and offered to be the father of her child when she was still sixty thousand light years out in the Delta Quadrant."

Kirk's look said it all.

Jean Luc set down his datapadd, "Nothing came of it fortunately.  
Q found a suitable companion of his own.  
species if that is what we can term him. They all have the same name... Q."

Data spun around on a thought, "Yes, odd that. Q seems to be rather fond of being unique and set apart from the others in the continuum. I am surprised another letter hasn't taken to his fancy sooner."

Picard grumbled, "X would be nice. Good solid concept there."

Data and the others glanced around the bridge as if expecting a sudden heavenly protest but Q remained absent. "Looks like Q is occupied. With what I wonder?" the android asked curiously.

Then the image on the viewer changed. To the Voyager cargobay. All three saw the Primary being pick up Counselor Troi and tossed her gently through the doorway.

Picard and Kirk and Riker all stood in mild outrage. Data merely looked at them. "Well, Counselor Troi did volunteer first, sir. You could say that she was "flying" to be there.." And his chuckles of raw simulated humor filled the bridge.

Even Captain Picard started moving for the exit,  
smiling in spite of himself, "Ahh, Mr. Data.. Your wit is cutting today."

"Thank you sir, I've been taking lessons from a number of comediac holoprograms from Boothby sir."

Picard stopped on a dime, "Boothby counsels bridge officers on how to be funny?" he asked.

Boothby himself answered, "Oh yes, sometimes, laughter is the best medicine, I do believe a Guinan was my programmer for that area. She said that at least fifteen percent of all civilizations in the galaxy use humor and variations thereof to talk to strangers in first contact situations."

"Really..." Picard droned, doubtfully.

"Oh yes," Boothby and Data said in stereo. They both looked at each other.

"Well, I don't think that vein of vocal enhancement is going to get anywhere with either the Primary or the Borg. And Q just might get irritated and...turn us all into floormats or something dire. Please refrain from using that programming bent, Data."

"Yes, sir. But may I keep the laugh track?" Data asked eagerly.

Picard sighed, ::It'll hurt him now if I say no...D&mned chip.:: He smiled politely, "Of course you may. It may encourage others."  
::I hope.:: the captain wished.

"Commander Riker, Data, and.. Captain Kirk, you're with me. Chakotay has earned us quite the invitation. Shall we go see what's out there?  
But first, Data, inform Starfleet Command of our status and Mr. Boothby, tie in everything on that main viewer to Starfleet Headquarters and to Utopia. No doubt they want to know exactly why the Borg are on their doorstep, ringing the doorbell. Let's give them the answers they seek before they crash the party too soon."

"Aye sir." Boothby and Data said.

Data dipped his head to Boothby, "No, after you, sir. You call them."

Boothby slipped too, into his politeness mode, "No, after you sir."

"No you first, sir. I insist." Data offered just as mild. "You are faster than I."

"We've never tested that. You were asked first." Boothby grinned toothily to Data.

"Age before fabricated simulation of asthetic appeal." Data countered.

Picard shook his head at that one, blinking.  
His head began to hurt.

"Are you talking about my hololifespan or my real one. If the former, you are older by--" The gardener began.

Picard burst into speech, "Gentlemen. Gentlemen. Stop. I order you to use politeness only when necessary with people. You two are in crunch time, so refrain. Efficiency is of the essence here..." he poked mildly.

Both Data and Boothby blinked for several seconds.

"Okay, pruneface. Flip you for it." Data interjected.

"Righto, fleshless dummy. Heads or tails." Boothby added.

Captain Picard died a thousand deaths inside. ::Oh brother..::He disappeared into the lift, heading for the transporter room. He knew Kirk and Riker would straighten out any rough with the smooth concerning his last order in two shakes.

Then they would decide whether or not to join him on Voyager.

A nod from Data told Picard that he had won the give them the message toss up. He would be along shortly too.

Picard change his mind halfway and asked to be escorted to Voyager's bridge. He had a few concerns to address to Voyager's captain first. Such as her itinerary backup plan to the coming away mission into the past.

He didn't like the idea of traveling so far through alien technology. ::But d&mn it, Q DOES make one h&ll of a safety net, now doesn't he?::

An ensign announced the cursory call out to his presence,"Visiting captain on the bridge.." he said.

Janeway turned in her chair but stood moments later, surrendering the mug to the nearest flat surface.

Picard joined her and they both stood underneath the split viewscreen she had activated again. One showing the Enterprise bridge, the other, the doorway clutched in the claws of the Primary in the cargobay. Of Deanna Troi, there was no sign.

Captain Picard saw that this fact impacted on this now legendary flame haired woman in the outfit that was the opposite of his own in the familiar patterned red and black of command.

"My first officer has a ...unique bond with the counselor, captain. If anything had gone wrong over there. He would know it. They are Imzadi."

At that Janeway looked away towards Chakotay's chair in response.

Picard didn't fail to notice the gesture. ::Kathryn's bonded to her first officer? No doubt that would make a fine tale over brandy at the Captain's Table. I should let her divulge me about him one day. Who else to talk about relationships then to another captain? I have plenty to tell her about Beverly.::

He saw Janeway studying the viewscreen imaging the Cube's tactical data. "Have no concern for them. Q promised me to hold them off indefinitely so we can do a little archaeology unmolested. Care to leave for the cargobay now? I, too, seek quiet time before an away mission. Only my drink of choice is Earl Grey." he said pointing to the mug of steaming untouched coffee abandoned on the arm of Janeway's chair.

Picard watched Janeway's guarded tension melt at that admission of his.

Then, Q's gentle snores peeled from the hammock in front of them.

The two captains both tensed right back up again.

"oh,.. my." Picard rolled his eyes, "There's no chance of us planning together through THAT now is there?"

He held out his arm genteely to Janeway indicating that she proceed him to the turbolift.

"After you, captain.. I'm afraid I am not up to the exact specs of your vessel yet. I had only enough time to skim the data you sent briefly before your red alert demanded my actions. Did you see my Kildeer's broken wing act with the bussard collectors? Knowing you were from Indiana and knowing that was your state bird tipped me to the ploy rather quickly. I think it worked well.

So far. I've only worked out one plan.  
The only one that comes to mind. I am going to stand toe to toe with the Primary one million years ago and face whatever he is searching for and I will say....

LISTEN TO SOUND FILE

Janeway laughed and said,

-  
(attachments)

Image : An older Picard in a grapefield.

Audio: P- I'm Captain Jean Luc Picard of the USS Enterprise.  
We come in peace.

Image: A fan made photo of Data with an absurd expression on his face painting with script writing outlining the joys of existence in calligraphy.  
Cute!

*****************************************************

From: "Nick Lewis" .uk Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Predestination Date: Fri, 4 May 2001 23:23:15 +0100

TANDEM POST between "Nick Lewis" .uk AND "Alex Delet" VIA HOTMAIL Chat Window.

Characters Involved:

MAINS Janeway, Nick Locarno

FREE USE Tuvok

------------------------------------------------------------------

Tuvok arrives at the external airlock to meet with Captain Locarno, just as he disembarks the Firestar and walks onto the deck of Voyager. "I'm Lieutenant Commander Tuvok. Welcome to Voyager" he says dispassionately.

"Thanks!" Nicholas replies. "It's interesting to be here. Voyager's a legend in it's own time y'know."

Tuvok looks as stoic as ever. "Quite! The Captain requested that you be escorted to the bridge. Would you come this way, please?"

"Sure." Nicholas starts walking alongside the dark-skinned Vulcan. "Not a one for small talk, huh. Oh, er... has the Captain arranged a tune-up for the Firestar yet?"

Tuvok glances sideways at Nicholas. The man would seem to have the same propensity for using colloquialisms as Mr Paris. He nods. "An engineering team will be assigned to look over your craft."

"Great! Between you and me, I think the ol' girl's feeling a bit sickly.  
Hasn't been given some decent TLC for over a year."

Tuvok frowns, but knows from experience not to query his assertion that a starship can feel ill. Humans have such illogical ways of speaking at times.

As they step into the turbolift, Nicholas turns to Tuvok. "It wouldn't be against any rules to tell me how a certain crew member has fared, would it?"

Tuvok looks inquisitive. "Which crew member would you be referring to?"

"Kirsten Starr. She's one of your engineers. And a cousin of mine... on my mother's side."

Tuvok can see no reason why he shouldn't know about a family member.  
"Ensign Starr is a well-respected member of Lieutenant Torres' team. She has performed admirably during our time in the delta quadrant."

Nicholas smiles. "She was so nervous when she left Mars to report for duty on Voyager, first assignment an' all. Glad to hear she's done well for herself."

"As I recall, Ensign Starr sent many letters to family, through the MIDAS Array linkup. Did you not receive a letter?" Tuvok asks.

"I've been out of touch for a while, away on business" Nicholas explains vaguely. The lift doors open onto the bridge. Nicholas steps through them... and then stops dead in his tracks at the sight before him. Captain Jean-Luc Picard. If there was one person in the world he never wanted to see again, it was Picard. If it wasn't for that sanctimonious busybody, Wes would have never turned rat on them.

Picard who had been approaching the turbolift while talking with Captain Janeway turns around and sees him.

*Yes, you remember me too don't you, you b**tard!* It's all Nicholas can do to keep past feelings of hate and betrayal from coming to the fore again.  
"Captain Picard.... long time, no see" he says sternly.

Kathryn Janeway looks the newcomer in the eye. He reminds her a great deal of Tom Paris... or rather the pre-Voyager Tom Paris. The Captain steps forward, making it clear that this is her bridge. She nods at Tuvok,  
indicating that he can now leave. "Mr Locarno" she says abruptly addressing him, "welcome aboard." She catches sight of the glares being exchanged between him and Picard. She gestures to her ready room and leads them both across the bridge. They'd be a little late for the gateway, but that was no concern.

As they walk in, Nicholas forces his gaze from Picard to Janeway. Now doing his best to ignore Picard altogether, he smiles at her. "Thank you for the invite, Captain" he says in answer to her greeting. "As I was saying to your security chief, it's an interesting experience to step aboard the legendary Voyager."

"Fortunately a living legend" Janeway smiles. "We do our best." She orders another mug of black coffee from the replicator, offering drinks to her guests.

Nicholas politely declines. "You're too modest, Captain. Not many would be able to achieve what you have the last seven years and survive."

The Captain looks deeply into her coffee, as if the aroma would remind her of everything they'd done. "It wasn't easy" she admits, "but we did it.  
as a team." She takes on her concerned gaze as she looks up at both men again. "I take it that you two have met" she gestures. "I won't pretend we have time to dig up old wounds."

"Fine by me" Nicholas replies, purposely not looking at Picard. "So..." he says getting down to business, "do you have any ideas what the pyramid is doing here?"

Janeway sip her coffee. "We believe Q, or rather *the* Q" - she catches the recognition from Picard - "are fighting amongst themselves, a battle which some Q wish us to be involved in." The Captain walks down the steps in the centre of the room. "These future Borg come from a time in which an alliance with Species 8472 has taken place." She holds up a hand before Nicholas can query the statement. "8472 are a race we encountered in the Delta Quadrant."

"Actually, I think I know a little about them" Nicholas says mysteriously.  
"Didn't you come to an understanding with them on that training base which was a recreation of Starfleet HQ?"

Kathryn is mildly surprised that he has access to the kind of data Starfleet would most likely have classified. This is no ordinary freighter captain.  
"Fortunately" she gives him a dark look, "they appear to want to negotiate this time. Their 'Primary' is in Cargo Bay Two... with a twist."

"Oh?" Nicholas says, interested.

"Iconian technology" Janeway replies, half-expecting him to fill in the gaps.

"Iconians...... rings a bell" he muses, thinking. Then he smiles. "I give up." He doesn't actually recollect the name, but letting these two Captains think he knows more than he actually does could give him an edge.

Janeway smiled inwardly at that one. "The Iconian Gateways allowed the Iconians to rule a vast empire which..." Then she realises she's getting off course and anyway, Captain Picard is a far better authority on the subject. "We should be heading to the Cargo Bay" she decides. "My First Officer is meeting with the Primary now." She heads towards the door. "We don't have many details" she says, glancing round, "but we do know that a gateway is involved and that this goes deep, far deeper than first glance would predict."

"Sounds interesting. Lead on, Captain" Nicholas says cheerfully, trying to shut the man standing near him out of his mind.

They walk back out onto the bridge and enter the turbolift. On the way down to deck eight, Nicholas turns to look at Captain Janeway. She's quite a looker, more so that he would've thought.

Janeway lets her eyes rest on the doors. It's turning out to be an awkward turbolift ride. She notices Locarno's eyes were on her and returns the stare, unsure of what to say. She had seen his file, he'd been on the list she'd reviewed before recruiting Tom Paris for Voyager's Mission.

"Y'know Captain" Nicholas starts, "if you don't mind me saying, your official photo really doesn't do you any justice. You're much more attractive in real life."

Janeway almost does a double-take. *He does have a lot in common with Mr Paris* she thinks. "My record hasn't been updated in seven years" she says,  
a little uncomfortable with the line, "but... thank you" she continues.

"No thanks needed. I tell it like I see it" he says, offering her a grin and ignoring the disapproving look Picard is giving him. He's not in Starfleet now, fraternisation rules be damned. He sees an attractive woman he's gonna tell her. "I suppose you hear it all the time though, huh!"

Janeway also avoids exchanging glances with Jean-Luc Picard. He's her colleague, a fellow Starfleet Captain, another sign to her that they're finally home and that she is once again, just a Starfleet Captain. "Not recently" she admits, casting her mind back to the last time she *had* been told that.

The turbolift doors save Janeway any embarassment she might be feeling by opening on deck eight. The three exit and stride along the corridor to the Cargo Bay doors. A few people are already inside as they walk in, but the centre of attention has to be the Iconian Gate in front of them, opening up on a crater on ancient Earth. Captain Janeway has never seen Iconian technology before, nor had she expected anything like it to appear in her Cargo Bay. Allowing herself a scientist's moment to stare into the phenomenon, Janeway leads the others to a point in front of the gate, next to her first officer. "Amazing" she manages.

"Yeah! It's like a portable Guardian of Forever isn't it" Nicholas says,  
impressed with it. Although the Guardian is still supposed to be classified, rumours about it had been circulating through the Academy for decades. "So what happens now?" Nicholas asks, feeling like he's missed something. "Are we waiting for this Primary guy?" he asks no-one in particular.

Janeway isn't sure. She does a quick headcount, finding Counsellor Troi nowhere, but accounting for everyone else. They all seem to be focused on the gate, waiting for something.

As Nicholas looks around, he gets a funny feeling. The kind you get when something's about to go badly wrong. He looks at the man next to them, who is wearing a tattoo on his face. "Iconian technology is pretty fascinating,  
huh!" he jokes, then furrows his brow as he gets no reply. "Hello?" He waves his hand in front of the man's face, but his eyes and attention remain fixed on the gate.

Janeway then looks at Tuvok and notes that his experssion hasn't changed either. In fact nobody has acknowledged their entrance at all. "Chakotay!"  
she says in a commanding voice, walking right up to him. But he remains still.

Nicholas paces the room, looking at everyone else around the gate. They're all motionless. "This is weird. Do you think they're in a trance or something?" he asks.

Janeway moves from Chakotay to Tuvok. "I've seen this happen before. It does look like a trance, yes."

Nicholas' brain works quickly. "Okay...... there's only two undefinable variables here. One, the gate. Or two, this 'Primary', who by the way is looking pretty suspicious by his absense."

Janeway continues walking around. She stares deeply into the gateway for a second. As she does so, she hears a voice, one she'd heard for the first time a few hours ago. Counsellor Troi's... but it's hard to make out. She motions for Picard and Locarno to listen.

-  
(attachment)

Image : The Iconian Gate in a futuristic room.

*  
From: Fran Catrair Subject: [voyagerliveaction] **RE-POST** Cloak and Dagger Date: Fri, 4 May 2001 12:05:32 -0700 (PDT)

Voyager lurched Zee minus ten straight down, causing everyone to feel their stomachs in their throats and the sudden acceleration downward. Sea sickness gripped everyone and it was an effort not to be ill for all.

In engineering, B'Elanna's reaction to the sudden dive was immediate. ::Thank goodness I was holding on to that dmned console.:: she thought to herself. Under normal circumstances, she would have handled the situation with her typical ease, but her child was contradicting her constitution. Feeling nauseous,  
B'Elanna managed to put on a brave face for her crew. Seeing Ensign Vorik approach her, a concerned look on his face, B'Elanna waved him off. "I'm fine, Ensign."  
she said. Noticing he didn't believe her, she continued, "I'm going back to my quarters for a little while. Call me if anything comes up, all right?" she concluded, with a slight smile. Vorik knew she was lying, but he also knew he shouldn't contradict her. ::Never contradict a Klingon...and one who is pregnant!:: he thought. Vorik acknowledged her with a nod of his own. "Let me know if there's anything you need, Lieutenant." he concluded, turning around and heading back to his duty station. Giving engineering one last glance over, B'Elanna gave in to her urgency and left engineering.

When she finally arrived in her quarters, B'Elanna's cool outer poise melted away. Feeling sick, she found herself in the bath quarters, relieving her stomach of its contents. ::Good thing I didn't have any of that stew of Neelix's.:: she thought grimly. Feeling only slightly better, she decided to lay down for a few minutes. "C'mon, little one, we don't have time for this." she said to her stomach. "Our family on Voyager needs us right now." she continued soothingly.  
When the pain continued to roll over her, she found herself shutting her eyes, the dizziness fully enveloping her as she passed out.

Waking up quite awhile later, she groggily assessed her situation. The pain and dizziness were gone,  
although she did feel a little ache in her midsection.  
Muttering, she said, "As I told you before, Tom, the next child we have, YOU'RE carrying it!" She stopped and chuckled to herself just how funny Tom would look pregnant. This turned into a full peal of laughter. Composing herself, B'Elanna asked, #Computer, what time is it?# #1400 hours# came back the reply. ::A whole day?:: B'Elanna was stunned. Getting a quick update from the computer of their current situation,  
B'Elanna decided it would be best for her to head to the Bridge and offer her assistance there.

------------------------------------------------------

As she continued with her intense workout in the gym at Starfleet Headquarters, Commander Elizabeth Shelby was feeling quite exhilerated. She had just finished a complex series of negotiations between two warring factions of a distant Federation colony. She was pleased how she had advanced her career over the years; she was now one of the best negotiators in the Federation. Captain Sulu of the Excelsior had even offered her the position of his Number One on their trip back, but she had declined. She had one Starship in mind, and she was just biding her time.

In the middle of a complex series of Klingon martial arts maneuvers, her comlink buzzed for her attention.  
"Yes, what is it?" she asked impatiently. "I asked not to be disturbed." "Begging your pardon,  
Commander, but Admiral Hansen wishes to speak to you. He said it was urgent." the chastised ensign hesitantly replied. Sighing, she replied,  
"Acknowledged." and headed for the locker room.

Sitting in Admiral Hansen's office, Elizabeth felt poised and confident, waiting while the Admiral finished looking over his readouts. Looking up, he smiled at her. "Well, another job well done,  
Commander. I knew those colonists didn't have a chance with you in charge." Elizabeth smiled back at him. She and Admiral Hansen had worked well together over the years. In fact, their first collaboration together had been over ten years ago, when the Borg had taken Captain Picard and had turned him into Locutus. At the time, she was primarily known for her Borg expertise. It came in handy, but then there was that mooning Commander Will Riker deal with. He felt he was so smooth with the ladies, and when he hadn't charmed her, he had become difficult to deal with. When Picard became Locutus, Riker had, in effect,  
became Enterprise's captain, he had been unwilling to make the ship his own, reminding everyone what Picard would do. ::Fool.:: she thought. ::There are casualties to war; you have to deal with it.:: She knew she was right...Riker had become soft. Especially since he was STILL the Number One on Picard's Enterprise. Sighing, she came out of her musings as Hansen addressed her again.

"I have another project for you. Are you familiar with the return of U.S.S. Voyager?" he asked. "I have been following the daily reports." she replied.  
"Well, study these." he said, tossing a datapadd at her. "It's a full report on what has been going on. As you know, the Borg are involved. But that's not the only reason I want you over there." he concluded.  
Raising her eyes, she looked at him. He continued.  
"We are in the process of de-briefing the Voyager crew. That is being handled by people you know well;  
the officers of the Enterprise, and Admiral Paris." he concluded, with enunciated distaste over the Admiral's name. "Sir?" she asked, slightly puzzled. "I want you to be a part of the team, Elizabeth. I don't fully trust Paris' objectivity in this matter. His son is onboard Voyager." he said, spite in his voice. "Am I following you correctly, sir? You want me to 'undermine' the de-briefing?" she asked, comprehension slowly coming to her. "Undermine is a strong word,  
Elizabeth. Let's just say Owen and I don't agree on many things. I believe, once the dust settles, that these former Maquis should be fully prosecuted. They WERE escaping from Voyager before both ships disappeared into the Delta Quadrant. Seven years doesn't change that. And as I stated before, I don't trust Owen's objectivity in this. I want you to discover all you can, and report back to me directly.

Dismissed." he finished, concluding the meeting.

Standing up and pulling down her tunic, she departed the Admiral's office. ::Ah, Will...it will be S-O-O good to see you again.:: she thought. Leaving the Command headquarters, she headed off to arrange her transport to Voyager, the datapadd still in her hands.  
::At least I won't have to worry about reading material for the trip.:: she concluded, smiling ironically.

-  
(attachments)

Image : B'Elanna at a console.

Image : Torres and Paris lounging on a biobed.

Image: Commander Shelby Promo shot.

*

From: "patti keiper" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Heavenly Q Date: Sat, 05 May 2001 22:06:00 -0000

Q heard the turbo lift doors close on the two captains.  
The noise jarred him out of a very pleasant dream.

He was kicking the tar out of the Calamaraine once again, only this time, They could do nothing to strip him of his powers. ::Hmm. Now I wonder where they all went to now?:: The bridge was nearly empty.

He noticed Tuvok in the center seat, who was pointedly ignoring him. ::No doubt one of Janeway's standing orders. Vulcans are no fun at all.::

He heard the Vulcan answer a hail from starbase.  
=^=Commander Tuvok to Commander Shelby. Permission granted. You may come aboard. We are at yellow alert.  
The Borg Cube threat has been temporarily been nullified. Report to Cargobay Two. My captain or your old captain, Jean Luc Picard, will fill you in on your orders. Tuvok out.=^=

Q's smile touched his eyes. "So,.. Rikey's thorn is back. Gonna have fun there with that piece of news."

Q flicked around both the Enterprise bridge and Voyager's deck and found a curious tuck in the time space continuum going on in Voyager's cargobay.

He made an abrupt appearance, "Well, speak of the devil,  
Picard. Come to see what's out there? Not much, I assure you. "

He didn't fail to catch the flush of red on the balding captain's head. "Ooo, someone strike an unpleasant memory Jean Luc? Perhaps the living embodiment of a disciplined crewman come back to haunt you?"

He waved a hand over Nick Locarno's tense form.  
He leaned into the blond man's reddening ear,  
"Believe me, holding a grudge and mouthing off to Iron Pants here doesn't bring you the satisfaction at ALL, I've been there. I've even elevated his first officer to Q-ness once.  
Not a flicker of reaction. Not one my good man."

Q left the two humans, still stewing in old memories, and regarded the frozen individuals standing in front of the Iconian doorway, glowing blue and active inside the huge open to space Cargobay.

"Now this is interesting, isn't it Kathryn? " Q grinned,  
"A Menage A Tois" you might say."

He walked over to one of them and hit a combadge. It twittered. "Now this thing still works. So it can't be a time fold of any kind. =^= Q to the EMH. Your poor beleagured crew needs you animated walking first aid kit. Down here. Pronto.=^=

The doctor appeared. His scowl quite matched the one on everyone else's faces standing by the entrance bulkheads.  
He noticed Janeway's curt nod to attend the frozen crewman on the main floor.

The EMH spoke, "I would advise you three to stay where you are until I've examined them. Might be some kind of Temporal effect at work here. I wouldn't want to lose you as well to it."

The EMH scanned Chakotay and all of the others in turn and then he pointed it to the Iconian rift opened into the past. "Nice neat technology here. All Temporal backwash is staying over there. Thank goodness."

The EMH returned to Q's side and faced Janeway's party once more. He scanned them for a baseline comparison.  
"There's nothing wrong with them Captain , eh, Captains.  
I am getting no deviations from time space on the ship.  
There metabolic processes are normal albeit a little slowish.  
Even their nailbeds are growing at the normal rates.  
I think Commander Chakotay and the rest of them are.  
hypnotized.. but not against their own wills. They ...put themselves there to....better hear that voice I am hearing."

Q seemed surprised, "What voice? I hear nothing in their minds."

The EMH wrinkled his forehead, "Ah,, well that's because the Primary doesn't know you are around to project to you from the past where he and the counselor are now. That is her voice you are not hearing.." the doctor said smugly.

Q glared right back, "We'll see about that. It may be an old creature. It may need a lesson or two. Maybe I should raise the dead to convince it otherwise of my omniscense.. "

Q walked around the room, admiring the clever little homo sapiens around him yet again at the link the two Boothbys were forging on the large screen showing the Enterprise bridge and the Voyager bridge. He saw Riker standing over on the Enterprise.  
"Look and remember oh almost Riker Q. I am going to do something you could have done oh so long ago.  
By the way, an old girlfriend is on her way. Let me give you a clue. She's a redhead. Very spicy and she wants your job. Sound familiar? She should. Shelby's trying to contact Voyager now to get permission to board her." He turned to Kathy. "You might want to know about this commander's arrival. You think Locarno is putting you in hot water with his hitting on you?  
Try Shelby's moxy. She likes trying to muscle in on positions of power to take them as her own. Last time she wanted Riker's job when Luccy here was offship taking a vacation as Locutus. Maybe she'll have an eye on your soon to be vacated Voyager captaincy,  
Kathryn.."

He whirled to Picard and Locarno. "You! I am bestowing a gift. One my scaley friend will be able to see. Who should I bring back from the Great Beyond??"  
He widened his eyes significantly and with a slow smile.  
"Make it snappy. I haven't all day."

He pointed to the frozen crew Janeway and Picard couldn't tear their eyes off of. "Trust me. Once Primary's attention is diverted to me. Your crewmates won't be so susceptible to self hyponosis and will function normally if they so choose afterwards. Hurry now, I don't want to miss any more of the counselor's message coming through. Who shall I snatch from the jaws of death? Joe Carey?  
The Real Harry Kim?.. or...."

Then another in the room spoke with a name.  
It made every Starfleet crewman shiver in macabre chills.

Q faced this one who had the courage to accept his gift. "Speak, or forever hold your peace.."

-  
(attachments)

Image : Picard and Q together.

Audio : Q snapping his fingers.

Image: A close up smirk of Q up to no good.

*  
From: "Cassidy Meyers" Subject: Across the divide Date: Sun, 06 May 2001 11:49:56 +0400

Janeway continues walking around. She stares deeply into the gateway for a second. As she does so, she hears a voice, one she'd heard for the first time a few hours ago. Counsellor Troi's... but it's hard to make out. She motions for Picard and Locarno to listen.

## ....Troi here. I've...we've made some progress. The Primary has shared with me..what it knows. .. It...there is....hybrid...nder the mountai... I know this telepathic bond will ease off. Have your EMH watc...ypnotic state. I repeat.. there is a child hybrid Qu...in stasis inside a cave that has been sealed. Please come as soon ... The 8472 and the Borg were once one peo..## The barely discernible voice faded again.

Boothby hollered to the bridge, "Get her back!! The link's only half in our minds. The Primary is sending to comm channels too. Get the computer to enhance.."

Tuvok reciprocated quickly working his tactical pad magic.

Just as suddenly as she had disappeared into the Iconian rift, the counselor was back in the room. She blinked at the stationary crew around her. "Oh my.. Didn't know the Primary forged that tight a communications bond with the crew." Then she eyed the unworried lines of Janeway and Picard. "But then again, your EMH has probably already confirmed that. They're fine."

She noticed her commanding officer standing on the upper deck, "Hello Captain Picard. I hope your vacation was cut short voluntarily."

Q regarded the Betazed, "Aren't you going to say hello to me?"

"No." And she smoothly didn't look at the annoying figure looking a little out of his element for once.

Troi caught sense of the puzzlement in their minds and guessed the reason for it. "The 8472 didn't go anywhere at all. I was with a projection of its mind. The Primary has been here in the cargobay holding the doorway frame in its claws the whole time. I however, did go to this place a million years ago. Look."

And Troi opened her palm. She knew Picard would immediately go to her side to examine it. "Can you tell me what this is, sir? " It was Iconian, and made of a curious glowing amber and blue stone. In the shape of a point that seemed like it would fit somewhere else. "I found it just before the Primary pulled me back to Voyager. It sensed that it accidently made the crew go into trance while I was talking over there to you."

##YES. IT IS FROM THAT TIME. SHE IS BEHIND, NESTLED IN THE POD WHERE WE LEFT HER. THIS TROI HAS BEEN GIVEN IT. FREE OUR PURPOSE OF BEING. SHE IS TOO LONG IN SLEEP AND THE CUBE ANCESTORS WILL KILL HER IF WE DELAY.## the Primary said to all in their heads.

Troi turned to Nick Locarno. "Why are you still mad with Captain Picard after all these years? He didn't judge you for your crimes commited in that squadron. He just hosted the Enterprise to be the site of the hearing."

Even Picard was harboring some unusual ill will toward the civilian captain. The emotions floating off of him were almost sharp. ::Now why would Picard feel this way toward a man he hardly even knew?:: But Troi held her tongue. That observation about her commanding officer was best brought up in privacy, later.

She stepped forward toward Janeway, near the statued Chakotay, and Picard. "Are preparations ready for excavation away teams? I am convinced this hybrid child is alive. I can feel her. So can the Primary. But I can't tell how deeply buried she is under the mountain. There's eons of cave-in debris filling in the lava tube down there. My tricorder hadn't scanned that far when we were visited by the local wildlife. A repulsor sonic beam should repel them easily while we work. Is Data coming?"

"Yes." Picard said.

Troi nodded, "Good. Maybe he and you can make sense of this artifact and what it might be for." She handed the glowing shaft to him.

Then she felt the uncomfortable chill left over from a mild horror fascination response in her superior officers. "What has Q offered now?"

A small part of Deanna really didn't want to find out. ::Man, could I use some chocolate right about now..::

-  
(attachments)

Image: Troi holding an object standing in a cargobay.

*animated gif* Rotating chocolate on a pedestal. Website of the week engraved on it.

*  
From: "Roxy Dee" Subject: Getting hearsay knowhow dmned quick~~ Date: Sun, 06 May 2001 08:04:49 -0000

Harry watched the scene unfolding in the cargobay. ::Dmn! why does Tom have all the luck? Maybe..::

Tuvok spoke before Harry was two steps away from his station. "I am sure Captain Janeway has all the assistance she requires at this time, ensign. Please remain at your post."

Kim's thoughts were black and a part of him was glad that Tuvok wasn't Betazed. "I've got to go down there! Surely another bridge officer can take my pl.."

"I am ordering you to do as Boothby has suggested. Find a way to strengthen the communications band the Primary is using with its telepathy through the Iconian doorway. We must be ready with a clear signal should the captains send their away teams through to the past." Tuvok said smoothly.

Harry glowered. ::Vulcan logic loops. I'd think after seven years, I'd hate them a little less.::

Then he had an idea. He hailed the Enterprise on a secured channel to her engineering room. He noticed that the great ship was once more fully integrated, no longer separated. He'd follow through with Tuvok's order, only after a suitable solution had been found. And that meant conferring with another expert. =^= Ensign Harry Kim at Voyager's Ops station to Engineer Geordi LaForge.=^=

"Lt. Commander LaForge here. Go ahead." said the slightly puzzled voice.

Harry outlined the situation.

Geordi responded, "Yeah,, we saw all that on the viewer. The counselor did seem to break up a bit when she was still in the past. I'd love to work with your engineer on your problem, but I also don't want to get in the way of things. And I've standing orders to stay on the Enterprise unless called for."

Harry nodded, studying the visored engineer on this monitor. "I know how you feel. I feel it too. I want to be in the thick of things, but my best friend Tom beat me to the punch, the first officer took him along instead."

Geordi commiserated. "Listen... " he leaned in confidentially, "The only way we are ever going to get anywhere with these tasks to our superior's satisfaction is to work together. You, me and Chief Engineer Torres have to work together somehow, without my leaving here."

Kim sighed, "Easier said than done. B'Elanna's not for staying in one place for very long. But, so far, Janeway's not ordered a task for her yet. Maybe I can figure something out. B'Elanna and I get along now, ever since Tom and she got married, ever since she got pregnant for that matter," he realized ruefully. "I'll stay in touch Lt. Commander. Kim out."

And he closed the signal. ::Yeah. I wonder what she's up to now? No doubt the EMH's got a lead on her with the Primary tapping into all of our heads. Odd. I haven't seen her for more than a day.::

-------------------------------------------------------------

The EMH straightened from his scrutiny of the transfixed crew. There was nothing further he could do until Q could "adjust" things to lessen the telepathic link it had with his patients.

Then he noticed an anomaly. He had been out of contact with B'Elanna Torres for over twenty four hours. He tapped into Boothby's convenient shunt into the crew's biolifesigns.

Torres's was pre-eminently stressed. The holo physician sighed. He tapped his simubadge to reach her. =^=The EMH to Lieutenant Torres. You are showing signs of post gastric hypotension. The residuals of syncope are still registering in your synaptic patterns. Did you faint into your sleep last night?=^=

He noticed that Tom Paris and Janeway over heard this little exchange of his. Mr. Paris more alarmed than Janeway.

The EMH thought ::Here comes the overprotective father. Phasers on stun.:: He turned his back to the lieutenant too late. ::So much for patient doctor confidentiality. Let's hope B'Elanna doesn't decide to overtweak my subprocessors over this little slip.::

-  
(attachments)

Image : Harry and B'Elanna in med shot.

Image: Geordi's face in front of a black and white starfield.

Gif : Main Engineering title in silver and blue.

*  
From: "Cory Anda" Subject: Through sickness and in health.  
Date: Sun, 06 May 2001 08:58:32 -0000

Tom Paris entered the Cargobay. His father was still in the turbolift. He needed time to check something with Boothby and he told his son to go on ahead of him. ::If it was about something important, dad'd've let me know.::

Tom almost hesitated just inside the doorway ..almost. Then he over heard the EMH talking. His alarm anger swept over him and he bumped into Nick Locarno and by him without even looking at him, "Sorry. I have to handle something here. Please excuse my clumsiness but the doc's holding something from me about my wife..." his lips tightened in an angry line.

The EMH met him halfway up the main steps again. Paris didn't even see Troi, Janeway and Picard grouped together discussing the current situation. He just drove right on by them too.

"Now, Mr. Paris. I've only just found out about this ...incident myself. I have been little preoccupied..." he threw back a hand toward the frozen crewman below him.

Paris had to blink at the marionette poses the crew seemed to be in. All of their eyes were directed at the Iconian dooway. He barely cared. "Doc..." he said warningly.

"I'm in comm contact with B'Elanna right now. I am sure she'll answer me about this just as soon as she can, Lieutenant." The EMH put comforting hands on Tom's shoulders. Paris shrugged them off. Tapping his combadge, superceding all authority. =^=Paris to the transporter room. Emergency site to site beam: B'Elanna Torres to Cargobay Two. Immediately. Authorization Beta Five Two Nine.=^=

A young voice replied, "Uh, I'm sorry sir, but she doesn't seem to be wearing a combadge right now. We we..can't get a lock. Shall we get a security team to her quarters? That is that last place her badge registered her having visited."

Tom's scowl deepened.."No of course not you dolt! This is not a security breach it is a potential medical crisis. Find a way and do it!"

"Yes sir. It may take a minute or two."

"Make it faster! Try a bonescan lock for Pete's sake." Tom snapped to the underling in the transporter room.

"Yessir!! Trying.."

Tom tapped his foot in earnest. Counting mentally. Growing more irritable by the moment.

His combadge beeped, =^=Tuvok to Lt. Paris. I've just registered a request for an emergency beam on Boothby's roster concerning Lt. Torres, do you require assistance in this manner?=^=

Paris slammed a fist in reply on his chest pin, =^=No thank you. The doc and I are handling this just swell. Paris out.=^= ::And there's fifteen demerits for insuboordination.::

He barely avoided fifteen more by not throttling the EMH physically. ::Lot of good that would do.:: He caught Troi's neutral nod of question as she lasted out the wave of his rising emotions. He grumbled, "No thank you as well, counselor."

Tom did get into the holodoc's face, "Listen doc, I don't give a rip about confidentiality. B'Elanna's my wife. I want answers and I want them now!"

Paris managed to turn a few heads then, even some of the frozen ones.

Chakotay snapped out of his locked hypnosis and blinked. But he didn't pry into Paris's and the EMH's medical matter. He walked past them with a later for you two glance and joined Janeway and Picard and Locarno. He saw on Boothby's hallway monitors that the admiral and Data were on their way. "Captains." he began to them. "The Primary has shown me more. The hybrid child is indeed under rock debris. About five kilometers thick of it. I'll arrange Voyager's away team outfitting myself. If you, sir," he addressed Picard, "Would like your officers to ready the Enterprise's team in conjunction..."

Picard nodded, "I would."

Chakotay turned to Janeway to add more but then he noticed Locarno. He did a double take and then looked at Paris, currently having it out with the medical hologram. ::Boy do those two look alike. Change their uniforms around and I bet even Mr. Tuvok would be fooled. Small Federation.:: he chuckled. He turned back to his commanders. "I'll have the team ready to go in ten minutes Captain." he promised Janeway. "Up to you if you want us to go there."

He then spied Q, looking miffed at the Primary from where he stood.

The Voyager first officer raised a polite look, not wanting to draw unnecessary fire from the all powerful pest. "You want something Q?" he ventured.

Q merely pointed to the Primary, who was single mindedly in deep conversation with the counselor. "I want him to notice me."

Chakotay looked at Boothby. ::Uh oh:: "Boothby, What is he talking about?"

Boothby didn't even smile. "Q thinks a Frankensteinian stunt will earn the telepathic favor of the 8472. So far, he isn't privy to our mind communications through the Iconian portal we have with the Primary." ::Q wants to bring back someone from the dead?:: Chakotay shivered.

He backed away from Q slightly without thinking. "Who'd want to do that?"

"Don't know." the gardener holoconsult program grumbled. "But in return for a name, that deed will end our communications difficulties while we're in the past, Q promises."

Chakotay didn't like the sound of that deal at all. ::The dead should stay dead. It's only fitting. I don't know who'd step foward and just give Q a name as casually as--::

But then, someone did. And Chakotay couldn't react in time.

-  
(attachment)

Gif: Chakotay's carved meditation stone.

Image : In the cargobay, a huge screen displaying the Iconian portal and all of the crew watching the representation there.

*  
From: "Clairissa Fox" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Me and the monster things Date: Sun, 06 May 2001 09:36:36 -0000

I tried to hide but he knew I was there. Queue! He wanted to do bad things!

Auntie Kathy! Auntie Kathy! Thats not right. Dont let him get a dead body it would be to scary to.

I wondered where 7 was. She had brought back Nelix that one time. If 7 said that she wuldnt be scared by Queue getting a body back, then I didnt mind nither.

Chakoty lookd scared in his face but he didnt say how he felt. I watched the purple monster and saw the pretty stick Deana gave to Captain Picard. I wondered what that could do?

Chakoty! Chakoty! Maybe that stick is a key to get at the little Queen.  
I could get in there to use it. I am small. Just dig me down to there and I can do it. I know I can. I have to see her. I have to see for me.

I saw Data again. He had been away for a while becaus his captain needed him on the other ship. But I went over to him now.

Data! Data! Queue is going to bring back someone who died just so the purple monster can talk better to Bootby. Dont let him. I am to scared!

Queue just looked at me and called me a little girl for being scared. He said hed just bring back the person like they was. Then I thougt about it. If the person looked ok and wasnt stinky or icky to see, I gues it wuld be ok.

I shoutd to the room. Ok! Ok! I am not scared anymore. But I wish Worf were here so I could hide behind his leg. Hes so big! I feel saf with him garding me. But I havnt seen him since I left the brige.

Then I talked to my mom using Bootby. Mom! Mom! Get over here. Tom and the hollow doctor are fighting again. Fighting is not ok on Voyager. Make them stop! We have to go find the little Queen. She is buryed! We have to get her out ussing the key!

The admreal wasnt here yet. He could fix everything. He was the higest officer. Even higher than Auntie Kathy. He could say what he wanted to us all.

Then I went over to the purple monster. Primerry! Primerry! Take me over there to where the dinosars are! I have never seen one! Not since I was born! But dont let one eat me. Auntie Kathry wuld get real mad.

Then I went to the com button and I called Rikker. Hey Rikker! Bring Captain Kirk my friend here. We need you to help! I know you are still over there but Picard said you could come over tonight!

Come on! Come on! We have so much to do!

I waited for everyone to get the misions started to the dinosar land.  
I wanted to get to be friends with the littlest Queen.

-  
(attachment)

Image: A promo shot of Scarlet Pommers and Kate Mulgrew in costume in a backlot Paramount fan photograph. Very cute! (Naomi and Janeway)

**********************************************************************

END WEEK SEVENTEEN RECAP 05-07-01 ()

WEEK EIGHTEEN RECAP 05-09-01 ()

From: "Nick Lewis" .uk Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Meeting a Mirror Image Date: Sun, 6 May 2001 23:16:04 +0100

He didn't fail to catch the flush of red on the balding captain's head.  
"Ooo, someone strike an unpleasant memory Jean Luc? Perhaps the living embodiment of a disciplined crewman come back to haunt you?"

*If only* Nicholas thinks, quickly glancing once at Picard then pulling his eyes away.

He waved a hand over Nick Locarno's tense form. He leaned into the blond man's reddening ear, "Believe me, holding a grudge and mouthing off to Iron Pants here doesn't bring you the satisfaction at ALL, I've been there. I've even elevated his first officer to Q-ness once. Not a flicker of reaction. Not one my good man."

Nicholas stifles a chuckle. He hasn't heard many good things about the Q,  
but the man before him seems to be on his wavelength. "He couldn't be any more stiffer if someone rammed a poker up his ss, Q" he says, allowing himself a little satisfaction at the growing discomfort of the bald Captain.

Then the Counsellor reappears and starts talking to Picard about the Iconian artifact she found. Boring! When are they going to do something about these damn borg? Talk about getting sidetracked.

Troi turned to Nick Locarno. "Why are you still mad with Captain Picard after all these years? He didn't judge you for your crimes commited in that squadron. He just hosted the Enterprise to be the site of the hearing."

"Counsellor, I don't think this is any of your business" he says a little curtly. How can she possibly comprehend what Picard did? If it wasn't for his meddling, Wesley would never have broken their honour code and ratted on the team. If it weren't for him, Sito and Hajar would probably both be alive today. He's coldly aware of the fact that except for Wes (who he last heard was gallavanting around the universe with some weird guy called The Traveller) he's the last survivor of the former Nova Squadron.

Tom Paris entered the Cargobay. His father was still in the turbolift. He needed time to check something with Boothby and he told his son to go on ahead of him. ::If it was about something important, dad'd've let me know.::

Woah! If he hadn't of seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn't have believed it. So this must be Tom Paris. He'd heard there was something of a resemblance but this takes the biscuit... in fact it takes the whole cake.

Tom almost hesitated just inside the doorway ..almost.  
Then he over heard the EMH talking. His alarm anger swept over him and he bumped into Nick Locarno and by him without even looking at him, "Sorry. I have to handle something here. Please excuse my clumsiness but the doc's holding something from me about my wife..." his lips tightened in an angry line.

"Hey, no problem" he murmers, stepping back slightly. By this time Q is making his grandiose claim that he'll bring someone back from the dead.

"Who shall I snatch from the jaws of death? Joe Carey? The real Harry Kim?.. or...."

And when the name is said, Nicholas thinks... *Who?*

*  
From: Jeff Seltun Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Negotiative dances Date: Tue, 8 May 2001 21:39:14 -0700 (PDT)

Picard decided to let Q ramble on. ::No doubt he's up to something once again. There's no telling exactly what with his grandiose godview.::

Picard let Nicholas Locarno vent while he gathered his thoughts. ::Ah,.. now I remember this hot, young upstart. He and Mr. Crusher were on the same chopping block. It's a shame to see that his indifferent attitudes about Starfleet are still haunting him even now.::

"Nice to see you again Mr. Locarno, although I wish it were during more pleasant circumstances. The hostility you seem to be directing toward me is noted. Although I can't see the reason why. I was not on the ruling party who decided your punishment during that incident. Feel free to vent what ever you like. I am sure Captain Janeway would love to hear just how unstable your emotional state is right now." he said mildly.  
"After all, it may be a deciding factor how much aid she'll grant to the Firestar, which, I might add, is suspected by Starfleet Intelligence for importing contraband. Ask Admiral Paris once he arrives.  
Interesting tale."

The Enterprise captain turned to Janeway, "You might want to check Mr. Locarno's cargo in a direct scan, captain. We received transmissions from an undisclosed ally about the nature of his trading business. Records can be altered, but not physical evidence. Guard yourself captain, until you know his whole story."

(Locarno remembered what happened just before he accepted Tuvok's offer of aid)  
Nick smiles, accepting the upload link, but making sure a few archives are exempted. It wouldn't do him any good for them to find out exactly what it is he trades in.

But before anything could be done about the situation. Q makes his stunning proclaimation.

Picard spoke aloud, "Q! Stop this infernal nonsense.  
Just tell us exactly what you want us to know about your plans or leave us! My best instinct is that you aren't here to help us. Leave the dead be!"

Q turned from something he mumbled to Nick Locarno and just shrugged off the challenge with a look.

Captain Picard gave it up. ::No use getting into semantics with civilian traders who have a beef with Starfleet or the Q who have a fascination with those at the pinnacle of command. I just hope everyone's smart enough to not take Q up on his Lazarintian offer.::

Then Troi stepped forward, handing him the glowing Iconian artifact. "Oh,..my. Mr. Data...what do you make of this?"

He had seen his helmsman arrive and stand by the little girl he knew to be the first baby born on Voyager.  
The pale eyed android made his way over to his captain's side, "Counselor, was this in a cave mouth,  
exactly one million years ago?"

The dark haired officer nodded in affirmation.

"Then captain. I may have some insight as to the object's purpose. Naomi Wildman may not be that far off her guessing. This artifact, I remember seeing when you and I were trapped in the annex trying to rephase our Iconian door to the Enterprise. You were distracted at the time by the imminent nova approaching us. I saw an object just like this one just before I was shorted out and damaged." Data explained.

He pointed to some of the more bold characters, "I believe this symbol of the stylus and rhombus juxta-  
posed is one of ancient royalty from the oldest script language of the Preservers.."

Picard startled visibly at that. So did the other people around him.

"Mr. Data. Are you saying that the Preservers may have had an active role in this...hybrid child's current predicament? Taking an active part in saving her life inside that pod the counselor heard about?"

"Yes sir, these characters are unmistakable."

Picard glanced at Kirk. ::Now, this is a concept my fellow Enterprise captain can really sink his teeth into. I know James has an active fascination with the Preserver theories. Especially with his having personally met one.::

Data went on with the rapt attention of his listeners.  
"I believe this artfact is a rod which opens a Preserver equivalent of a time capsule. It may even open the one containing the individual the Primary has come to excavate." Data surmised.

Picard looked over to Chakotay making a decision.  
"Commander, I will take you up on your offer to co- join away teams. I will have my first officer make the arrangements. The sooner we return to the past the better. I can have my team assembled in one half hour. Mr. Data will share with you what equipment we may need if indeed the Preservers visited the Grand Canyon Borg Crater back then and left the child behind."

He saw the North American Indian nod his understanding.

"Make it so, Data. Notify Commander Riker.  
And...Mr. Chakotay. Our teams will meet here at 1805 from the Enterprise. Is that acceptable?"

The big man nodded.

"Very well. I think I need to ask Q a few questions. Excuse me, Captain." he said to Kathryn Janeway.

Jean Luc went over to Q who was still standing with his hands on his hips, waiting for someone to give him a name of a corpse so he could have a little fun with the concept of resurrecting it. "Q.... If you are offering to aid our efforts in communications ties with our ships through that doorway..." he pointed to the Iconian window in the Primary's grip, "Why not do so with no strings attached?"

But then Mr. Data placed that last straw on the preverbial camel.

"Q.. I have a request along this line. And I am sure Deanna Troi would love to erase a potentially painful memory. Why not bring back ..."

Picard spoke sharply even as the counselor gasped, "Mr. Data!! No...!!"

".....Natasha Yar?"

-  
(attachments)

Image : Picard looking out ready room windows, from outside the ship looking in.

Audio : Picard- Download the files to my ready room. I'll study them there.

Image : Data with a tricorder on scan.

*  
From: "Roxy Dee" Subject: A Day in the Life of Ensign Kim's heart~~ Date: Wed, 09 May 2001 04:49:38 -0000

Geordi LaForge didn't feel things were happening fast enough. It was a sound idea to coordinate with Voyager's engineer about their immediate problems but still, the process seemed to take forever..

He toggled Boothby from where he stood by the auxillary bypass panel. "Mr. Boothby. Did you get all of that?"

"If you mean the future collaboration with you and Torres and Kim, yes. If you mean what Mr. Data just theorized about the Preservers, no."

Geordi was surprised. "You mean there's an area in your consult program that DOESN'T know something? " he chuckled.

The gray haired old appearing image on his screen didn't even blink. "My audio input sensors have a predetermined filter on them. My matrix is not to have any exposure to any discussions and theoretical analyses of the Preserver race. That information is classified. My logs were blacked out by Starfleet Intelligence operatives the moment Data said that word."

Geordi readjusted his visor on his face. "Yeah, but why keep YOU in the dark? It doesn't make any sense..."

"It makes perfect sense Lieutenant Commander. If either the Enterprise or Voyager is ever taken by hostiles. That sensitive, broadscape knowledge of Preserver theories won't be found out. Picture what would happen if Hitler found the real Christ?"

"Worldwide domination..." Geordi realized. "In the case of Preserver knowledge getting leaked, potential Galaxy wide domination."

Boothby nodded gravely. "My guess is that any talk about the Preservers is as sensitive as Omega is to starship captains."

"Omega? What's that?" LaForge asked.

"Never you mind." Boothby said. "Now what was it you needed me for?"

Geordi blinked a few times then remembered. "Last night, I tried to comm Lieutenant Torres but there was no answer... Did she accompany the counselor into the past?"

"No, LaForge. She was getting sick into her waste disposal unit and then she was sleeping through grade three morning sickness."

Geordi blushed in spite of his dark skin. "Oh. Uh,.. I guess Harry's plan for the four of us getting together isn't going to materialize..."

"I wouldn't say that... Voyager's EMH is in conversation with the lady right now. No doubt when the air clears between the two of them, you'll have an intact engineer to work with...."

"Thankyou, Boothby..uh,, that'll be all. I'll leave a message on Torres's cabin computer with Harry's proposal."

Boothby nodded. "You had better keep an ear out for the cargobay camera pickups then. Data just said the word Preserver a few more times.."

"But,.. I thought you said that your inputs were blacked out at the word."

"Exactly,... Admiral Hansen's programmers make any place where that word occurs a blank spot on the audio.. I hear nothing..."

"Admiral Hansen is behind the Starfleet Intelligence operating your censorship parameters?"

"Yes. He and his associate, Elizabeth Shelby."

Geordi flicked Boothby off. ::Her again? Riker's worst nightmare. We've toasted enough curses towards that name with scotch at our weekly poker games to fill a book..:: he thought with amusement. ::I think only Captain Picard has no negative preconceived notions about the Iron Maiden then..::

Boothby came back online briefly, "Oh, LaForge, this is interesting..."

"What is?"

"Mr. Tuvok on the Enterprise has just piped Liz Shelby on board Voyager..."

"Has he... well, it never rains but it pours." The Enterprise engineer chuckled.

Geordi quickly sent his message to Torres's cabin computer outlining his and Harry's plan to work together with her on the same problem Q was dangling carrots for. The communications static they were suffering over time with any transmission in and out of the Iconian door. He ended his letter asking when they could meet.

::And I have no dead people to raise in trade for the solution.. The captain's'll appreciate us getting them out of that boxed in Q corner.::

--------------------------------------------------

Harry Kim was still itching.. ::Tom, you owe me one. I am so jealous.. You could have knocked me over with a stick when Data said the word Pre--ser--ver...::

He could tell it was said because Kes had long ago taught him how to read lips. Oh, the visual through Boothby was a dead give away.. A patch of fuzzy obscurity had covered Data's mouth for the space of time it took to say those three intriguing syllables. Any first grader could do it. ::Uh, that's human first grader.::

He noticed no visible reaction in Tuvok but he traded an I'm on to it glance with him just the same. He encrypted Tuvok's board so his commanding officer could work in confidentiality needed for such classified material. ::Man, I'll bet Captain Janeway feels just the same walking the fence pressure she did when Seven almost didn't destroy the Omega molecule..::

Then his ears perked up. ::Shelby? Coming here to Voyager? Man I want to meet her. She was WITH them when they rescued Captain Picard from the Borg Collective.::

His ears blushed. He had had a crush on that fiery redhead ever since he had been debriefed at the academy about the events surrounding Wolf 359 and Locutus's "demise". ::Oh, man.. I hope Tuvok doesn't send me to greet her in the transport--::

"Ensign Kim." Tuvok said, "Would you be so kind as to escort our arriving guest to her quarters? No doubt she'll have equipment she'll need to drop off there before she heads for the cargobay."

Kim's jaw flopped and his world shrank away..

"Ensign Kim..."

"Ensign Kim.. Do you hear me..." Tuvok repeated himself.

"Uh.. Yessir! Ah.. Heading to transporter room Two now, sir... yes... sir..." ::oh no!! ohno ohno ohno ohno.. This is bad. Very bad.. I haven't felt this nervous since Leah Brah--::

"Dismissed ensign. She will arrive in eight point two five minutes." Tuvok ordered.

Kim made tracks and died a thousand deaths all the way to the transporter room.

Once there, he felt like a man being giving his last cigarette before meeting the firing squad.

::In fact,.. I'll face fifty of those firing squads right now..:: he sweated.

Then the transporter disked began to glow.

Kim, on the otherhand, paled. ::I wonder if I can fake a medical emergency and have my butt hauled out of here in thirty seconds before she fully materializes..::

-  
(attachments)

Image : Harry Kim down with a rash, unconscious.  
Audio : Hi, I'm Harry "Read me like a book" Kim.

*Screen saver* Next Generation Characters in sliding photos and fade aways.

*  
From: "Nick Lewis" .uk Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Return from Death City Date: Wed, 9 May 2001 17:37:17 +0100

The hostility you seem to be directing toward me is noted.  
Although I can't see the reason why. I was not on the ruling party who decided your punishment during that incident.

"Maybe not, but you had your part to play, Picard" Nicholas says eyes narrowed.

Then the Enterprise Captain all but accuses him of trading in contraband. Where he got his information from, Nicholas doesn't know, but he'll have to let Jevin know there's a leak as soon as he's able. At least they'll get no evidence from him. If anyone tries to access his restricted database, the computer will have a critical and rather conveniant cascade failure, erasing everything.

"Still got it in for me I see." He shakes his head sadly. "When are you going to learn that I'm not the big bad that led your precious protege off the straight and narrow?" He turns to Janeway. "Whatever he thinks he knows about me, he's wrong" he assures her.

As the Enterprise officers confer amongst themselves regarding the Iconian artifact, Nicholas keeps glancing to Captain Janeway to see what she makes of all this. He'll not to answer to Picard, but if this wild flower next to him asks anything of him,  
he'd be only too willing to oblige. Maybe it's because he's been in the beta quadrant for the last six months - romulan and klingon women don't exactly turn him on - but Janeway sure is a sight for sore eyes. He's always had a thing for redheads.

"Q.. I have a request along this line. And I am sure Deanna Troi would love to erase a potentially painful memory.  
Why not bring back ..."

Picard spoke sharply even as the counselor gasped, "Mr. Data!  
No...!!"

".....Natasha Yar?"

Q grins at the android. He knew the temptation would be too great for one of them. With a snap of his fingers, a flash of light appears in the cargo-bay...

Tasha looks at the black tar-like form in front of her. Armus it called itself. She shakes her head at its arrogance. Well,  
she's not going to let an overgrown blob stop her getting the Counsellor back. She strides across and is intent on jumping the dark river, when a force throws her backwards across the dusty ground. The last thing she remembers is the quick onset of darkness and voices around her. Then...

Tasha opens her eyes, momentarily confused. "What the?" Then she sees both a familiar and unpleasant sight. [[listen to soundclip]]. Quick as a flash she moves one step forward and swings her fist, connecting sharply with Q's nose. "Quit playing puppet-master and send me back to the planet" she growls,  
grabbing Q by his mock Starfleet collar.

Then she sees the rest of the people around her, all staring at her open-mouthed as if she were a ghost or something. She lets go of Q. "Alright, who died?"

Nicholas is the first to speak. "You did...... I think."

Tasha glances at the speaker. A reasonably attractive man wearing what looks like a leather jacket. Next to him is a woman in what looks like a Starfleet command uniform, but the colours are reversed. As she gazes around her, she then sees her fellow Enterprise crew, including Deanna. "Counsellor?" she murmers,  
not sure of anything at the moment. "I thought you were on the..." She trails off, then turns back to Q, glaring at him.  
"What did you just do?" she asks slowly, restraining herself from hitting him again.

-  
(attachments)

Image : Tasha Yar publicity Photo.

Audio : Tasha-I don't believe this!

*  
From: Fran Catrair Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Getting Down to Business Date: Fri, 11 May 2001 00:10:55 -0700 (PDT)

B'Elanna felt better as she continued her route to the Bridge. Stepping onto the Bridge, she received a surprised look from Tuvok.

"There you are, Lieutenant! We have been looking all over for you." he stated. "We?" Torres scowled at him. "Oh, just the doctor, a crewman in the transporter room and your husband." he stated. "Tuvok, I'm not in the mood for games right now!  
Tell me what's going on!" she exclaimed, her irritation rising. "Take it easy, Lieutenant. The doctor noticed he had lost contact with you for the last 24 hours and were in distress. Unfortunately, Mr. Paris overhead the doctor's attempts to contact you, and he has been raising quite a fuss...demanding you be transported site-to-site to Cargobay Two." he concluded. ::A site-to-site transport?:: she thought. She knew Tom would have done it, too, but o-h-h, he would have been in trouble. ::He's such a loveable, but overprotective dolt.:: she thought to herself.

Coming back to the conversation, she realized Tuvok was asking her a question. "Just why hasn't anyone been able to contact you, Lieutenant?" She thought to herself. "Oh, THAT'S what I forgot!" she exclaimed, slapping her forehead with the palm of her hand. #Computer, reactivate commbadge Torres, B'Elanna. Authorization Torres, Pi Alpha Three.# she finished. Turning to Tuvok, she grinned sheepishly. "When I was feeling ill yesterday, I turned off my commbadge when I reached my quarters. I knew if anyone needed to contact me, the computer would have." she finished. Tuvok looked at her and arched an eyebrow. ::Strange:: he thought. Nodding to her, Tuvok turned his attention back to the main viewscreen.

After finishing her conversation with Tuvok, B'Elanna was commed by the computer. #There is a message in your quarters from Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge of The Enterprise.# the voice stated. #Computer, patch the message into the engineering station on the Bridge.# she ordered. #Acknowledged.# the computer replied. ::La Forge? she thought. He was legendary among engineers. She had read many of his theories and had followed his career whenever she could. She was impressed with his warp theories. The work he had done with Leah Brahms was also impressive, since Dr. Brahms had rarely collaborated with others. She couldn't wait to meet him and compare theories.

As she read his proposal, she chuckled to herself. ::Poor Harry is quite antsy, isn't he?:: But she had to agree the proposal was worth exploring. Except Harry was not on the Bridge. She was about to query the location of the Ensign when her own badge was hailed. =^=I notice your signal is back, Lieutenant. Are you all right, B'Elanna?=^=the EMH asked, concern in his voice. =^=I'm fine, doctor. But just so you believe me, I will come to Cargobay Two immediately, so please tell that mother hen husband of mine I will be right down. I don't want him to be thrown into the brig or anything!=^= she finished, humoring him, knowing Tom was probably overhearing the entire exchange. She decided the meeting with La Forge would need to wait just a little longer. She knew she would probably get an earful from the doctor and from Tom for turning off her commbadge. Sighing, she looked at Tuvok. "Excuse me, Tuvok. I need to go the Cargobay to receive a lecture." she stated as she entered the turbolift. ::At least I'm getting my exercise!::

------------------------------------------------------

As she prepared for transport onto Voyager, Elizabeth Shelby's thoughts were racing. She had finished reading the report Admiral Hansen had given her. She had to admit, she admired the Voyager crew. They had faced great adversity, being blasted into the Delta Quadrant. One ship had survived, and they had overcome great odds and had become one crew; a fine crew at that. Even better than most Starfleet vessels she had been on. She was particularly impressed with the information on Commander Chakotay and Chief Engineer B'Elanna Torres. ::The Admiral always sees things in black and white.:: she thought.

She would follow her orders, but she still was looking forward to meeting Voyager's crew herself.

=^=Commander Tuvok to Commander Shelby. Permission granted. You may come aboard. We are at yellow alert. The Borg Cube threat has been temporarily been nullified. Report to Cargobay Two. My captain or your old captain, Jean Luc Picard, will fill you in on your orders. Tuvok out.=^=

Coming out of her musings, she heard Commander Tuvok's message. ::You have NO idea about my orders, Commander.:: she thought to herself. As she materialized onboard Voyager, she noticed a nervous looking ensign watching her. ::Great, what is it with me and ensigns lately? They are always nervous around me.:: she thought to herself. Of course, she knew her reputation didn't hurt, either. Forcing a smile, she looked at him. "Well Ensign, I never thought I would get here." she said. "Now, if you would just direct me to this Cargobay Two, I'll be on my way." she finished, looking at him expectantly.

-  
(attachments)

Image: B'Elanna by a console.

Image : Shelby closeup

Image : Beautiful graphic of Voyager orbitting Earth.

******************************************

From: "Alex Delet" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] A New Tear Date: Sat, 12 May 2001 21:53:44 +0100 Although Jadzia Dax had performed the Ritual Death Scream several times, over fallen comrades, the split second, of which she heard her own Death Scream,  
was the longest and hardest she knew of. Jadzia knew, that she was gone.  
that the battle her body had been fighting since she encountered Dukat, earlier that evening in the Bajoran Temple, was lost.  
Starfleet Officers faced death frequently, and Dax was no exception. Jadzia knew, intellectually,one day she would cease to be aware of existence on this plane.  
She knew that one day, the only part of her alive, would be the part within Dax.  
But emotionally, she didn't want to give up... She and her husband could have a child, life could go on.  
She had felt the Pah-Wraith energy flow through her...she had felt the evil from Dukat. But that had made her more determined to fight.  
Because of that, it hadn't been, until Worf, her mate, had admitted, and accepted defeat, that she herself admitted it. And then she had understood why the Prophets wept.  
And it was the deep sense of defeat, that she remembered first, when she found herself in a clearly Starfleet Cargobay. In front of a large vision.  
Although she would scarcely admit it to herself, her first though was, that this was a vision, from the...wormhole aliens.  
From the Prophets.  
Jadzia realised a second later, that this was no vision. The Trill turned in anticipation hoping to see Benjamin, or Julian, Or Worf.  
Instead she was faced with a vaguely familiar Starfleet Captain, and someone she had hoped she wouldn't have to see again.  
Q.  
Jadzia sighed inwardly, was this after-death?  
Q was menacing in his hesitation, "Welcome Back, Dax,"

Captain Kathryn Janeway watched Nicholas Locarno and Captain Picard,  
as they engaged in their discussion. Their voices were barely elevated, but Kathryn did not feel it appropriate for this to happen here.  
The Captain watched as Picard arranged with her first officer, an away team.  
Although Janeway was a student of science. Her interest had been tweaked by the Gateway.  
Resolving herself to study the gateway and the principles behind that, Janeway moved forward.  
To hear the snatch of conversation from the Android Lt Commander.  
Q was only too happy to oblige, and did.... a flash of white light, and a young Lieutenant, in the old uniforms... although Janeway was well aware that her crew were in what was the current 'old' uniform. The newcomer predated them.  
The woman looked around, at Janeway, before turning to Locarno.  
"Q!" Picard and Janeway said together.  
Q chose to appear beside Janeway, "Aww... Come on Kathy, I'd do the same for you," he chuckled. Janeway was serious, "We have all wondered what it would be like to see a dead friend again,"  
Janeway said, emphatically, "But what of the consequences!"  
Q clicked his fingers.  
And infront of Janeway, appeared a Trill, in a medical gown, staring straight at her. "You'll like this one, Kathy, She's a Science officer too..." Q said, backing off.  
Janeway realised that further protest would be futile, and that Q wouldn't be sending either of the temporal, and life refugees back.  
Dax... Janeway recognised the name. An officer who had served on DS9 when Voyager had left. Q was quick to explain, "Such a terrible way to go, duelling with a Pah-Wraith inhabited Cardassian Maniac," he said, "And then hearing Worf say goodbye in his own..." Q trailed off, "Brutish Way,"  
"Your Back From The Dead," Q whispered, "Try to look happy,"  
Dax stepped forward, "I am Lieutenant Commander Dax, Where Am I?" she asked.  
Janeway greeted her, "Hello," she defused, "Your aboard the Federation Starship Voyager," Dax seemed to relax, "And you are Captain Janeway," she said, "Voyager got home,"  
"Yes," Janeway managed.  
"What am I doing here?"

(attachments)

Image: Dax on her death bed.

Image : Close up Dax, thinking.

Audio : Death wail of a Klingon right.

Image : Close up Janeway, sixth season.

*********************************** From: "Samantha ." Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Blast from the Past Date: Sun, 13 May 2001 03:12:34 -0000

TANDEM POST Between 'Tim Sowards' AND 'Samantha' Via HOTMAIL Messenger.

MAIN Characters Involved :

Admiral Kirk Admiral Owen Paris

Freeuse characters involved:

Boothby

Admiral Paris watched his son leave the turbolift and then sighed as he turned back to the holographic consult program. The face of the Academy's late garderner stared back at him, almost the same man who had once teased the Admiral about his strictness.

"What it is, Boothby?" he asked stepping back into the lift.

"We've recieved a few visitors since your emotional exit from the Bridge. There is a Commander Elizabeth Shelby and the legendary CO of the original Enterprise, James T. Kirk." At the sound of Kirk's name, Owen practically jumped out of his skin. That was impossible. Kirk died years ago after Picard had found him in the Nexus.

"W-where is he, Boothby?" came the stammering answer.

"He's on the Bridge of the Enterprise at the moment." Boothby informs the Admiral. At that moment he stopped and looked straight ahead before speaking again.

"I've just detected a transport. Commander Shelby is now onboard, she is with Ensign Kim in Transporter Room One."

"Thank you. Inform Captain Janeway that I will be with her soon. I have some other business to attend to before the away mission." Owen looked at the hologram for acknowledgement and with a flick of his wrist, he started the turbolift again. This time he was on his way to the Transporter Room. The Admiral's intentions were to find out how the infamous Captain had came to be Paris stepped off the lift and into the corridor. On his way he passed a slightly antzy Kim and collected Shelby.

"Commander, Ensign." he nodded to the two officers as they passed and he stepped into the Transporter Room.

"Enterprise-E's transporter room." In a shimmer of blue light the Admiral was transported from one ship to the other. Stepping off the transporter pad he left the room and headed straight for the bridge. The ride was fairly long, as the transporter rooms on the Enterprise were farther away from the bridge them most vessels in the fleet. Owen made him self presentable before entering the bridge.

"Admiral Kirk?" he questioned the seasoned officer standing near the railing.

The legendary James T. Kirk turns to greet the new voice,"Yes?"

"I am Admiral Owen Paris from Starfleet Headquarters. I was wondering if I could speak to you on the basis of how you arived here in the 24th century." Owen kept his posture straight and looked the man into the eye.

"Admrial, I hardly know myself. I was in my quarters aboard the Enterprise when I suddendly walked to my closet and found myself here." he replied.

::Interesting:: Owen thought to himself. This would be one for the books if Starfleet could figure it out. Hell, it would be the same even if they didn't.

"Well, maybe we can put our minds together and figure it out. Please.." he motions for Captain Picard's Ready Room.

"Admiral If you know my career, I'm not one to sit and think things out. Iw as on the Guardian's world after a request from The gate and I was sent here." Kirk explained.

"I understand Admiral. Shall we take a walk them. Without a doubt, your knowledge of events leading to your appearance here is the only thing that may give us the answer as to how." he was insistant.

"Call me Jim. And The only way we know how is figuring this problem out." the Admiral was sencere, but quickly got back to the point.

"That's exactly what needs to be done. How we do that, is the question." Owen asked.

"Risk Is part of the answer if you sit in that chair or any chair." Kirk's reply almost inacted that of a Vulcan.

"I agree." Owen was getting fidgity with Kirk and didn't know what to do.

"Look, There are things I don't know squat about. But unless we keep sitting on our thumbs doing nothing. Give me a ship." He looked Owen in th eye. "Trust me."

"A ship? That seems a bit extreme at the moment. There's no doubt about your capability to command, but I must warn you that things in this timeline are much different then in yours. The risks are higher and some of the technology new." the request had surprised him so much that the last few words were but a whisper.

Technolgy maybe different but it's the human factor that counts." He said the last words as peices of advice, "Making A diffrence Admiral."

Owen considered what the wisened man said to him and pondered the risks of handing over a starship to him. There was the possibility of one of the more reliable aged vessels. Yet, they were not as reliable as Starfleet made them out to be. Then there was the advanced Ambassador class ships. One question nagged in his mind and he finally sucumbed to the curiousity of an answer. "Can you handle the pressure of commanding a vessel in the 24th century?"

"Command is command Admrial."

"But this is command changed by over a hundred years of advancement."

"Change happens Admrial, But the spirit may never." the logic flowed thorugh the air. "What's the ship?" He said with a fire in his eye. He looked at Admrial Wondering what he'll say.

Owen finally gave into the Admiral's logic on the matter of command. He almost didn't hear the questioned that he was asked.

"There's only one ship that I have in mind that would be more... suitable. It is the Ambassador I class, USS Justice." he absent mindingly gave the information.

"Where she moored?" Kirk looked at the viewscreen then back at Owen.

"She's currently docked at the McKinnley Station which is orbiting Earth." he noticed the image on the viewscreen for the first time. The Borg cube was still silently placed just off Voyager's far starboard and even closer to the base.

"Let's go."

"Now?" question filled his eyes as he looked at Kirk.

"What better time than the present." A slight smile crossed his face.

"Well, I'll have to contact Starfleet Headquarters and find out the ship's status. Until then I suggest you familiarize yourself as much you can with the ship's systems, more specifically the upgrades on the basic equipement." he said this while walking over to the nearest vacant engineering station.

"I"ll get familarized with what I can, just get me a crew. I want a Vulcan First officer." He went over to the station picking up padd and transfering information.

"I'll see what I can do. Maybe Commander Tuvok will volunteer for the job. He is a highly qualified officer." he brought up the schematics for the Jutice and a list of all her systems.

"He'll do." he continued to transfer data.

"Good. I have to inform Captain's Picard and Janeway of the change and inform Starfleet Headquarters to ready the ship." Owen watched the man at work.

"Who's the best engineer around?" he said unkowing scottyw as still around.

Owen searched his mind for that information.

"There are two well trained Engineers at our fingertips at this moment, but they are both pre-occupied with their own ship's operations. Another name comes to mind, a Lt. Commander Williams, but he is currently on assignment at Deep Space 8," he realiazes the nature of the question, "if it is your wish, Montgomery Scott is still in contact with headquarters. It's not certain if he is fit for the job though."

"Scotty? Still around? Of course he's fit." Kirk said knowingly, "Okay, Let's get tot he Justice asap."

Owen nodded and followed Kirk towards the turbolift.

"First things first? Gotta go back in time to the point they left their own timeframe." Jim started to think aloud.

Owen nodded and jotted down a few ideas as the lift hummed towards the shuttle bay. This was easier said then done.

-  
(attachments)

Image : Kirk in his STII jacket.

Image : TOS Kirk holding a model of the Enterprise.

Image : Admiral Paris with Barclay at the pathfinder project.

Gif: Poster of Kirk and Picard with words in yellow saying: Star Trek --The Passion that drives the Enterprise.

*****************************************

END WEEK EIGHTEEN RECAP 05-13-01

()

WEEK NINETEEN RECAP 05-13-01

()

****************************************

From: "Roxy Dee" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] In the name of duty~~ Date: Wed, 16 May 2001 17:39:45 -0000

Forcing a smile, she"Shelby"looked at him. "Well Ensign, I never thought I would get here." she said. "Now, if you would just direct me to this Cargobay Two, I'll be on my way." she finished, looking at him"Kim"expectantly.

Harry felt leaden. "Yes, uh.... yes, of course.. this way, ma'am.  
Uh, I mean Commander."  
::Oh gee. That was brilliant Kim. Way to look pro:  
He added more trying to preserve face. "My captain and the captain of the Enterprise has just been handed an Iconian artifact from the Primary. You won't believe how big this 8472 really is!  
And it's got time travel ability.. Probably make your orders pale in comparison...."

Kim indicated the door, handing her the datapadd Picard had asked any new Voyager arrivals of high rank to receive. It outlined pretty much what Harry had seen when he first joined up with Captain Picard. "This is everything from Boothby since Voyager's arrival in sector One. It is a joint log, since the Enterprise's Boothby is now co-linked to join both the Enterprise sensors and viewscreens and Voyager's to orient on the cargobay events. It also briefs about Primary and all data concerning the Borg Pyramid."

Harry's amicable grin fell when he realized Shelby didn't take to his familiarity too warmly. ::Man, one would think she's on a witch hunt. Isn't she one of Hansen's lackies? I feel sorry for the Voyager crew. Their debriefing is about to get very rough indeed. Perhaps Commander Chakotay's jokes about her in the mess aren't too far off... Iron pants indeed.::

He mirrored Elizabeth's stiff posture and became escort neutral.  
"There's a cabin set aside if you'd like to visit that for your belongings. I've been asked to point that out to you." Ensign Kim said as Shelby and he made their way down the hallway toward cargobay two. ::I think my attraction has just chilled out. This Shelby's definitely not the social mingling type.::

Boothby snapped into being in front of them on one wallside terminal in the corridor.  
"By Section Eight regulations. I am required to notify all level One Beta security command personnel of the manifestation of classified subject matter and material in the cargobay,  
Commander Shelby. By orders of Admiral Hansen remote."

Elizabeth's eyebrow rose.. "Understood. Specify.."

Boothby glanced at Kim.

Kim sighed, "I know about everything in there, Boothby.  
So does half the ship.. It's you that's being filtered from that material.. not us.. Commander, he's talking about the Preservers.. Commander Data has found a link of an Iconian artifact that Counselor Troi has brought back with her to the Preservers.. Interesting development.  
It's all in your datapadd."

"Just doing my job, Ensign.." Boothby grumbled.

"And a mighty fine one at that.." Kim shot back,  
"But I am a bridge officer. I am not given to indiscretions about anything.. Don't let the lack of pips up here fool you...." He jerked a hand up at his own collar.

"I stand corrected.." Boothby said. And his face winked out.

Kim's face felt heated with indignation and he barely felt Shelby's presence next to him. ::Huh.. I should've got a promotion two years ago. What do I have to do?  
Save fifty people's lives to get one?::

Kim was bitter. His career was all he had left now that his grandmother was dead. Libby was supportative as ever but his ardor for her was somehow.. dulled.

Sure enough.. Kim had to make something of himself career wise before he'd ever settle down. Ironically,  
his stranding with Voyager had done little to advance his experience in the eyes of Starfleet Command.

::Well, I am going to change all that.. Geordi LaForge and I are going to be integral to this mission. We are going to solve problems even before they happen for the away teams.::

By the time Kim had brought Shelby to the cargobay, his demeanor of down to business matched her own. He didn't say anything when her mouth flopped open at the sight of the massive Primary holding the active Iconian door in its claws showing the past. ::Got you Iron Pants.. Bet you've never seen one of those before..8472 do kinda take your breath away..::

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Geordi LaForge had just received a flag at his engineering work station that B'Elanna Torres had read his message he had sent to her.  
::That was fast. I guess she is feeling better. Must be that amazing Klingon constitution.::

He queried his mail files but she had sent nothing in reply.. ::Hmm... :: he thought. ::Must be some trouble at the inn.. Most likely, her husband caught wind of her under the weather and is reacting to it. No doubt Torres will comm me when she is ready.

LaForge kept tabs on Harry Kim and that ensign's where abouts through Boothby. ::I need his latest scans of the Iconian door that counselor Troi received when she had gone through it... Neither of the ships sensors are discerning enough..::

He flipped a hand to his combadge. =^=LaForge to Kim. Respond please. I'm ready to analyze that data..=^=

Ensign Kim looked up from his place near the two captains. He saw Janeway and Picard look up at his call but he nodded to the captains and moved away a bit so he wouldn't disturb their away mission planning.  
=^= Ensign Kim here. Yes. I have the data.=^= he said holding up the counselor's tricorder. =^= She sort of dropped it when Tasha appeared..=^=

Geordi's voice was hardened, "Ensign, that's not very dmned funny. Tasha was a good friend of mine."

Kim was aghast.. =^= Oh! Maybe you didn't know.. Q's here and he...well...sort of...brought her and a Commander Jadzia back from ...their.....deaths. They're both truly real and alive sir.. I am sorry if I startled you..=^=

::Yar? :: Geordi suffered flashbacks of Data reciting her eulogy at Tasha's funeral on the holodeck. "Uh, that's ok,  
I should have known with Q around. Let me know how everyone is.. I am stuck here in Engineering for a while longer.  
How about beaming me the counselor's tricorder?"

Kim replied, =^=All right. Beaming this to the main engineering console in front of you..=^=

Geordi saw the device sparkled into life in front of him. It was pitted and scarred from its trip with Deanna through time but its datacore was still fully powered and intact.. ::Thank heaven for small mercys.::

Geordi got to work studying the emission readings the tricorder had captured moving through the doorway. He linked his terminal to B'Elanna's on Voyager's bridge so she'd know what he was up to when she returned to her station there.  
::No doubt these scans will pop out a theory or two between the three of us to clear up that through time communications fuzzing. I don't think Q is going to uphold his end of the bargain.::

-  
(attachments)

Image: Geordi with his feet up in the shuttle.

Image : Harry playing his clarinet.

*  
From: "Clairissa Fox" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] They are here by queue now Date: Wed, 16 May 2001 18:36:27 -0000

I went over to Auntie Kathy and Captain Pikard to look at the key there in ther hands.

You say I was right? I was only gessing. Are we going to go back there and get the little girl from her pod? I know we all want to be friends with her. I wuldnt want the purple monster to be mad at all of us.

Chakoty! Chakoty! Hurry up with those away teams! I want to go over there to the cave and go see her. But we have to dig her out to.

Primeery! Primeery! Do you want us to use this key to get your little queenie out? Then I saw three new peopl come to the ship.

Queue snapped his hand and then a yellow hair woman in yello and black was there. I saw Deana Troy start to cry. Did she know this new one.  
I saw Pikard stop talking and he to went to Yarr's side. Then I heard what they all said. That Yar had been dead for a long time.

I didnt get scared becaus she wasnt even smelly.

But I did stay away becaus she lookd very mad at Queue. I dont know why she did. If I were dead and someone made me alive again. I would be very happy.

Then I saw Queue tell Auntie Kathy that he was bringing Dax back. I remember her. She was the one who kept me safe when we were floting from the nexis to Voyager just before we got home. I went over to her

Dax! Dax! Are you ok? Did queue give you back your belly friend? I know you had a cloud person from deep space nine in there before. Dont worry. My captain and the other one will help you figure out where you are now. Dont be scared.

Then I looked for Kirky. He wasnt in the room! He had left with Mr. Pairs father to somewhere else. I wonder where they were going.

I saw that Auntie Kathy didnt see that yet so I told her.

Auntie Kathy! Aunty Kathy! Captain Kirky and Mr. Pairs dad isnt here any more. Did they have to go on another mission? I thougt we all were going on the one to Dinosaurland.

But then I saw Harry. I went over to him and saw that he was talking to another enginear over his pin. I waited until he was done and then I ran over and took his hand. Harry! Harry! Who is that new lady with the red hair? Is she the one who saved Captain Pikard from being a robotman?

I learnd that the new lady was called Shelbee and that she workd for admerals!

Belanna and Tom Pairs were yelling again and the hollow doctor was right there. I think they were talking about how the baby was making Belanna sick and that she was hiding it. Why did she do that? If you were sick, a doctor would make you feel better right away. And Voyagers doctor was a very good one to be helped by.

Then I watched as everybody went over the information we needed to go into the glowing door again.

I went over to the Primeery and asked him a few things.

Primeery! primeery! Are the robots on the cube going to leave us alone so you can get out the little girl?

Yes. He said to me.

Then I rememberd. Queue would keep those meanies away until we were done. But then I thought of mummy who was still standing by the railing.

She hadnt talked or moved in a long time and 7 didnt either. I wondered if they were scared.

Mummy! mummy! Dont worry. We have three starship captains now to help out with this doorway. I know Kirky isnt here but he might be trying to get back home again. I know I would if I were taken to a new place I didnt know.

7! 7! Why arent you saying anything? I miss you helping the ship.

Then I went back to Queue.

Queue! You are a big bully. You know that? All you do is scare us and bring back friends we said goodbye to. What do you really want? So keep your promis to us and fix the talking machine in the doorway like you said you wuld do.

I saw Queue stand up and look me right in the eyes.

-  
(attachment)

Image : Naomi with a camera imager.

***************************************

From: "Cory Anda" Subject: Order into chaos Date: Wed, 16 May 2001 21:05:29 -0000

Tandem writing between ",killashandrarey and " via email tennis all through last week.

MAIN characters we used :

Tom Paris Deanna Troi Q Chakotay

Freeuse for everyone characters :

The EMH Boothby Primary Tuvok Molly

Tom Paris's feet didn't even hit the floor when he saw his wife enter the cargobay. The EMH's objections became the furthest thing from his mind and he was at her side even before anyone else knew Torres had arrived.

"Just what possessed you to disappear like that, B'Elanna? I had to hear it from the EMH that you were losing lunch alone in our quarters..." His statement held no sting. He kissed her head and held her in a brief hug with one hand protectively over her pregnant belly. ::And I probably moved h%ll and highwater getting more information about you too.:: he decided. He felt vaguely guilty about rounding on the doc.

"I hope you'll forgive me, doc. I'm just not used to this over protective father thing.."

"Noted, Mr. Paris.." the EMH grinned, putting away his bioprobe he had used to check out mother and child. "Although I'll say, any tension between the two of you will reflect on your daughter..so please.. for the sake of all of our sanities. Keep in touch with each other constantly.. We'll all be able to go about our duties a lot easier that way.."

Tom waxed sheepish.. "Aye, aye doc. You can count on it. I didn't like finding out something was wrong any more than you did from me." he chuckled.

"Apology accepted.." the doctor nodded, grinning like a doting grand father figure. "The baby's fine. And so's B'Elanna. Her nausea was just brought about by Voyager's last manuevers to get near the pyramid for this meeting of ours.." he said indicating the cargobay with a broad sweep of his arm. "History in the making.." and then the EMH's eye fell on Shelby, Yar and Dax.."Or history in the REmaking... I should say."

Tom Paris looked up from his embrace of his wife and saw Nicholas Locarno, looking very standoffish toward anyone in a position of authority. He kissed B'Elanna once more on top of her head and tapped hers and his combadges before addressing the computer. =^=Computer..rig a continous com lock on Torres and myself. Beginning now. Implement.=^=

##Com tie in established.## the computer announced.

Tom didn't fail to see B'Elanna rolling her eyes at that one. She sighed and went to work getting the new information being learned about the Iconian doorway. He pointed out to her that Deanna's tricorder had already been beamed to Geordi LaForge on the Enterprise. "LaForge's got her data already. I guess Harry beat you to it.. He's got something to prove here. I guess it's those lack of pips weighing heavily.." and he laughed. He whispered into her ear. "I've got a bit of me to visit next, I think.. back in a bit."

Tom Paris casually sauntered over to Nick Locarno and stood by his side while both men studied the flickering Iconian doorway on the lower deck below them. Tom broke the silence,.."Going defensive against Picard and everyone here will backfire you know.. They don't know you from Adam so of course they're going to check you out. Janeway did that to me seven years ago. She saw me at my worst.. Locked in a penal colony on New Zealand Island, recalibrating solar coils.. She knew I was a convicted criminal.. but still.. she came to ME. Asked ME to be Voyager's pilot.. But the first one to accept me truly for who I am was little old Ensign Harry Kim over there. The rest of the crew? I had to earn their respect. Even had a little skin taken out of my hide once or twice. Right where it hurts the most.. " he pointed to his rank pins.

Tom studied Chakotay and Picard coordinating details for the away mission.. Already piles of excavating equipement had been beamed near the doorway.. The Primary simply waited for its human counterparts to finish their arranging.

Tom went on, talking lightly to Nick, "Hell, I had problems with everybody back on Earth and ended up in the Maquis with Chakotay over there. So did my wife for a while.. But believe me, turning rebel only means that there's that much more consequences to eat later on when the ride is over.. See that hard nosed red head over there? I know, she's a looker. But Shelby works for Starfleet Intelligence according to Tuvok. Or she used to ... I wouldn't be surprised if she were the one to disband Voyager's crew and file them off according to their worth to the Fleet. Me? I think that deal I made with Janeway will hold up. Immunity and a pardon of my sentence.. I just want to be a simply pilot on a low risk job somewhere where I can live with my wife and daughter in peace.."

He turned and looked into Locarno's suspicious eyes. "So, if you've been ..reasonably clean in your cargo business. Picard will find nothing wrong. And he doesn't check computer records. He checks cargo directly.. It's that android you have to watch out for. He's the tenacious one. A real hound once on the scent. I've been watching how he parrots his friends and studies Q. I wouldn't be surprised if Shelby uses him to assess Voyager's crew in her debriefing."

Tom smacked Nick in the chest amicably.. "If you want to keep people from snooping around your ship's cargo hold. Distract Picard and my captain will naturally follow.. I don't care about what you're hauling.. If it was anything really risky, Boothby would've sounded alarm by now... Your secrets safe with me. But here's a little advice... Be more helpful at least in appearances and then the heat will cool off... Know what I mean? You've got a friend here. Simply because.. at one time... I was once you.."

Tom Paris moved away before Locarno could feel uncomfortable and back to his wife's side as she ran her scans through Geordi's link from the Enterprise. He smiled at Harry's chagrin when he visibled shivered at the sight of Shelby looking at what he was doing but he carefully afforded Locarno the discreetness he seemed to desire but not drawing attention to him.

His instincts already told him that this Nick Locarno was no threat to Voyager's safety or to the crew on it. ::A good thing considering my unborn daughter's one of that number.::

-----------------------------------

Deanna stood stock still. Her mind slamming down around her. She closed her eyes. Not believing Q's cruel reality. But, Tasha Yar's warm pattern filled her empathetic sense in agonizingly familiar waves... ::Tasha?..:: A vision filled her memory of being trapped on the shuttle, feeling Armus's malevolence as she lay among the shuttle's dead while she played a deadly game of life and death with the entity. She had felt Tasha's life get snuffed out by Armus as if her heart were part of her going. But now..

::I did not feel her come back..:: She looked at Q in shock and the figure merely smiled back smugly, indicating Yar and Dax in a pleased fashion before leaning back against the wall and folding his arms.

Numbly, Deanna didn't even see Harry Kim pick up the tricorder she had dropped a minute ago and whisk it off to another part of the cargobay. She was still in a fog.

Then Tasha Yar spoke. Her emotions brightly alive in Deanna's mind,.. "Counsellor?" she murmers, not sure of anything at the moment. "I thought you were on the..." She trails off, then turns back to Q, glaring at him. "What did you just do?" she asks slowly, restraining herself from hitting him again.

Boothby spoke while he recalibrated his own sensors to accomodate the two new arrivals of Dax and Yar. "I'm afraid that he decided to play around with fate again...." the gardner grumbled. "He ended your mutual demises in one of his usual sick omnipotent twists again. We don't know why yet.." he told the two women.

Q simply ignored Yar's physical threat as easily as he avoided her first swing. "Oh come now you poor excuse for a typewriter.. "  
he said to Boothby.  
"Surely you mortals can see what being magnaminous means. I am simply here to see how Voyager fares while being back home. The continuum very much wants to see how others of your kind treat lost ship crews once their usefulness is at an end..." he turned to Deanna, still standing shocked and numb. "Oh, counselor Troi, don't just stand there.. Go give your bestest friend a big hug..."

And he snapped his fingers..

Deanna found herself embracing Yar, feeling her return the hug confusedly. She pulled away long enough to really see the life returned in those blue eyes before her own filled with tears of happiness. "Tasha.. You're alive... Truly alive..." She cried hugging her tightly.. "When Data finds out...."

She then saw Data making his way down to Tasha. And watching as Yar puzzled over the strange emotion registering in his face.

?????? Yar thought.

Deanna simply laughed, wiping away her tears, taking hold of one of Tasha's hands. "You've...you've been away for a long time.. We've missed you.. A lot has happened to us.." She sighed. "I've so much to tell you..."

But then, Tasha saw the huge 8472 looming above them and drew out her phaser, crouching into a protective stance.

The Primary whispered into her mind, ##I am one of you fiery battler. Set your teeth aside. Your home and mine are at peace placings..##

Q laughed, "Once a security officer, always a security officer. Worf would be pleased with this one.."

Deanna didn't have the heart to criticize Q. She was still reeling from the impossible becoming reality. She hoped Picard had a more level head concerning all of this.

----------------------------------

Chakotay turned from Picard after they had finished debriefing their two mutual away teams about what was to occur through the Iconian doorway when Q performed his reanimation stunt. A small part of him shuddered. ::No.. This is profaning the afterlife they must have come from.::

He shouted aloud. "Q! This is unnatural. It'll upset the natural order of things.." he cried. He saw Janeway look up sharply at that, with her just becoming aware that Q truly carried out his horrid threat.

Q simply shrugged, "My dear man, How very wilderness of you. Haven't you realized that I ALWAYS upset the natural order of things? I AM that order. And here all I did was reunite two dear old friends who had that friendship taken painfully away from them by an entity even blacker then myself.. Yes.. Armus's the brute..not I? As for Dax here... I just undid a little of the evil the Pai Wraiths committed by killing her."

Chakotay spoke,.. "Tasha Yar.. Stand down." he said quietly. "All is not as it seems. Captain Picard stands with me on this one. I'll help you understand everything momentarily."

Picard motioned to his Enterprise away team to put away their phasers they had drawn when Tasha had. He went over to Yar and took away her weapon while she absorbed the sudden change from the place she had been to the place she was now.

Jean Luc gripped Tasha's hand briefly in a nonverbal message to wait.

Chakotay then announced, "Away teams, You have your orders. Once Ensign Kim, B'Elanna Torres and Engineer LaForge solve that communications static through the doorway, we'll head out. The Primary is an ally. Consider this an archaelogical away detail with a possible rescue mission of that hybrid child trapped in the debris on the other side. We are to assist it in any way possible. Stand by on Captain Janeway's order to move out."

He saw Captain Janeway nod her agreement to his decision.

Then Commander Chakotay heard Tuvok hail him. "An interesting development has arisen. I've just had a request from Admiral Kirk and Admiral Paris to report to a newly commissioned USS Justice at Starbase McKinnley Station. And... I've heard a one Montgomery Scott has been requested to board her as well.. What are your orders?"

Chakotay couldn't contain his rage. He waved Janeway over to hear his reply. "I can't believe Admiral Paris would pull an officer off the bridge he's been officially ordered to man. Captain Janeway gave you a direct order so Commander, the bridge is still yours. Voyager hasn't been officially debriefed or officially decommissioned so ignore all queries not authenticated through defcon parameters from the admiral until you hear from me.. Is that clear? Only admiral Komach has the authority to disband this crew during a yellow alert. There are Borg here. They could have easily faked that transmission. Just like they are trying to fake out Seven into betraying us through her Borg Collective interface."

"Perfectly clear. Tuvok, out."

Chakotay turned to Captain Janeway, "Just what is going on here? We've Borg at our doorstep and a potential first contact with a child who's met the Preservers and now Starfleet is asking crucial Voyager personnel to another assignment? I don't like this, Kathryn.. Not one bit. "

The EMH made his way over to Chakotay when he had finished. "Has a way been found out for me to accompany you to the excavation site?"

"Not yet, doctor. We don't know if your holoemitter can survive a time travel transferrence on the scale that--"

Q was suddenly at their elbow.. "He can. " then Q acted like he just remembered something.."Oh,.. how very thoughtless of me.. I did say I'd "patch" things through now didn't I once I had a name. Good Gallifreyans.. I've had two now.. That calls for a bonus even...."

He snapped his fingers. "Hey visorhead. " He comm'd Geordi. "Link yours and little Harry's boards here to a covalent tertiary time space interval of 5.6 microdynes and boost the analog powerstream in your Chamber's coil to .056 wavelength resonance on the subspace frequency scale. I'm sure even preggers turtlehead can work with that hint.."

He turned back to Janeway, Chakotay, Picard, Yar and the others. "There. My end of the bargain. Nothing but clear comming no matter how far you go back in time my dear crewlets.." he said excitedly. "Now get cracking."

Chakotay held back Deanna and Picard held back Yar and they retreated away from Q wisely.

"Thankyou.." Boothby said mechanically to Q.

"Put a sock in it.." Q told him, and suddenly, Boothby was spitting on a computerized one in his computer mouth. "Oh yes.. One more thing."

Another flash of light and Janeway's holodog, Molly was there. She ran up to Naomi and began licking her face. "A new and improved holomutt my dear captains. Can scent Iconian and Preserver artifacts and lifesigns through kilometers of planetary dirt and ash. Can slay dinosaurs like a true St. George.." he added whispered confidentially to the little girl.. "Has resistence to Borg nanoprobes and nothing short of a starship's phasers can stop her. Kathy, you're going to need a bloodhound. I'm afraid your tricorders are woefully under the task of seeing around the residual Borg radiation still in the Canyon where you're going.. Molly dear's no longer a holo construct. She's better than that."

"Arph!!" Molly agreed.

Q patted her ears affectionately before he shooed her away.. "Go mind Auntie Kathy now, Molly. And anyone else who needs you too. We've a long haul ahead of us."

Q eyed Shelby, "And I wasn't the one who let the lion out of her den this time..."

Janeway and Chakotay got an uneasy feeling. ::Do all good things fade away that easily?:: Janeway thought. ::My ship feels like it's no longer mine..::

Then Kathryn noticed Admiral Paris and Admiral Kirk were gone without their acknowledging their departures to her first.

Her uneasiness spread to her first officer and he sighed in frustration. "What's next Captain? Do we go ahead with the mission into the past or do we wait to see what Starfleet thinks? I see they've sent an envoy to us already. Commander Shelby of Wolf 359 fame is standing right over there looking at us.."

-  
(attachments)

Image: Janeway scanning Chakotay with a tricorder.

Image: Troi in a greek nightgown.

Image: Q in military garb.

Image : Molly's head, the irish setter.

*  
From: "robert catrair" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] blasting to the past Date: Thu, 17 May 2001 01:54:18 -0000

As Worf was listening to the conversation in cargo bay two,  
He was scanning the location that Troi said was the place of the Hybrid child.  
He found out the information that Chakotay passed on to the captains was correct. Also he found out there was protanic plates in that area and there was presser in the location.  
Then he scanned the pod that held the child and found week bio scanned but it was alive.  
What can I do to help with this situation? As he thought to himself.  
Phazers and the right setting and with the right phased harmonic might to get the right frequency of the rift and door way.  
this might work.  
Worf transfer this Idea to a data pad and with the first information from the first simulation data he ran threw the computer.  
As Worf was starting to leave the bridge he look at Tuvok and said "permission to leave, I think I have a idea the Captains might like to hear,"As he left whit a nod from the Vulcan.  
He boarded the turbo lift and ask for the shuttlebay level.  
still looking at the data pad he put in a list of people he would like to confer with to test the idea he has. As the lift door open he walk down the corroder to the bay with the number 2 wrote on when it open he was stared at from the moment he walk in.  
Worf walk right up to the captains and spoke "here is the exact location of the hybrid person and idea on how to get to her.  
captain has he held it out to janeway to look at it.  
As Worf was waiting for the captains to give there judgment to his plan.  
He notes the little girl Naomi over by her mother hidings behind her mother,and nod at her, to try to keep her form being scared of the creature know as 8472 "prime"

(attachments)

Image : Worf promo with stars behind him.

Image : Worf and Kempec in a close up.

*  
From: Jeff Seltun Subject: [voyagerliveaction] All for a feeling Date: Wed, 16 May 2001 22:05:28 -0700 (PDT)

Data knew he had erred. Even before he uttered Tasha's name. It wasn't ...exactly disobeying a superior officer. So he told everyone out loud. "I am sorry. But there was no order beforehand to disobey, captain."

Picard stepped away from a confused Tasha and tossed her phaser to Data a little forcefully. "It's too late to split the preverbial hair Mr. Data! " He glared at the android in heavy dis-  
approval. "Semantics won't clear the issue facing us here right now."

He turned and guided a confused Yar to one side gently, away from the sight of what must be horribly frightening to Yar. ::Not many know Tasha's background being pursued by the rape gangs at her Aldetta Type Colony when she was an orphan. Her prowess may have served her from ever becoming one of their victims but the memory of being prey is still embedded deep in her psyche.  
We saw a little of that here when Yar noticed the Primary for the first time. Tasha digressed to that prey state once more, however briefly.::

Picard moved to protect her pride from utter mortification.  
He spoke once more to Yar, softly,  
"I know this is confusing lieutenant.  
But you're going to have to trust me on this one. Q here, ressurrected you fourteen years after your own unnatural death at Armus's hands. It is 14 years from where you remember being moments ago."

Yar shook her head.

Data said aloud, "It is true, Tasha.  
We were all there and saw you go."

Picard held up a hand silencing the android. "What is important is that you are not alone and that you are now here, among friends, including our 8472 guest from the future."

He led Yar over to one of Boothby's screens and showed her an abbreviated version of where they all were. Outside of Earth, facing the Borg Cube, on an advanced ship, to Yar, called Voyager.  
Having the mettle she had, Picard was relieved to see her bounce back from her earlier vulnerability faster than he could have hoped. He left her to question Boothby as to their current situation.

Data went to Tasha's side briefly and held out his hand. The emotion on his face was very plain. It startled the blond woman with the young face. She looked at him with wonder.. "Data.."  
feeling uncomfortable with the identifiable expression she could see on his pale features.

He pulled back his hand self consciously.

Data's lips curled into a light smile touched with a sad edge that was rapidly fading.  
"Yes, Tasha. I have emotions. Dr. Soong,  
my creator left me the technology before he died when my brother Lore visited the home lab and killed him." He didn't look away from his friend's eyes. "It is good to see you.." he said at last. He held out a hand, lightly brushing her sleeve before he turned and went back to the upper deck above the main cargobay floor. "I have to get back to work."

Picard suggested one thing to Yar who was just registering the fact that Deanna was looking somehow older and that Q was not. "Stay with the counselor until you feel up to it. Remember the Boothby consult program? He can answer any question you may have." The Enterprise captain did not feel that the riddle of Q had any answers and his look to the entity addressed it.

He motioned for Jadzia Dax to join Yar by the work station where Boothby manifested.  
He released the Trill's hand only when she was safely away from the area of activity below.  
"Primary, I do hope you forgive the actions of my security team. Tasha was..is one of the best security heads a captain could wish for."

##None offensive taken Leaderman. Arising from the Black would cause thinkings survival,  
no? When are you to go to here by the Child#  
The tall 8472 inquired in all of their heads.

Picard saw Yar wince at the telepathy but Dax was calm. ::OF course.. She's lived lifetimes with the symbiont Dax inside of her. Not much would surprise her anymore.:: He wordlessly requested that Deanna stay nearby Tasha to steady her nerves until she accepted orientation.

Then he turned back to Commander Chakotay.  
Confirming with the Native looking first officer of their mutual away teams readiness. "In about ten of our minutes. "Picard answered the Primary. "We must await the Commander of this vessel's final order before we proceed.  
All must be prepared carefully or we may harm the Child through use of improper equipment."

Data agreed wholeheartedly, "Crustal sandstone common to that time period in the area is notorious for last minute cave ins. Poor assessment could harm the away teams."

Q's look at that statement suggested the thought, ::Not while I'm around:  
"Oh ye of little faith."

Picard didn't even look up from the strange Iconian artifact he held. He said allow so all could hear him, "If what Mr. Data hypothesizes is correct, and the Preservers have visited Earth a million years ago to implant the Child beneath the rigoloth. We must determine a reason why.. " He stood by Janeway and gestured, "Why then? And... why draw the Primary with his Borg Pyramid from the future to unbury her in this century? These are the questions which beg an answer. Although I don't think our resident Dr. Frankenstein would deign to solve that little mystery."

Q shook his head.

"Ah...well.." Picard smiled, "I tried."  
He turned to Chakotay, "My away team reports readiness. The Communications officer on the Enterprise says subspace channels are clear even through the Primary's time doorway. We can proceed.. Captain.." he said,... indicating Janeway, "If you will give the order..."

The Primary rumbled in agreement.  
##We must go and get the Child. Then you will see why we come. Your planetmates will not tolerate my presence and that of the Cube ancestors so near your planet of origin for much longer. The biase of this century is sure to provoke conflict from the soldier ranks of your Federation hive. I see the Kirk and the Owen leave to get more strong ones from your center place.##

Picard awaited the ginger haired Captain's response. ::Yes, we must leave for the past. Before the moment is lost forever.::

He whispered to himself. "I want to know the Preservers were here on Earth with absolute certainty."

-  
(attachments)

Image : Picard playing his Icosian flute.

Audio : P- May I ask what you were doing in Federation territory?

Image: Data's promo shot Blue background and stars.

*  
From: "Alex Delet" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Retaining Autonomy Date: Sun, 20 May 2001 21:22:41 +0100 Chakotay turned to Captain Janeway, "Just what is going on here?  
We've Borg at our doorstep and a potential first contact with a child who's met the Preservers and now Starfleet is asking crucial Voyager personnel to another assignment? I don't like this, Kathryn.. Not one bit. "  
Janeway turned away for a second, "I've never liked saying good-bye, Chakotay,"

she said, "But we knew that when we got back, there would be changes," Kathryn Janeway went back over her wildest expectations of homecoming.  
"And we are back," Janeway felt her eyes moisten.  
The Captain of Voyager started to consider everything that had happened.  
What could happen... They family that was Voyager had worked so well,  
because it had to work.... Now that this was just a famous starship,  
one of many in the Federation's Ranks.  
The Family would split apart... But Kathryn wasn't ready for that yet.  
"I'm going to contact Starfleet - nobody is going to start poaching crew,"  
she felt the inevitable back down coming, "Yet,"

Jadzia Dax stood with a Tricorder infront of the 'portal.  
"Your taking this well....." Captain Janeway had told her.  
Dax had smiled... Everybody came back to life at some point,  
Dax had done it many times.  
This was a different way to come back.  
But Jadzia had learned that it wasn't wise to live in the past.  
Dax had a history, one that could overwhelm.  
It was the here and now that mattered.  
The Trill had scanned and rescanned, desperately trying to avoid feelings for Worf , or Julian, or Ben.  
The possibility of a trick had crossed her mind.  
But if it was a trick, she had no other option.

Her uneasiness spread to her first officer and he sighed in frustration.  
"What's next Captain? Do we go ahead with the mission into the past or do we wait to see what Starfleet thinks? I see they've sent an envoy to us already. Commander Shelby of Wolf 359 fame is standing right over there looking at us.."  
"Starfleet's Envoy," Janeway mused, "Un-official"  
See Sound File

"We will combine our resources, and go back into the past," Janeway momentarily remembered her personal record on Time Travel, "It's time to find out the truth,"  
Dax stepped forward at that moment, "Permission to accompany the away team,"  
Kathryn Janeway regarded the Trill, whilst considering her options.  
They were home.  
The nagging feeling of... of actually returning home came back.  
But the Captain nodded, talking to Picard and Chakotay.  
"Ah...well.." Picard smiled, "I tried."  
He turned to Chakotay, "My away team reports readiness. The Communications officer on the Enterprise says subspace channels are clear even through the Primary's time doorway. We can proceed.. Captain.." he said,... indicating Janeway, "If you will give the order..."  
The Old Protocol of a ship Captain being senior on her ship still applied, Janeway noted. They'd been away... but Janeway had already decided that she wouldn't be retiring from the fleet.  
Voyager's Captain Nodded, "Please Proceed, Captain," she said, indicating for the away team to proceed.  
Dax waited patiently, "We do need a Science Officer," Janeway finished.  
The Others stepped forward, ready to enter the portal. An Ensign arrived with some monitoring gear... Which Janeway set up,  
"We'll monitor you from here," Janeway made it clear, that she felt it her place to remain here.  
While she waited, Janeway went back to her thoughts.  
::They'll all move on with their lives :: she thought of Paris,  
Torres... Chakotay... ::How am I going to run this ship, without the most important part....the crew :: From the sound of her old friends voice, Janeway could have guessed that Tuvok would have liked to have gone to work with Admiral Paris and Kirk.  
Chakotay had been quick to stamp on that.  
Rightfully so.  
Time Travel wouldn't be the Starfleet Idea... especially not for them to actually do it with Enterprise and Voyager Personnel, in Earth's System.  
But they'd been on their own before, and Janeway wanted to hold on, for a time,  
to Autonomy.  
Janeway let her thoughts wonder to Earth... and to Indiana.

(attachments)

Audio : J- "Let's work together. Combine our resources."

Image: Janeway near a Borg Ship Sphere.

*  
From: Fran Catrair  
Date: Mon May 21, 2001 1:29 am Subject: Ready to Go

Torres was surprised she hadn't received more of a lecture from Tom and the EMH. ::Guess they don't want to stress me or the little one.:: she thought to herself, knowing how close she was to delivery.

She thought Tom's implementing of their connecting comm badges was kind of...unusual. ::So protective:  
she thought. ::He's going to make a wonderful father.:: she finished, smiling to herself.

As Tom moved away to speak to Locarno, B'Elanna noticed Harry off to the side, working. She assumed he was working on the proposal with Engineer La Forge of the Enterprise. As she joined him, she noted the progress made so far and was pleased. ::Looks like Tom was right again. Poor Harry...he S-O-O deserves a promotion.:: she thought. He had grown the most of any of them. The callibrations looked good. There was just a slight adjustment to make. Opening her mouth to make a suggestion, Q beat her to it.

He snapped his fingers. "Hey visorhead. " He comm'd Geordi. "Link yours and little Harry's boards here to a covalent tertiary time space interval of 5.6 microdynes and boost the analog powerstream in your Chamber's coil to .056 wavelength resonance on the subspace frequency scale. I'm sure even preggers turtlehead can work with that hint.."

She bristled at the insult and would have responded in kind, when a hand on her shoulder stopped her. Tom,  
who had joined her after speaking to Locarno, was shaking his head at her, chuckling softly. She took the warning and eased up, smiling sheepishly in return. ::Boy, have I ever changed. Would have been a time I would have went over there and slugged him;  
not that it would have mattered, but I would have felt better.:: she thought. Returning her attention to the panel, she made the necessary adjustments. Looking at the Captains and Commander Chakotay, she nodded.  
"That should do it, Captain." she said, addressing her statement to Janeway. Since Janeway was still her Captain, she felt the need to address her directly.  
"I think between our two ships, we should be able to maintain this level and keep communication open between the away party in the portal, and those back here on the ships." she finished.

As she prepared herself for the away mission, both Tom and the EMH stared at her. "Just what do you think you're doing, Lieutenant?" the EMH asked her. "What do you think I'm doing?" she snapped at him. "I'm getting ready for the away mission." she finished. Tom started to say something, when the EMH silenced him with a look and a shake of the head. Tom went quiet, remembering the EMH's suggestion about arguing and its impact on the baby's health. "B'Elanna, do I need to remind you, you are due any day?" the doctor told her sternly. "You will stay here, and monitor the away team's progress from here. As chief medical officer, I am ordering you to stay here!" he finished,  
crossing his arms and glaring at her. B'Elanna was angry..and frustrated. But she knew he was right;  
especially after her recent stomach flu episode. Sighing, she addressed Captain Janeway again. "I will stay here and monitor the away team's progress here personally, if that's all right with you Captain." she finished, sighing and keeping her frustration out of her expression. "Just be careful, ok?" she whispered to Tom, abandoning her reserve and hugging him.

-------------------------------------------------------

Shelby looked at the ensign and felt slightly guilty. She knew if she was to analyze this situation and make her report, she would need to become a little friendlier. It was one of the primary rules of negotiating; get to know a situation and the people involved, then do what needed to be done. Simple.

As she mulled her options, Boothby's image appeared. Upon hearing his Beta Security command, she mentally rolled her eyes. ::Just how many briefings does Admiral Hansen think I need?:: As she finished, she noted it was items she already had gleaned earlier. Sighing, she followed the slightly grumbling ensign. Her eyes narrowed at his lack of military protocol. Soon, she noticed he was quieting, and his demeanor had changed. ::Very good. I think these Voyager people may be salvageable yet.:: she thought. In the middle of her musings, she entered the cargobay door. Looking up, she noticed an incredible sight, and that caused her to forget military protocol as well.

Commander Elizabeth Shelby had faced many species before in her negotiations. Many whom might be considered...unusual. But she had always managed to stay calm, cool and collected. However, before her stood an alien of huge size...and one who could be considered frightening. ::So, this is an 8472.:: she thought. She had read the briefings. NOTHING had prepared her for this. Mentally shaking herself, she closed her gaping mouth and assessed others around her. She noticed the mixture of crews here. She also noticed a young pilot, who looked remarkably like Admiral Paris' son. Going back in her memory, she picked up on various conversations around her and remembered Nicholas Locarno and the incident at Starfleet Academy. Such a waste of what, five cadet lives? Only Wesley Crusher had been spared, thanks in part to Captain Picard's intervention. Tucking away this information, along with intelligence she had read about his questionable business dealings, she decided to forgo that right now and concentrate on business at hand. As she watched the amusing interplay between Torres, Paris and the Doctor, she again noticed the lack of military protocol. ::This is something that should NOT be discussed in a yellow alert situation:  
she concluded. She was beginning to feel contempt for Janeway's leadership style. Her eyes narrowed regarding Chakotay, who, as the ship's first officer,  
would be in charge of discipline for the crew. She was curious to note the appearance of Jadzia Dax and a Tasha Yar. She noticed Counselor Troi's reaction.  
::This is going to be an interesting assignment.:: she thought. Stepping forward, she knew she would need to greet the Captain. "Greetings, Captain Janeway. I'm Commander Elizabeth Shelby. Welcome back. Anything I can do to help?" she said, extending her hand.

-  
(attachments)

Image : B'Elanna working.

Image : Harry and Torres in a med shot.

*animation* Command logo spinning.

*****************************************

END WEEK NINETEEN RECAP 05-20-01

(.com/group/voyagerliveaction)

WEEK TWENTY RECAP 05-21-01 ()

*  
From: "Nick Lewis" .uk Date: Mon May 21, 2001 1:43 pm Subject: Catching up to the present

Nicholas sees his resemblance walk over to him, seemingly not wanting to advertise the fact. He's not sure what the man wants,  
so remains quiet until Paris feels he can tell him.

Going defensive against Picard and everyone here will backfire you know. They don't know you from Adam so of course they're going to check you out.

Nicholas frowns, realising that some of his comments were somewhat 'inappropriate'. Fleet sticks with Fleet. Even looking from the outside he can still appreciate that.

Janeway did that to me seven years ago. She saw me at my worst.. Locked in a penal colony on New Zealand Island,  
recalibrating solar coils.. She knew I was a convicted criminal.. but still.. she came to ME. Asked ME to be Voyager's pilot.

"She seems a reasonable woman" Nicholas nods. "Not a one to pre-judge."

The first one to accept me truly for who I am though was little old Ensign Harry Kim over there.

Nicholas looks over the Asian man. Still an Ensign after seven years? There couldn't have been much room for advancement though, unless Janeway wanted a ship full of Commanders. He smiles a little at that.

The rest of the crew? I had to earn their respect. Even had a little skin taken out of my hide once or twice. Right where it hurts the most.. " he pointed to his rank pins.

"All very interesting. I'm assuming you're about to arrive at a point though?" he asks.

I had problems with everybody back on Earth and ended up in the Maquis with Chakotay over there. So did my wife for a while.. But believe me, turning rebel only means that there's that much more consequences to eat later on when the ride is over..

"Obviously!" Nicholas says, narrowing one eye at him.

See that hard nosed red head over there? I know, she's a looker. But Shelby works for Starfleet Intelligence according to Tuvok. Or she used to ... I wouldn't be surprised if she were the one to disband Voyager's crew and file them off according to their worth to the Fleet. Me? I think that deal I made with Janeway will hold up. Immunity and a pardon of my sentence.. I just want to be a simple pilot on a low risk job somewhere where I can live with my wife and daughter in peace.."

"Don't you believe it" Nicholas tells him. "You're all heroes y'know. Wouldn't surprise me if Starfleet asked you to accept another commission." Inwardly he wonders where Paris is going with this and is getting a little restless to boot.

Tom smacked Nick in the chest amicably.. "If you want to keep people from snooping around your ship's cargo hold.  
Distract Picard and my captain will naturally follow.. I don't care about what you're hauling.. If it was anything really risky, Boothby would've sounded alarm by now... Your secret's safe with me. But here's a little advice... Be more helpful, at least in appearances and then the heat will cool off... Know what I mean? You've got a friend here. Simply because.. at one time... I was once you.."

Nicholas would lay money that Tom Paris hadn't had as 'colourful'  
a career as he has over the years. At least none of it came under the jurisdiction of the UFP, although the Klingons were still a mite sore over the Kalinkos incident. He senses that Paris is genuine enough in his support though.

"Thanks" Nicholas tells him. "I've got no cargo in there even worth hiding though" *At least not now* he muses. Truth is he's troubled about that last delivery he made. He always made sure he knew what he was carrying whether Jevin approved or not. But this wasn't one of the usual rackets. His eyes had nearly bugged out at the cache of weapons, charges and detonators. It brought up a pile of questions Nicholas is not sure he wants the answers to.

"I'm afraid that he decided to play around with fate again...."  
the gardner grumbled. "He ended your mutual demises in one of his usual sick omnipotent twists again. We don't know why yet.." he told the two women.

"Demise?" Tasha protests and looks around at everyone. "Why does everyone think I'm dead? I'm not dead!"

"Tasha.. You're alive... Truly alive..." She cried hugging her tightly.. "When Data finds out...."

Tasha hesitantly returns the hug. "It's okay Counsellor, I'm okay." She looks at her crewmate and sees for the first time signs of aging. Deanna isn't even 30 but by the looks of her is fast approaching 40.

Deanna simply laughed, wiping away her tears, taking hold of one of Tasha's hands. "You've...you've been away for a long time.. We've missed you.. A lot has happened to us.." She sighed. "I've so much to tell you..."

Tasha feels overwhelmed but tries to make sense of this discontinuity in her head. As she looks around, she sees everyone she remembers looking older, except Captain Picard and Data who look much the same as always. There's also the unusual uniform, a two piece rather than a bodysuit and more dull with only the splash of colour around the neck offsetting the black and grey yolk. "I'm... I'm in the future aren't I" she murmers.

Then for the first time she sees the overshadowing presense of the 8472. How she can have missed it before can only be down to her temporary disorientation. On instinct she draws her phaser at the beast.

The Primary whispered into her mind, ##I am one of you fiery battler. Set your teeth aside. Your home and mine are at peace placings..##

She realises no-one else has weapons drawn and lowers her somewhat embarassed.

Q laughed, "Once a security officer, always a security officer.  
Worf would be pleased with this one.."

*Worf.* Tasha wonders where the big Klingon is. He was always rather too serious for her tastes but has always been a more than capable junior officer. Or is he now? Just how far in the future is she?

Captain Picard looks grim and argues with Q. Then the tall man with the tatoo on his face walks over to her and promises to fill her in on the gaps later. "Thank you, Commander" she says,  
hardly missing a beat as she glances at the pips on his uniform,  
"that would be useful."

Captain Picard also walks over to her and puts his hand out for her weapon. Tasha is hesitant but obeys.

"I know this is confusing lieutenant. But you're going to have to trust me on this one. Q here has ressurrected you,  
fourteen years after your own unnatural death at Armus's hands. It is 14 years from where you remember being moments ago."

*14 years???* her mind screams. No wonder everyone looks older.  
Then Picard's full speech hits her. She died, that stupid tar monster killed her. The blackness - she thought it was just shock, unconsciousness starting to claim her, but if this is true... it must have been her last moments of life.

Data confirms what the Captain has said, not that she really doubted him, but this is all too weird. The Captain guides her over to a screen where she sees their situation. Having no knowledge of the Borg, she is shocked at the Captain's descriptions of what they can and have done.

As Data also approaches, Tasha is surprised to see emotion on his face rather than the calm analytical expression he always more.

Data's lips curled into a light smile touched with a sad edge that was rapidly fading. "Yes, Tasha. I have emotions. Dr.  
Soong, my creator left me the technology before he died when my brother Lore visited the home lab and killed him."

Lore, that son of a b*tch! "I'm sorry to hear that Data."

He didn't look away from his friend's eyes. "It is good to see you.." he said at last. He held out a hand, lightly brushing her sleeve before he turned and went back to the upper deck above the main cargobay floor. "I have to get back to work."

She smiles at the android. She always had a soft spot for him.  
*Oh god!* She remembers the holographic recording she made,  
should she ever die in the line of duty. Had the crew all seen that? She feels more self-conscious than ever, knowing that she laid it all on the line with that recording, how she felt about everyone. Not being one to readily open up in everyday life, she figured it couldn't embarass her once she was dust. Obviously she thought wrong.

"Stay with the counselor until you feel up to it. Remember the Boothby consult program?"

Tasha thinks back. "I vaguely remember being briefed about it when we first came on board. Is it active now?"

"Indeed it is. He can answer any question you may have."

*That puts the Commander out of a job then.* She sees the Captain motion the trill woman over. "Surprisingly lively for a corpse aren't you" she jokes with a little black humour. She's not sure whether it's appropriate, but what the hell. She's just come back from the dead for all intents and purposes, she's probably entitled to a little leeway.

"At least my uniform is still current" Jadzia counters, smiling back at her.

*Walked right into that one* Tasha thinks.

"Hello ladies" a voice comes from behind them.

It's the blonde guy in the jacket Tasha noticed earlier. She just stares at him. "And you are?"

"Oh, sorry" he holds out a hand, "Nicholas Locarno at your service. I'm Captain of the beauty that's currently docked with Voyager."

"Oh, so that rust heap is yours" Tasha says, bringing up the information on the console in front of her.

Nicholas puts on a mock affront. "You wound me with your words."  
But grins nevertheless. "It's actually getting a tune-up from the resident engineering team. It might be a rust heap but it's got through more scrapes than I care to mention. I'm kinda attached to the ol' gal."

"I have to say" he continues, "I've seen dead people before, but not ones that continue to walk and talk."

"Too late, we've already done that one" Tasha smirks.

"Ah! Well you both still look pretty amazing regardless."

Tasha chuckles. If there was one way to lighten up the tenseness of the situation... "I've heard about you civilian flyboys.  
Think you can charm the birds off the trees don't you."

"My interest isn't in birds" he smiles. "But seriously, if I can help, I'm willing and able. Starfleet seems tied up with other problems at the moment. Let's just call it my good deed for the day."

"Okay" Tasha says slowly. "How about you and...?" She fishes for the Trill woman's name.

"Dax. Jadzia Dax" she responds.

"How about you and Lt Dax help me bring the events of the last 14 years to life. I know official records will only be able to tell me so much."

Nicholas shrugs. "My pleasure."

And all three start discussing the past......

*  
From: "Cassidy Meyers" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] On the verge of passing.  
Date: Fri, 25 May 2001 08:22:52 +0400

Deanna felt Yar stiffen at her welcoming embrace.  
::Hmm. I would be out of whack too in Tasha's case. I think I'll give her some distance to get used to the idea of living again.:: she shook her head ruefully, watching as her friend moved over to Nick Locarno to chat.

Then Troi saw Captain Janeway, Chakotay and Captain Picard's mood shift imperceptibly. She knew even before Captain Janeway said anything that it was time.

##Primary.## Deanna spoke into its mind so all near him could "hear" as well in telepathy. My commanders have signalled readiness. We are at your disposal. Most everyone here in the cargobay with the exception of Captain Janeway, "the leader woman." will be leaving to come with you to get the Hybrid Child excised safely.##

##That is good.## the Primary said, shifting its huge weight on its claws. ##There is much to be done. The scaley warrior has found the place of her resting, ## the creature said of Worf. ##Now, we can go. But the earth is weak, gentle one. We must tread lightly under it.##

"I'll pass that along." the counselor reasoned to the 8472.

Deanna moved until she was nearing the Captains. She noticed that Kirk and Admiral Paris had gone. ::I wonder where they are.  
Hmm.. No doubt to get a ship for James Kirk. He is best as a captain of his own vessel.::

Q raised an eyebrow at that thought. Deanna seethed, ::Get out of my mind, Q. Haven't you done enough? Yar and Dax returned to a time and place not of their choosing.. If you insist on sticking your omnipotent snout where it doesn't belong.. Try getting rid of that Borg Cube up there hounding you. Even though you are holding them at bay, their sensors are recording everything around them in this sector and around Earth.. That intelligence they're gathering could put us precious humans into a future that may not make us so much fun to play with if we are wiped out as a result of a war with the Borg.::

Deanna watched with satisfaction as the smug expression on Q's face fell and he really listened to what she had been saying. She turned away before seeing what Q's response would be to that.

Deanna tapped her combadge, =^=Troi to Captains Picard and Janeway. The Primary is ready to convey us back to the Grand Canyon site. He asks that Commander Worf accompany us. I am ready to proceed as well as is Lt. Dax.=^=

Troi saw Picard nod at her and she took up a field pack and stood by the others facing the Iconian Portal. ::Let's get this show on the road. Feels like forever since I have last been there.::

But a quick glance at her chronometer showed that only ten minutes had elapsed since Deanna had returned to Voyager from the past.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Seven on Nine entered the Cargobay and barely noticed a civilian human gawking at her. She already knew the man from Captain Janeway's briefing to her alcove. The EMH was near her in an instant scanning her head. ::Nicholas Locarno, a one time racketeerer of arms and cargo. And quite the ladies man according to Mr. Paris:  
She concluded watching Tom thumbs up Nick's attempt to get closer to Yar and Dax's sides without physically touching them in the process.

"Are you still feeling the effects of the Cube Borg trying to coerce you?" he asked urgently.

"I am not." Seven reassured the hologram. "My regeneration cycle has strengthened my ability to tune them out."

"Thank heavens." the doctor said, "I wouldn't have wanted to intern you in sickbay just for a few voices in your head."

Seven attempted a small smile for his benefit. "There are no ravens flying around us if that's what you mean.."

"HHm.. just so, Seven. Just so. Ahhh,.. Captain Janeway has just authorized the mission to begin." the doc offered.

"Thankyou. I shall join the away team."

Seven of Nine took up a pack and stood by the others of Picard's and Voyager's teams by the Iconian portal. She tried to hide the apprehension present in her body. ::Something about this mission frightens me, and I don't know why..::

%%Seven of Nine, Tertiary Adjunct Unimatrix Zero Zero One.  
Resistance is Futile. You will return to the Collective. Listen to us. Feel the connection. Your life with the humans is irrelevant.  
Freedom of choice is irrelevant. Report to Node Beta 259.%%

Seven shuddered as the link from the Cube suddenly grew stronger. ::No!:: she shouted mentally. ::I will not comply!  
I am more than what I was. I am an individual...::

Then Q was there by her side, catching her elbow as the EMH did not. Seven told him, "Silence the Borg. Now! Or I will not be of any use to Captain Janeway..."

Then it seemed others in the bay noticed Seven's sudden distress.

-  
(attachments)

Image : Seven and Janeway talking in front of a large astrometric display.

Audio : Borg voices: A Borg proximity signal has been detected. Origin: unimatrix 325: Grid zero zero six.  
Alter course to intercept.

Image: Deanna Troi with Worf by a console.

*  
From: "patti keiper" Subject: The nature of bullies.  
Date: Sat, 26 May 2001 06:33:24 -0000

Q studied the humans around him with a delicious feeling of smugness. ::How banal. How insidiously predictable. Even Jean Luc, this time. Must I hold their hands every second?::

"Gentleman... Gentleman.. How inefficient.. What's more crucial to the place and time now than through there..." he said to Chakotay, and Captain Picard, who were still drilling the two away teams as to their assignments once the crossover had been made. Q pointed three arms toward the glowing door by the counselor and the Primary. "Stop prattling over useless ethics of whether or not death has absolute sway over these two lovelies.." he said bowing slightly and kissing Dax's hand. Jadzia merely smiled sardonically.

Yar, never even let Q touch her, both eyes glaring with emotion that was almost unidentifiable.

Q just chuckled, ducking his curly head, "Oh come come Tasha darling. What's with this self righteous air? You've only just exited your final curtain call. Thanks to little ol me..... I've done far more for this crew of Kathy's then you can hardly imagine. Nexus twisting here.. a little.. quantum tugging there.... Heheh heh."

Yar didn't change her stance at all.

"Oh bother.. You'll come around sooner or later. I say.. what's on the other side of that gateway is a mite more interesting than mere life after death imaginings..." Q fussed. "Here.." He materialized yellow rosebuds on long stems for the Enterprise security officer already in the grip of her right hand. "Sweet blooms for the sweet.. I'd say far better than the white lilies that Data placed on your casket at your funeral proceedings.."

Q was heartened to see the expression finally wax into one of a mild rattling on all three of Picard, Yar and Data's faces. Q threw out his arms dramatically. "Let me not detain you dear intrepid explorers!! A mystery awaits.. Here, let me prove my sincerity as my reanimating did not, by playing the forward scout on your quaint co-joined away mission."

Q promptly winked out.

------------------------------------------------

Q appeared one million years into the past in the very place where Deanna Troi's boots had trod in front of the cavelike buried entrance into the mountain inside the ancient Borg crater humans would later christen the Grand Canyon. ::Let's see what we have here....::

Q snapped his fingers a second time. He was inside a very small space and the air smelled of.. ::Cilantro??:: he thought ironically. ::Maybe the Preservers like Mexican.. :  
It was ovoid and green, inside where he was, and the sound of a subtle hum filled his omnipotent ears. "What have we found now..hmmm?..." he said aloud. "A life stasis pod.. Of the highest order no doubt.. " He leaned over, stroked one glistening moist wall with a finger and sniffed.. "Eeeooww... The Preservers certainly aren't preserving very well now are they..? They missed a spot."

Another finger snap. And the once crystalline walls were just that once more. Opalescent and glowing with an inner light around the chrysalis. Q's eyes adjusted to the warming light he had created. "Ahh... there the little darling lies.."

About a meter away, folded into a fetal ball, was a small form nestled in a lattice of life support webbing flashing in blue and red lights. "The one everyone wants to get to.." Q finished the thought. "Now why is this hybrid child so valuable to both the insectoid heads and the droneboys? This female is just...."

Right then, silverwhite bars of fire shot down around Q as he reached to stroke the butterscotch hair of the child in suspended animation in front of him. They ringed around Q as they fell, trapping him within. "Oh, for.. heaven's sake.." he sighed and snapped his fingers..

Nothing happened.

Q snapped the fingers on his other hand.

Again.. Nothing.

Then an automated voice in Preserver drawl lanced out of the speaker system above Q's head. "This pod is wired to defend against omnipotent ability in any lifeform such as telekinesis, transmographication or temporal imbalance. We appreciate your restraint against such rude uses of galatic power reserves.. Have a nice day.. An attendent will be along in two point four millenia to release you out of detention."

Q's jaw dropped a foot. And his hands dropped even farther. "Ack!! ack!!" was all he said. In his mind's eye. He played out exactly how far he was beneath the mountain buried alive in the Child's Pod and just how long it might take for the human away teams to extricate him. ::Providing Microbrain himself figured things out right.:: he thought of Worf's coordinates he half recalled seeing on Janeway's datapadd. "There must be hundreds of kilometers of dirt and stone between me and Troi's bootprints.."

Before him, the tiny Hybrid 8472/Borg Queen slept on, tucked in her flashing net of light with quiet breathy sighs, her sleep still deep within dreams.

Q sat down on the flat surface beneath him that pointed his rear gravitywards and took up a yoga pose.. "There is no entrapment save that of the body.. OOhhhmmmmm."

But inwardly, Q began to worry about the shaky nature of possible deliverance by the humans. ::Just how far can I trust them to get me out of this god forsaken cocoon of coma-ing childhood? I think I should've raised the dead relatives of every Starfleet crew member in that cargobay. It's the only way I'll EVER win their affection enough to dig me out of this mess..:: Q grumbled.

Q's inital burst of Q-ness power that lit the walls began to fade under the cleansing wash of the security bars hemming Q in. Again the automated Preserver recording came to life. "Seven seconds to preexisting pod settings. The incorrigable element has been contained." the recording said.

"Oh, speak for yourself..." Q told it crossly, leaning a chin on one hand resting on his yoga folded knee. "I knew the Continuum should have blown away every Preserver in existence when we had the chance in the Schoolyard Playground..."

-  
(attachments)

Image : Closeup of a smiling Q.

Audio : Picard : Q! What is it you really want?!

Image : Voyager flying over an arid river canyon at low altitude.

Image : A Lcars schematic of a maglock screen activated.

*  
From: "Cory Anda" Subject: Basecamp Date: Sat, 26 May 2001 17:22:45 -0000 Q threw out his arms dramatically. "Let me not detain you dear intrepid explorers!! A mystery awaits.. Here, let me prove my sincerity as my reanimating did not, by playing the forward scout on your quaint co-joined away mission."

Q promptly winked out.

At first, Chakotay thought that Q had done something to Seven of Nine, for soon after he left, she sagged against a console. He hurried over to her side, "Seven... I had forgotten. Our nearness to a battle Cube has got to be calling to you." He waved the EMH over.

The hologram drew out a hypospray and injected it into the young woman's neck. "Time for a muff, Seven, This should work for twelve hours before the Borg voices return. I wish Q would've taken you up on your challenge and dealt with them. Better?"

Seven nodded.

"Good." Chakotay said, "We can use you on the away mission. Whereever Q has gone, it looks like he is not going to make things easy for us. Commander Worf of the Enterprise has pinpointed exactly where the Hybrid child is buried. See if you can work with him after we emerge in the past to directing the away teams digging. There's seismic activity that will cause problems no matter how carefully we proceed. Please see to it .."

Again, Seven nodded and moved over to Worf's side.

Then Chakotay turned to the counselor and nodded. "We're set. Away teams.. Would the first group move to the doorway.."

##I will go and greet the peoples on the other side.## the Primary said to all in their heads.

The Voyager and Enterprise away team members watched as the tall 8472 went through the Iconian gate he, somehow was no longer holding. Chakotay squinted and still saw four sets of talons holding the gateway up. ::Now how did the Primary manage that?:: he smiled to himself. He told Janeway, "I'll keep a constant comm lock to the ship. Seven is fine. She wants to join us. I think we can use her if the EMH can wake the Child. At least, she may reach the Borg part of her."

Janeway nodded.

Chakotay looked to Yar and indicated that she go after he did, taking up the rear of the two away teams and their equipment. Soon, Deanna Troi and the away teams had flashed into the Iconian Gate. He took two steps foward.

"Follow me when you can.." He told Yar and Worf and Seven and Captain Picard and Data. "Keep sharp. Who knows what Q is up to over there."

Then Commander Chakotay and Tom Paris were through..

----------------------------------------------------------

The air was hot and stank of brimstone. It took a few seconds for his eyes to adjust to the rusty sunlight overhead. Dust was everywhere, making it an effort to breathe. ::This is a young time in Earth's history. I had forgotten how tetonically active things were then..::

He counted heads and found that all of the away teams had passed through the Gate successfully. He awaited Worf's arrival by setting up tickler repulsor sonic devices to keep away the dinosaurs showing up at the fringes of his tricorder scan.

"Doctor.." he called.

The EMH stopped marvelling at the sight of the Borg torn canyon and turned. "Yes, Commander. You'll be happy to know that none of us are experiencing temporal sickness. That's one point for the Primary. His Iconian doorway is top notch in spite of its age."

"Glad to hear it.." Chakotay said. "I've been thinking.. Preservers aside,.. would it be possible to awaken the Child once we get to her Preserver Suspension Pod?"

The EMH frowned, "I don't see why not.. It's clear we're meant to find her now or the Primary wouldn't have been allowed to reach her coordinates."

##That is true in word.## the Primary said telepathically. ##My pyramid only scented her sleeping on the planet when your shipshell came from the Nexus distortion .##

"You know about that?" Tom Paris asked it.

##The Nexus is a crafted thing that all creatures know about. My people use it as a place of ending when life fades from the eyes. It is the one place the Cube Borg Ancestors don't understand.## the 8472 guide said.

Chakotay couldn't resist the question. "Just who created the Nexus, Primary?"

##That is a mystery even my Species doesn't know. Many have claimed to be its author. But no one has proven it. I know that it did not exist in the time the Preservers were in this part of the universe.##

::Now that's interesting..:: Chakotay thought. ::Captain Picard would find this intriguing if he were here.:: He turned the Iconian artifact in his hands that Naomi had given him just before the teams departed. He said aloud. "I wonder if Iconians and the Preservers are working together.." he mused.

Meanwhile, the sonic curtain activated and its low hum showed that it was working well. The dinosaur images on Chakotay's tricorder scans moved away from the site rapidly.. ::Most likely, the sound waves burn their ears.::

He looked up at the doctor, announcing to the away team. "Good work.. they're leaving. Keep an armed security guard detail to make sure none of them try to come back.." Then softer, "Doctor.." Chakotay said shielding his eyes from the bright sandy sun, "Keep Seven in one piece.. She's the only one who instinctively knows the 8472 and the Borg. We may need her knowledge."

"Of course, Commander.." the doctor said.

Just then, a sharp gust of wind blew up making everyone cough at the dust swirling up around them. A strident beeping from one instrument set up on the ground warbled.

Then the earth shook in a trembler.. Chakotay and the others were wobbled on their feet. ::A mild earthquake..:: he realized.. He sighed, talking to Tom Paris. "Great.. This is really going to make the mining operation a picnic."

Tom shrugged, "That's why we get paid the big bucks, Chakotay." he smiled ruefully. Then he raised both eyebrows.. "Hey, that's right.. We're home now.." he rubbed both hands together, "And I have seven years of paychecks to collect once we're through here."

High overhead, out of tickler range, giant Pterodans soared.

Chakotay eagerly awaited the rest of the Enterprise and Voyager officers to arrive at his side. ::Come on.. The digging's begun. We need to finetune coordinates with Worf. :: Then he stopped on a thought. ::I wonder if this Locarno fellow is coming. The Primary did extend his invitation to all in the vicinity. Oh, well, only time will tell.::

Seven, Worf, Picard, Data and Yar had not yet crossed over. ::The past's not so bad.. A little sunscreen, and it could almost be a vacation spot.:: Tom joked.

Nonetheless, Tom saw the commander give an order for all Starfleet crew present to wear rebreather masks to cut down the dust and sulfur gas from the volcanos ringing their position. he tapped his combadge, =^=Chakotay to Voyager. Have the rest of the away team don breather masks. The atmosphere is pretty thick here with crustal gas and dust.=^=

Janeway and Picard looked up, "Understood." they said in concert.

Chakotay closed his link to the ship and asked out loud, "I wonder what Q's up to?"

Then he heard a sound, a very familiar one. But it wasn't from the surrounding landscape. It came from inside his mind. Chakotay closed his eyes and fell into a light trance. It was a red tailed hawk and in Chakotay's mind, landed on a rock near him.

It spoke, ##I am your new spirit guide in this realm of dreaming. Matseyeho sent me to you. She says all is well in her new world. I am called Rahelon.##

Chakotay's face broke into a smile and a great weight was lifted. "And I will be the best guidefriend I can be to you." he said to the bird.

Then the trance was lifted and Chakotay once more faced the away teams toiling in the Canyon.

-  
(attachements)

Image : Chakotay and Janeway near a huge viewscreen showing the receding doorway.

Image : Redtailed hawk, about to fly.

Gif : A light blue Indian band divider.

*  
From : Jeff Seltun  
Subject: Elementary my dear Watson/  
Date : Sat, May 26, 06:07:15 -00:00

Data watched as the away team vanished into the doorway. Even so, part of his positronic emotional mind was dwelling on Tasha Yar.  
::I hope these developments do not disturb her much. I, too, know what it feels like to come awake from deactivation.::

He stood by Captain Picard's side, "Captain.  
Commander Chakotay and his first team is safely arrived." Data said, checking his tricorder.

All of them still in the cargobay could see red, yellow or blue and black "ants" mill about on the image glowing on the Iconian gate.

"Very well. Let us proceed, Commander Data."  
Captain Picard said. He, too, uptook a field pack and headed for the doorway. He turned back to the Voyager captain briefly, "Don't worry Captain. I will keep your people and mine, safe."

With that, he and the android entered one million years ago.

==============================

As soon as Picard reached the other side, he put on the mask. The recent earthquake they had watched from the cargobay had only just receded into stillness again.

Data, efficiently alert, began algorithms to predict when the next one might interfere with the away teams extracation efforts. "I will have a forecast of future quakes ready in five point seven two minutes, captain." he said even before Picard formed the thought.

"Well done, Data. Keep me posted." Jean Luc stood over by Chakotay's side,  
"I heard your discussion with the holographic physician, Commander. There may well indeed be a tie between the Iconians and the Preservers."  
He uptook the strange pod key from Chakotay,  
and looked at its myriads of buttons on its handle.  
He peered closely.."This artifact could be an instrument of both cultures."

If Chakotay was surprised by that new consideration, he gave no sign.  
Captain Picard stepped foward to the buried cave entrance that Worf's data said led to the Child. His scan showed multiple ores of varying densities of a wide age range of soil and rock.  
"Looks like mining with sonics is out. There's areas that are too soft up to two kilometers down." He snapped the lid shut on his scanner and belted it. "We'll have to try cauterizing shots with a pulse cannon. "

Data spoke up, "I have anticipated that need Captain. I have one on the way with the last of the arriving away teams. Worf stayed behind to come with it to make sure it "got there in one piece."

Picard nodded. Studying the cliffside with careful hands,  
"Seems we have a true mystery here. The caveins in the buried passageway beneath us aren't as extensive as one would think with the frequency of earthquakes that happen in the Canyon. I believe something not showing on our scans is slowly clearing out any newly fallen debris."

Data nodded. "Preserver technology is far advanced.  
That hypothesis might be fairly substantiated."

Picard turned to Data with a wry look, "Thank you Sherlock, for your sound endorsement."

Data's expression quirked into a sideways smile,  
"Your welcome."

Picard stopped touching the fragile side of the mountain around the cave-in and returned to Counselor Troi's side. "Anything from the child?" he asked.

Troi shook her head no.

Then the Primary spoke, ##I hear her for a short time. Whenever the earth is hungry and shakes. She has shifted now. Even though there is stillness. That is strange.##

Picard frowned, "I think I know why you just picked up on the Child's emotions,  
Primary. There is more than one kind of earthquake..."

Data straightened up from his close scrutiny of the object in Picard's hands.  
"Q.."

"So right." Picard complained, "Though I find it odd that nothing else has become of him.." He indicated the lack of presence of the being among the away team.  
He scratched an itch around the mask covering his nose and mouth.  
"Mr. Data, how long before we can get these things off?"

Data said, "It will be several days before the most physically irritating dust and gaseous clouds will dissipate to comfortable levels."

The EMH added his own observations, "None of the levels of gases or particulates is seriously harmful in the air right now. But, if you want to breathe without coughing vigorously..."

"I get the picture, doctor." Picard sighed.  
"Very well, until Yar and the others come,  
we can get to work analyzing this artifact."  
he said, holding up the Iconian Key.

He saw a silver tarp spread across the ground in an effort to keep dust from swirling in the immediate area and he sat cross legged onto it in front of an engineering tool kit.

He took out a magnifier and both he and Data peered at it closely mumbling between themselves at this or that alien character and what the symbols might mean.

Then, one scuffed symbol did leap out to both of them, It was a Deltoid, slashed through in red what was clearly a stylized Borg Cube.

Picard pushed it.

On Voyager, on her bridge, Tuvok was jolted as the Borg Cube in front of them by Utopia Planetia suddenly blew up, fragmenting into tiny pieces of raw plasma, fanning outwards.

Naturally, both the Enterprise and Voyager had their shields up. Yellow alert usually called for them.

The Vulcan did a quick check to show that no harm was taken to any vessel or space station dock in the area before sending a message to his captain.  
=^=Bridge to Janeway.=^=

"Go ahead." he heard her say.

=^=The Borg Cube has just exploded. There are no survivors. No ships were damaged in the process. Would Q be responsible for this action?=^=

Janeway looked around at the lack of her nemesis in the cargobay and on the image of the canyon through the doorway around her away teams. She shrugged into the video pickups leading to Tuvok.

Tuvok was unscrutably cool, "I shall investigate. Tuvok out."

On a thought, Tuvok comm'd the fast departing Kirk and Admiral Paris. "Voyager to Earth Shuttlecraft Pius. We've a development. The Borg Cube has just been destroyed. Any sensor reading you took of this event may be useful since you were the furthest away from the explosion. Please send us what telemetry you have. Tuvok out."

Logically, Tuvok knew Admiral Paris and Kirk were acting on their own for a purpose known only to them.  
::Undoubtedly, to find Captain Kirk, a new command. He is best at what he was trained to do, captain a starship.::

Tuvok gave no further thought to that idea and returned to relaying his sensor readings to the engineers on both Voyager and the Enterprise to see what they could make of it.

====================================

Picard had just released his finger from the strangely carved button when the EMH squinted, as if listening to something.  
His face opened with shock.

But then the Primary reared up on its hind limbs and howled in victory.. ##The ancestors are no more!! They cease to be! My congratulations to you Captain, for your flashing fangs. It is an enemy gone after a good bite!##

Picard dropped the Iconian artifact and Data neatly caught it to lower it down onto the silver tarp carefully. "What??"  
the Enterprise captain shouted. Then he knew.  
::Cube ancestors..? That could only mean ..::

He paled. "I did that... They died because of me.."

Data tried to be helpful, clarifying, "Yes, they did."  
he said cheerfully.

Picard flushed in anger, "Kindly keep your observations to this event to yourself Data. I am having trouble swallowing it all as it is.!"

The EMH shot foward, "Are you choking?"

"No..! It's a figure of speech..doctor.. I am not ill."  
He sighed, his angry reaction fading as quickly as it had come. "Well, not in the body anyway.."

His thoughts returned to those horrifying days when he, as Locutus, killed over three quarters of all ships in Starfleet at Wolf 359. The sensation of horror was not lessened this time even though the dead here were Borg.

He felt Deanna look up from her place by the slowly excavating cave entrance and look at him closely.

Picard said simply, "I am fine. No doubt if my actions harmed anyone of Starfleet. I'll hear about it soon enough. Let's get back to work, shall we?"

Jean Luc turned back to the android, "And Mr.  
Data, put that thing in a containment field until we reach the Pod. I don't want anyone else to do another oopsie like I just did."

"Understood sir." Data answered.

-  
(attachments)

Image : Picard being turned into a Borg.

Image : A Lcars tracking screen.

*  
From: "Alex Delet" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Mechanics Date: Sat, 26 May 2001 21:13:44 +0100

Stepping forward, she knew she would need to greet the Captain. "Greetings, Captain Janeway. I'm Commander Elizabeth Shelby. Welcome back. Anything I can do to help?" she said, extending her hand.

Kathryn Janeway sized up the officer quickly, and nodded, "One moment Commander," she said, using her command voice, not pretending there was any hint of informality between them.  
Janeway stepped forward and clapped her hands together,  
"Attention on Deck!" a Crewman standing near her called.  
"This is an away mission staging ground, as well as a Federation Starship," she said crisply, "Anybody who doesn't need to be here, should leave," she said, "And those that remain, should remember where they are," she held her gaze on the roof for a second.  
"Commander Shelby," she said, "Welcome Aboard Voyager," Janeway made her voice friendly, but commanding, the voice she was accustomed to using when saying those words.  
It was surprising how quickly her unfamiliar subordinate voice had come back, Janeway knew every crewmember of Voyager - but they were home, and that meant she would start dealing with.  
unfamiliar-subordinates.  
"Janeway to Bridge," she said,

"Tuvok here," unfailingly Vulcan.

"While we remain at Yellow Alert - nobody else is to board the ship without either your, mine or Commander Chakotay's Approval," she ordered.

Tuvok paused, "Aye Captain,"  
Janeway looked to Shelby, "Commander, I think the question is - What is it that we can do to to help you?" Janeway asked.

Janeway watched as Seven broke down, it was obvious that the cube was not helping matters.  
=^=Bridge to Janeway.=^= Tuvok announced.

"Go ahead." he heard her say.

=^=The Borg Cube has just exploded. There are no survivors. No ships were damaged in the process. Would Q be responsible for this action?=^= Janeway looked around - with the cube gone, she could breath a little easier.  
And so would Starfleet. Voyager had begun to receive fleet wide transmissions now that she was back... Voyager's Captain knew that Starfleet had called in starships to assemble an armada, should the borg prove to be less than completely still.

Jadzia Dax stepped through the.... she didn't know it's correct name, but had dubbed it the 'Portal.  
Following the others, Jadzia glanced around and taking in the full spectrum of the scene.  
This was a time, that Dax had never seen, or been to before.  
For a Starfleet Officer, Jadzia had made her share of Temporal Journeys... Temporal Physics hadn't been considered by anyone, Dax surmised. Time Travel required a Fenyman curve... which Dax assumed they followed when they went through the portal.  
Thus, the only way they could get back, was through the Portal.  
One gateway between this simple past, and the time to which they belonged, minus of course, the revived Trill.  
Her last thought had been of Worf, and the first she'd had when she'd woken up, had been Worf.

Nobody had bothered to explain to her, whether Worf was alive still, nearby, or married, or dead.  
Nor had they told her what had happened to Dax.

Before he'd let Worf into the Surgical Bay,  
Bashir had promised that Dax would live on.  
Jadzia knew why, it was Temporal Prime Directive,  
and the fact, that none of them really expected her to stay.  
Turning her attention back to Picard, she watched him.  
press the control.  
"Janeway to Away Team," Captain Janeway's voice was slightly distorted.  
"The Borg Cube, has been...destroyed, is Q responsible?"  
Jadzia turned to Data and Picard, before looking to the Primary, "What effect will this have on the Gateway?" she asked, everyone.  
"I suggest we are careful what we do," she said,  
"We are in the past...and we don't know what effect our actions could have," the Trill was considering some Quantum and Temporal Mechanics, that could explain why a signal sent from the past would destroy a borg cube at the same moment in the present.  
If it had been a result of Picards 'button' , and it was too much of a coincidence to assume they were unrelated.  
"And Where is Q?"

(attachments)

Image : Voyager in Deep Space Nine space dock.

Image: Computer display of a crewman studying a bone scan on a woman.

*  
From: "Roxy Dee" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Another magic button~~ Date: Sun, 27 May 2001 07:01:35 -0000

Geordi LaForge saw the yellow alert bar above his engineering console shift to a red one. He checked his status board. ::Huh. Seems the Borg Cube has just disintegrated. My hats off to who ever ended that particular little headache.::

He tapped his pin insignia, =^=LaForge to the bridge. No damage down here. Shields are at 98 %.=^=

::Now that was interesting. No phaser shots,  
no photons,.. nothing from any ship in the area powering weapons. Can't wait to learn what caused that to happen.:: Geordi sighed.

He comm'd Harry Kim the moment he sent the telemetry a flag from Voyager's current CO had requested in a computer squirt. "Not much to go on.. Enterprise was scanning for emissions from the pyramid, not imminent core overload ones from the Cube. Harry.. Talk to me."

Harry Kim answered with a sigh. "Kim here. Geordi,  
did you see that? Five credits on Sunday it wasn't Q's doing. He just winked out saying that he was going into the past to scout out the territory for the away teams.."

"oh, please...." Geordi said rolling his eyes.

"Tell me about it. Feel lucky. Q could be running rampant on YOUR ship. He just raised two dead women over here." Kim said.

"Say again?" LaForge tugged on an ear in case he misheard Kim's comment.

"Yeah.. animated crew that was dead.." Harry checked his computer library. "A...Jadzia Dax and a....blond woman, a... Tasha Yar.."

Geordi really looked up at the comm screen at that.  
"Tasha..? Alive? She was killed in the line of duty fourteen years ago."

Harry shrugged, "Walking, talking,.. and getting worked into a fury at Q right now. Hang on.. The teams are leaving.."

Geordi heard a muffled order over the link from a voice he knew was Janeway's.. and Harry's aye sir to her in the big echoey sound of the cargobay.  
He smiled. ::So, Harry's still got captain's rank stars in his eyes. Heh.. Was I ever that young?::

Harry came back into volume. "Sorry about that.  
My captain wanted to clarify a few things about how the Cube exploded. Wait until she finds out that it was Captain Picard."

"Really..." Geordi grinned. "Well, he's sure got a whole bone to pick with the Borg, that's for sure."

Kim began to ask why, then he remembered his history lessons.."Wh-- Oh, that's right. Picard was this Locutus everyone learns about in war victories and strategy class at the Academy.."

Geordi smiled, "One and the same.. Listen, Harry,  
from one crewman to another.. What do you think of us believing this Primary 8472 ambassador and his tale about a hybrid Borg/8472 child through the Iconian door?"

Kim angled an eye, "It's all true. I believe him.  
Commander Worf's just found her on his specially calibrated sensors. He left twenty minutes ago to report his findings to Captain Janeway."  
Then Harry flicked on a new screen through the joint link with Geordi.. "There they go.. Would you look at that? One tiny earthquake later and already they are breaking out the rebreather masks."

Geordi's attention focused on the image of the image of the doorway away team scene and the containment field surrounding the Strange Iconian artifact that could kill Borg through a time obstacle.  
"Yeah.. " he said half paying attention. "Listen.  
Harry. I'm coming over there. Commander Riker pretty much has the bridge and the Borg threat is off so I think I can swing a ride to Voyager and then through the gate to join the others.."

"How so?" Harry said, voiced tinged with more than just a little jealousy.

Geordi LaForge tapped his visor, "I can see things tricorders can't. And I think I just saw something interesting on the handle of the Iconian Key locked up over there.."

Harry did a double take, "You can see that far?"  
"I can barely make out their uniforms in that snowy image."

"You're limited to visual light, ensign, I can see a lot more.. I'll be in the cargobay before you know it.. LaForge out."

----------------------------------------------------

It was easy getting Commander Riker to approve his transfer over to Voyager and to accompany her latest away mission. All Geordi had to do was show Riker what he had seen on the handle of the artifact.

::Not everyday you see a Romulan Engine Core power curve representation on an ancient device.::

La Forge made sure he travelled through the door quickly after showing Janeway his orders. He wanted to stop by Yar and Worf but the nature of his news took precedence.

"Captain Picard.." he said moving over through the bright light and dust, speaking loudly to be heard over his face mask. "I think I have something to report.  
It's something I noticed about that key that only another ship's engineer would notice... Well,.. you know that Borg Cube symbol on the handle you pressed that destroyed that vessel? Well, the squiggily symbol next to it is a Romulan power curve ratio and it's slashed out too. If the trends continue like I think it does..."

The EMH had overheard LaForge's comment, "Any Romulan vessels in the area could suddenly blow up too if some numbskull presses it. Who knows..what range of destructional signalling that artifact has.. One mistake and poof! We're in the middle of a war with the Romulans."

Geordi nodded eagerly at the EMH's quick study of the potential danger inherent to all of them. Then his attention was captured by images he saw through his visor of the rock face near where the away teams were gingerly digging with phase invertors. "Hope you're going to use a pulse cannon sir, that rock is unstable.."

Picard nodded, "Already done."

Then LaForge remembered seeing one near Worf just before he left into the past.  
"Well there isn't much to melt away sir,.. I am seeing robotic like sweepers already clearing out the worst of the cavein material out of the passageway leading to the pod. I'd say only 150 meters or so of rock is separating you from that passageway..."

Geordi saw Picard nod at that information and it was relayed to the diggers beyond. He started to sweat in the hot sun and he wished he had changed to field fatigues before coming.

::My second pip for a sonic shower right now. Man!  
It's stifling..::

-  
(attachments)

Image : Large promo of LeVar as LaForge.

Image : Harry playing in a band on the clarinet.

*

From : 'Clairissa Fox'  
Subject : Little helper I am Date : Sun, May 27 18:17:56 -0000

There they go! I knew they could get there saffely. I watched Auntie Kathys away team work with Captain Picards to build the sound fence that kept the dinosaurs away. I was glad they did that for even piktures of them on the TV screen scared me.

Then I herd Auntie Kathy give an order telling all peopl not part of the mision to go. I got sad. So I went up to her by the rail and where the other lady with the red hair was standing.

Hi Shelby! Auntie Kathy! Auntie Kathy! Do I have to go to?  
I am the captains assistent arent I? I can help out real good.  
I know I can.

Then I saw Shelbys eyes. She reminded me of a teacher that used to scare me. Mrs Tacburn. Mrs Tacburn had secrets that she didnt tell anyone at all and she liked to make you sit in the corner if you didnt know your lessons. So I made sure I told her that I wasnt scared of her even though she had secrets she wasnt telling Auntie Kathy.

Shelby! Shelby! Why are you here? Did Starfeet send you to break up my family? I know that Chakoty and Belanna used to be bad Makee but not any more. I know! Cause I know these two ever since I was born! Dont send us away and dont give us a bad report. We worked so hard to get home.  
We needed to be family to live long enouf! So if you see us not being Starfeet, that is why. But we did follow the rules.  
I know we did.

But I saw Auntie Kathy show me the door out even though she didnt want me to go. Then I knew what I could do.

I could set up things for when the away teams got back!  
So I left the room.

When I was in the hallway. I touched the wall. Bootby came awake.

Hi Bootby! Can you do me a favor?

"What is it Naomi Wildman? Is something wrong? I see your face's wet." the wizened gardner program asked.

Oh, Im ok. Its just that another woman in there is making Auntie Kathy nervous. I think shes got some secret thing with Starfeet to break up Voyager. Her name is Shelby.

"Scared you did she?" Boothby said gently. "Well... I wouldn't be concerned. That one has been crusty ever since Commander Riker didn't give up his officer's job during a Borg battle a few years ago."

There was a robot battle?

"Yes.. something called Wolf 359. Captain Picard was turned into a Borg Spokesman for a while until Data rescued him. Shelby helped carry out the plan." Boothby told Naomi.

Oh. Then maybe Shelby isnt so mean then if she saved Captain Picard that way.

"But what is it you need of me young lady? I know you certainly aren't injured or lost here." Boothby frowned.

Oh yes! I need to know if I can call Jadzea from here or not.

"Of course. Didn't you see Q snap his fingers before he started playing boyscout? He made it possible for any combadge to transmit through the Iconian portal to the away team flawlessly."

Ok. Thanks Bootby. Bye.

"So long Naomi Wildman. And don't worry about Captain Janeway sending you away. She is only trying to find a way to keep you all together a little longer."

I nodded and then kept on walking to the lift. I thought real hard and then I hit my combage.

Naomi to Jadzea! Naomi to Jadzea! I can help you a little bit.  
Didn't you see Worf when you went through the cargobay? He was right there at the computer with the cannen near Aunti-  
I mean Captain Janeway, when you walked by. I know you did.  
I saw you. I read in the library that Worf is your husbend.  
Or were you to scared to see him? Dont worry, Worf will go through the time doorframe to you soon.  
He has to tell everyone where to find my friend, the little Queen.

But if you see Queue watch out! He isnt nice a lot.  
Well I have to go. Talk to me through your pin and we can talk more. Its my job as captains assistent to help you feel ok with Voyager.  
Bye Jadzea.

Then my lift got where it was going.

I went inside sickbay.

I knew the hollow doctor would bring my little queen friend here when she was free from her bed under the mountain. So I got a bed ready.

I folded a silver blanket down and turned on the wall computer so it would read her heart when she came and then I got out the tools Kes showed me once that would tell the hollow doctor what was inside her body.

But I wasnt allowed to touch any of the hyposprays. They would have medicines in them that would get you sick! I remember using one last year on Auntie Kathy in the old story when she was being turned into a Borg. Chakoty told me to. And I was glad I helped!

So I left those alone and just turned up the lights in the room so everyone could see. I turned on the TV in the hollow doctors ofice so I could see the away team over there.

And I waited for Jadzea to talk to me. I knew I had to help her.  
She was missing her belly friend.

Then I had an idea. I called Earth, looking for Doctor Basheer.  
I got him!

Doctor Basheer! Doctor Basheer! This is Naomi Wildman.  
Queue did a scary thing. He got Jadzea alive again. She is on my ship. Voyager. Is her belly friend with you? She misses him. Can she still be ok without him inside of her?

Please talk to Bootby the computer programme and he can get you to her real fast. I have to go. I will be getting a pashent soon from the past. I will tell Jadzea I found you. Please call back if you know where her belly friend is. Please! Please!  
Thankyou. Naomi Wildman out.

I then waited for everything to happen.

-  
(attachments)

Image : Naomi in turbolift with datapadds.

Audio: Nm: Computer, end program..

*  
From: "Samantha ." Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Double Trouble Date: Sun, 27 May 2001 21:31:57 -0000

Admiral Paris sat off to the side of the Helm on the transport shuttle to the base. Jupiter loomed off in the distance and Io quietly revolved around it. Admiral Kirk was in the aft of the shuttle still catching up on the updated technology. Owen had argued with himself over the decision to let the legendary CO having access to the data, but soon decided that what ever the consequences Starfleet would be able to deal with it.

Paris was knocked out of his train of thought by a report from the young lieutenant piloting the transport. They were approaching the base where Kirk would recieve orders from Starfleet Command. The time-displaced Admiral stood up from his perch at the Tactical station and moved over to the transporter pad. Owen soon joined him and they were beamed over to the base by the pilot, who also had orders to hold position.

Once on the base, Admiral Paris was handed a data PADD with a message from Starfleet Headquarters. They were to head straight back to Voyager and get details to HQ on the sudden appearence of Tasha Yar and Jadzia Dax. ::No doubt the omnipotent Q had something to do with this:: Owen thought to himself. Acknowledging the crew around him he nodded to Kirk and they headed back to the waiting pilot.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

The officers and crewman that occupied had no idea of the being that was hovering nearby, watching in amusement. A small TV showing the inside of the Iconian doorway with a small soft drink sitting on top. A smile spread across the face of this unknown being as the image of Q caught in the Preserver's little cage came up on the screen. Looking over at Janeway and those surrounding, he decided to make himself known, seeing as the ship, from his perspective, was in relative danger.

"I don't really see how you could have trusted him, Aunt Kathy. He hasn't changed that much really since your little lecture a few months ago. He's already broken his sentence from the Q continuum by being here. Although not having him around has made things more interesting for me. Did you know that there is a race in the Beta Quadrant that will start wars with any other species? What a grand fireworks display they put on!" the newly arrived omnipotent being flashed his usual quirky smile at the somewhat discouraged 'Aunt Kathy' and bewildered Captain Picard. Q-Ball, as Icheb, or Itchy, had once referred to him as, walked in a slow circle around the Enterprise Captain.

"So this is old Baldy, " he stopped and faced the grim faced Picard, "Q had told me quite a lot about you and your crew. Although he said that he like playing with Aunt Kathy's crew better. They have a wider sense of imagination." he laughed at the irritated man before him. Seeing that Picard didn't like his little joke, Q-Ball began to look at each of the new faces before him in turn.

"Very intriguing, what Q has done here. I could have done better myself, but...say, I WILL do better!" with that, Q-Ball left Voyager's Cargo Bay with a snap of his fingers and a flash of bright white light.

-  
(attachments)

Image : Q's teenaged son, in Voyager maroon.

Image : Janeway facing Q2.

Audio : Q snapping finger sound.

********************************************

END WEEK TWENTY RECAP 05-27-01

()

http: .com/group/voyagerliveaction

WEEK TWENTY ONE RECAP 05-30-01 ()

From: "Fran Catrair" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Out of the Frying Pan...Into the Fryer Date: Thu, 31 May 2001 05:18:01 -0000

B'Elanna watched with mixed emotion as Chakotay and Tom entered the Iconian doorway and disappeared.  
She felt a pang of concern and anxiety, but her nerves calmed when she heard Tom's voice through the open comm link. Taking a couple deep breaths to calm herself, she resolutely went back to her work.

Shrugging her shoulders, she felt listless. Her mind was wandering. As she studied her control panel, she saw Geordi LaForge breeze into the cargobay and continue through the doorway.  
Frowning slightly, she noticed his pre-occupation and listened in to his briefing with Captain Picard.  
::Romulan??:: she thought. She thought about his theory and quickly initiated a scan of their region of space. Nothing. Sighing in relief, she was turning her head back to the doorway when something caught her eye. #Computer...magnify!# she ordered. As the image in front of her came into focus, she cringed.  
"Captain!" she called out. "Looks like we have a BIG problem!" As she turned on the main viewer for those still in the cargobay, they could all see the Romulan Warbird travelling toward them.

Elizabeth Shelby noticed Captain Janeway's demeanor change as she greeted her. ::Funny:: she thought. Janeway was trying so hard to put on an air of authority. ::All for my benefit.:: she mused.

Shelby! Shelby! Why are you here? Did Starfeet send you to break up my family? I know that Chakoty and Belanna used to be bad Makee but not any more. I know!  
Cause I know these two ever since I was born! Dont send us away and dont give us a bad report. We worked so hard to get home. We needed to be family to live long enouf! So if you see us not being Starfeet, that is why. But we did follow the rules. I know we did.

Elizabeth looked down at the little girl in surprise.  
Such an outburst from a young child. And, what was she doing down in the cargobay, during a red alert situation? Just what kind of ship was Janeway running here? Before she could address the situation, the young girl had been exited from the area by Janeway, who looked slightly frazzled. She determined she would also look more closely into this situation later.

Coming out of her musings, she noticed Janeway was speaking to her.

Janeway looked to Shelby, "Commander, I think the question is - What is it that we can do to to help you?" Janeway asked.

::What can YOU do?:: she mused to herself. Oh, this was something new. Janeway was trying to put her on the defensive. ::Nice try, Captain...but you forget who you are dealing with here. I have dealt with those far more dangerous than you.:: she thought. Opening her mouth to offer her services for the away mission, she heard B'Elanna's warning, looking up at the viewscreen at the Warbird coming toward them.

-  
(attachments)

Image : B'Elanna over a console.

Bitmap: A Romulan Warbird.

*animated gif * Red alert flashing bar.

*  
From: Jeff Seltun Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Two Peas in a Pod Date: Thu, 31 May 2001 08:44:55 -0700 (PDT)

Picard slapped his combadge in irritation.  
And he ripped off his rebreather mask,  
no longer squinting at the canyon's harsh sunlight.  
=^= Picard to Voyager. What the devil is going on?! I just saw a being who acted very much like Q! He was hovering over a rock above the excavation site... Unless this is another of Q's jokes. This man's face was very different..=^=

Bootby replied to Captain Picard from Voyager.  
"Captain, I am afraid there are some things you didn't know occurred in the Delta Quadrant.  
One of these events was Q desiring to father a child. He had his sights on Captain Janeway to be the mother but things didn't work out."

Picard's sense of decorum cooled his rage,  
"I would most certainly hope so. Knowing that there are now two of Q running around.."

"Q2.." Boothby sighed..

"What?" Picard said, coughing a little dust out of his mouth.

"That's what Q's son calls himself.." Boothby informed. "I am downloading to your datapadd all information regarding how Q2 came into existence and what events Voyager.  
suffered.. as a result of this er... birth."

Picard frowned, eyeing the bright sky around him. "Can't say that I look forward to reading it.. Boothby.." he said sarcastically.

"Glad you're glad, captain. " Boothby said not taking offense..

"Now.. is both ships ...er.. all right?" he asked again, almost unwilling to even voice the idea out loud, knowing teenaged ears of any species held unusually long reach.

"Yes, sir.. So far the young upstart has just presented a lot of bravado and pomp. " Boothby grinned, half irritated as well,  
matching the Enterprise captain's ire.

Picard's field tricorder beeped and he drew out his datapadd. "I've got the information.  
Thanks, Boothby. Oh, and dance rings around this..Q2 if you have to. The less we see of his meddling, the better. Even if the time continuum has been disrupted with Yar and Commander Dax's return. I don't want any more disturbances. Who knows? Maybe resurrected Starships are next.." he said, rolling his eyes.

"I will keep you informed." Boothby growled.

"You do that."

Data noticed Picard had removed his dust filter from his face.  
"Captain, is there a problem?"

"No... Yes. A very big one." Picard said.  
"Look at this, read it and come up with an abbreviated version of this information."

"Right away." Data said, taking Boothby's Q library downloaded padd into hand. About two seconds later, he handed it back. "Oh...my.."

"Data?" Picard asked. "That doesn't tell me much.." He said putting his hands on his hips.

He stood straighter, eyeing the away teams and their work getting things set up for digging in the passageway leading to the Child's Pod.  
Geordi LaForge's information indeed had been timely.. Automated machines were indeed clearing out the worst of the debris from inside the cave.

It amazed Picard to learn that these devices were completely inert until the away teams started to melt away rock at the mouth of the cave-in.

"Q2 has proved to be much more of a nuisance than Q ever was, sir. I suspect that that tendency was exacerbated by the fact of Q2's being an adolescent. But, in Janeway's log of him, he has never killed, never incited time paradox's unlike his father."

"Thank heaven for small miracles.." Picard said,  
and he coughed.

Data stopped giving his report, angling his head,  
"Shouldn't you put your mask back on, sir? You'd be more comfortable..."

"I don't want to be comfortable! D#mn it! I want Q.. both of them.. out of the picture. Who knows what damnable plan those two are planning with humanity this time.."

Data was wisely silent.

Then Picard put his mask back on. "I just thought of something.. If I were a teenager,.and I came back to the place where I had some prior fun to do it again.  
That could only mean one thing.."

"What's that, sir?" Data asked.

"My father would have to be indisposed so I could get away with it."

It was Data's turn to frown. "Sir, that would be very bad. Where's Q?"

"The question of the hour.., Mr. Data. Only I know one thing. I want Q back. He's the only one who knows how to lay the strap to his son if need be..."

Data nodded.

Picard moved off to tell the others.

Then the android spoke to the air. Softly, where powerful teenaged ears could hear him.  
And he knew what he had to do. Arrange for a family reunion, fast.  
"Q2, this is Lieutenant Commander Data. I think I have a proposal that might intrigue you about our away mission. Only I need your assistance in this manner. Please respond.."

-  
(attachments)

Image : An old Picard and an old Q face to face.

Audio : Picard : Q! Just what the h*ll are you doing now?!

***********************************

From: "robert catrair" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] and away we go Date: Fri, 01 Jun 2001 01:14:15 -0000

As Worf was waiting for his turn to enter the door way. He could not Help the rush of acceptance from the 8472 named prime, for he to accompany them to the past by the doorway.  
He look around and pick up the pulse cannon and a field generator to carry with him. Also he look and seen his dead wife come back to life,right in front of him.  
::Wow what a blow in my mind::Worf was thinking to himself as he walk threw the door.  
Then all the heat and the dust from this time period was burning his throat and eyes.  
As he past the other end of the door the Emh told him to put on his breathing apparatus and try to breath then. It help a lot,"thank you "worf told the EMh.  
And then Jadzia was in his mind, "Doctor what has happen to bring my wife back from the dead?"  
The EMH told worf what Q has done to try and prove his trust and to get people to like him.  
As the EMH finish the story, Worf nodded to him and walk off to put the pulse cannon at the right coordinate, he look around and see the following people at work.  
Laforge talking to Captain Picard about the artifact.  
Tom Paris talking to his wife back on Voyager,  
and the other walking around and moving rock,and dirt to get to the pod.  
"This should help us get there faster" worf said "help me set this up please Seven".;  
As the time rolled by the pulse cannon and power generator was starting to come on line.  
"Captain the pulse cannon will be ready to start to burn threw to the pod and to save the hybrid child,in one hour." Worf said " sir"

-  
(attachment)

Image : Worf leaning over a wounded Jadzia in a sickbay bed.

***********************************************

From: "Cory Anda" Subject: The Romulan Wrinkle Date: Fri, 01 Jun 2001 05:18:10 -0000

Chakotay leaned against the inner wall of the excavation site. ::Well, so much for the mystique of being in the Grand Canyon one million years ago. The dirt here tastes just the same:  
And the first officer spat up yellow sand and dust from his mouth. He shouted,  
"Ensigns! Move another field tarp over here near the diggers! This debris is clouding up too much over here."

He watched the young Enterprise crewmen lay meters of alumotarp down by his feet to mere inches of the entrance to the tunnel.  
"Good.. Soon, we'll breathe easier for it and be able to rid ourselves of the masks."  
He checked his tricorder. Already, the particulate count in the atmosphere in camp was in the high end of normal.

He watched and waited for the digging teams to antigrav out the next batch of rock and dirt.  
"I wonder where Worf is with the pulse cannon."  
he said aloud, "We're going to need it as we near the underground passageway where the automated machinery has cleared the way."

Just then Worf appeared.

"This should help us get there faster" worf said "help me set this up please, Seven".;  
As the time rolled by the pulse cannon and power generator was starting to come on line.  
"Captain the pulse cannon will be ready to start to burn threw to the pod and to save the hybrid child,  
in one hour." Worf said.

Chakotay saw Picard nod and smile at the sight of the big Klingon for reasons Chakotay did not understand.  
::Maybe they have served together before.::

He added, "Seven of Nine will be here shortly Mr. Worf.  
I asked her to accompany us here when we first embarked through the doorway."

He saw the young Lieutenant LaForge with his strange visor, standing on the other side of the entrance peering at the minerals in the rock being lifted out.

Chakotay stood near Geordi and scanned the same pile with his tricorder, "I'm reading Turquoise, pyrite,  
Bauxite and.. an element I'm not familiar with.."

Tom Paris looked up from his check of the sonic fence perimeter, "Already identified it. It's unrefined titanium that's been...fused to the granite in a way that's unfamiliar to anything in Boothby's records."  
Chakotay tapped his display, "I can't tell where the rock ends and this alloy begins..."

Geordi looked up, "I can. Not easy."

The first officer looked up at the sky, "Looks like the sonic dispersor field is still doing its job."  
Two elongated gliding silouhettes rose on thermals above their heads, "The pterydactols are still keeping their distance."

Tom smiled, "Of course.. I picked up a few pointers from B'Elanna how to push out a few more decibels of subliminals on the portable dispersor fence. Bought us at least six more hours power that way. Should need a recharge by the time the sun goes down."

"Good work, Tom." Chakotay grinned.

Then Boothby chimed all of their combadges,  
"This from tactical on Voyager. Torres has picked up a Romulan Warbird in Sector 001,  
near Saturn."

"What?!" Tom exclaimed, "That's impossible."

Chakotay glanced back at the Iconian door and saw signs of hastened activity on the cargobay in the present time. "Tom, you're in charge."

Chakotay moved over to the Primary. "There's a development on my home ship.  
An enemy has made an appearance deeply into Federation territory, Far where they should be by treaty. I have to return there to deal with the situation."

##Granted, leaderman. The freeing goes well. I will watch.##

Chakotay took only his tricorder to hand as he paused by the glowing portal of the doorway. "Lt. Paris. I hold you to find out what Q and Q2 are into."

"Count on it. I'll route Molly from Voyager to track him once we break through to the passageway leading to the Pod." Paris tapped his own combadge and whistled, "Pwefftt!!"  
"Glad Q thought to augment her before he disappeared." Tom smiled tightly, "Now we have a bloodhound to trace where he's gone."

Molly, the holo Irish Setter bound through the Iconian door, changing hue and shape as she leaped through the boundary of the present into the past. She landed,  
and shook herself of dust, perking her ears up at Tom Paris.

Paris knelt by the dog, already seeing how Q's powers had made the holoprogram incredibly advanced. He said two words,  
just thinking about who he sought. "Find him."

Molly flung herself into the tunnel where the away teams were unburying the route into the ancient titanium passageway. She began whining and scratching at the wall.

Chakotay frowned, "Q's in there?"

Molly barked.

"Wonderful.." Tom sighed, "I'll just bet Q's having a sleepover with the Hybrid Child right now, eating popcorn and watching Robotech.."

Chakotay tapped Tom and together they went by the Time Portal. Already, they could both see the Red alert illumination sweep through Voyager. Tuvok had noticed B'Elanna's Romulan contact. "I have to go."  
he said, "Let me know the minute you find that Pod....and Q."

With that, Chakotay stepped through from the past into the present. He tugged himself free of the Iconian energies and pulled off his dusty mask to pace across the cargobay of Voyager to his captain. He paused by her, knowing she wanted him on the bridge.  
"I'm on it," he said. "Tuvok and I will keep you informed. Join us when you can. Here."

And he handed Captain Janeway the tricorder he brought back with him containing the latest scan of the Iconian artifact and videoscans of the away teams progress. He strode to the turbolift, "Oh, and Captain,  
Molly's located Q. He's in the tunnel leading to the Child. Seven, you're with me, as soon as Worf clears you of your task."

And he headed for the bridge.

-----------------------------------------------

"Tuvok, report." he said as soon as he arrived on the command deck.

The Vulcan vacated the center seat smoothly and Chakotay took his place.

Tuvok stood nearby, folding his arms behind his back calmly. "She is what she appears to be.  
A Romulan Warbird. K'Tinga class. Starfleet has dispatched three Starships to intercept.  
The Enterprise has been ordered to stay here with Voyager to secure the away mission and protect the Borg Pyramid from possible attack."

"Any signs of aggression?" Chakotay asked.

Tuvok raised an eyebrow, "Leaving the Romulan Neutral Zone can be considered an agressive act,  
Commander."

"True. But any Romulan vessel doesn't stand a chance against our solar system's defenses. To even come is suitably reckless."

Tuvok straightened visible and seemed to find a point above Chakotay's head, "I cannot explain their presence.  
However, their current sublight trajectory puts them on a heading right for Voyager."

"Hail them.."

"Hailing.." Harry said.

Chakotay stood, "Audio only. I don't want them seeing our Boothby tie-in with the Enterprise or the Iconian door and the mission inside of it."

"Done." Tuvok said.

"Romulan vessel, This is Commander Chakotay of the USS Voyager. You are on collision course with us. Veer off or we will be forced to use a tractor beam to repulse your heading."

All linked to Boothby watching and listening, held their breaths as they awaited the reply to come.

-  
(attachments)

Image : Chakotay in full promotion shot, blue background.

*animated gif* Janeway, Torres and Tuvok looking at you as if you are inside the computer display you are inside.

Image : Chakotay's meditation stone.

*  
From: "Nick Lewis" .uk  
Date: Fri Jun 1, 2001 12:53 pm Subject: Wanted, Dead Or Alive

Alarm bells start ringing in Nicholas' head as he overhears that a Romulan Warbird has been detected. He taps the civilian issue commbadge given to him upon arrival. "Locarno to bridge. Don't mean to sound nosy, but can you get an ID on that warbird?"

"We're scanning it now" comes Tuvok's voice. "Is there something we should be made aware of Mr Locarno?"

"I... er... maybe" Nicholas says evasively. He comes to a decision. "I'm coming up." He discontinues the comm before Tuvok can enquire further...

Stepping onto the bridge again, Nicholas sees that Chakotay has already retaken the centre seat. He looks meaningfully at Tuvok who after checking with Chakotay allows him to look at the tactical data scrolling across the screen.

"What's this all about, Locarno?" Chakotay asks.

"A remodelled K'Tinga" Nicholas muses, "callsign, the Relek." It doesn't ring any immediate bells, but it's presence is certainly convenient. "It's probably nothing" he says to Chakotay. "I've just had a few run-ins in the beta-quadrant, ships I don't care to meet up with again, that's all."

Chakotay hails the Romulans again and this time gets a reply.  
"This is Centurion Vakiris of the Relek. You are harbouring a fugitive, wanted for crimes against the empire. I demand that you release him to us at once."

Nicholas frowns. *Vakiris? Jevin's right hand-man, now what the hell is he doing here?*

Before Chakotay can reply to the Centurion, Nicholas pipes up.  
"Vakiris, you old rogue" he smiles. "You know you nearly had these good people going there for a second. What brings you out here? Curious about the Borg too, huh?"

Vakiris' eyes flick across the viewscreen for a second. "The Borg are of no importance to us at this time. You are, Locarno"  
he snarls.

Nicholas' mind races, trying to think of why Vakiris is looking for him, but he cannot come up with a reason. "'Scuse me?"

Vakiris ignores him and looks back to Chakotay. "We have no wish to be here any longer than is necessary" he says directly. "Give us Locarno or we will take him by force."

Nicholas looks at the Commander letting him know he hasn't a clue what the Romulan is going on about... which as it happens is the truth.

-  
(attachment)

Image : Romulan vessel warbird.

************************************************

From: "patti keiper" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Deal with the devil...again.. )  
Date: Sat, 02 Jun 2001 07:41:31 -0000

Tandem post between "Patti Keiper"  
and "Cassidy Meyers" Via EMAIL tennis LOL! over the course of the week.

MAIN Characters Involved are: This means paragraphs of use of those MAINS in our writing roles.

(Notice, we have not gone over the allowed one line of dialogue for each of the other MAIN's "shown" in this post.  
That way, readers are reminded who's there in the scene and setting and our new ideas are carried out, furthering this story. Patti calls it pretzeling all the characters together.)

Seven of Nine Q Deanna Troi

FREE USE characters.

Molly, the Q enhanced holodog.  
Tuvok The 8472 Primary.  
The EMH

Deanna was watching when the work was finished. The laser cannon Worf had brought made short work of the remaining rock between the away teams and the alien passageway beyond. Even before the dust settled from the last melting shot, Troi knew a LOT more in about two seconds.

The Primary's seeking telepathy started working for the one person missing from activities as of late as the shielding raw titanium deposits fell, leaving clear air between the teams and the distant Suspension Pod two kilometers down the oddly glowing passageway embedded into the canyon wall.  
::Ah... I feels him now. The flitting one:  
the 8472 admitted.

Troi spoke aloud for the benefit of all around her. Especially Geordi, next to her peering into the darkness beyond. "Strange adjective for Q but...it fits.." she said glumly. She glanced over her shoulder, restraining Molly's eager holographic neck by the collar as she tried to follow the scent Picard had ordered her to trace. "Shall I send her in?"

Troi saw Picard nod.

Deanna let her go.

Molly's energetic whimpers and clawpads faded into the distance as she loped down the tunnel after her quarry's scent.

Deanna paused, leaning one hand on the outer wall still in the sunlight and felt it. The shadowed rock was just as warm as the outdoor exposed face.  
"Oh,,,.. It's heated in here." Then she closed her eyes and "Searched". It was an ability she had once used trying to track Wil Riker when he was lost and the Enterprise was seeking his whereabouts.  
"And mother thought I could do this only with Imzadi.. I found another circumstance where my empathy works... When I have to find someone lost who ....really...gets under my skin.. Such as.."

"Q?" said Seven of Nine behind the couselor.  
Troi almost heard the smile in her tone.

Deanna opened her eyes. The young Borg woman stood near her with a tricorder. "The cannon's firing has been sufficiently utilized, I am scanning no resulting cave-ins with the tunnel. And now,  
I am registering faint power signatures two kilo meters away in a direction parallel with the lay of this passageway..."

The counselor shifted her seeking empathy to her.  
All emotions were calm, curious.. Troi spoke.  
"You are no longer feeling pressure from the Borg. Is it because the Cube was destroyed?"

"Yes. My homing tie with the collective was severed immediately after that matter/antimatter detonation."  
Seven said, raising an eyebrow as she realized Troi's vocation. "Is your Betazed telepathy reading the Child now?"

Troi grinned mildly, "I am only half Betazed. I can follow only the emotions of others. But to answer your question... I can feel Q. He's angry for some reason and frustrated. I think he's restrained in some way. He felt the same when the Calamarain ever had him in their energy lasso, hanging upside down."

Seven looked surprised, "You can tell that Q is upside down?"

Troi and Geordi chuckled, Deanna answered. "No. But his trapped feeling is the same now as it was then."

Then Seven's tricorder picked up Molly, far away, and showed the vision through her holographic eyes.  
Seven of Nine announced to the group. "She's found the Pod."

A few of the away team, Picard, Data, Worf along with Deanna and Seven and Geordi, crowded around the tiny image on the screen to see the Irish setter scratch at the surface of the peach colored like almond shaped Pod,  
and barking. A loud pounding from the other side made the holodog react in a frenzy of discovery. She had found Q. It was clear to everyone else, too, where he was.  
Inside the Child's Pod.

Picard sighed, thinking, ::I hate being right about Q.::

Then Troi paused, "Listening" for the Primary's target. "She's not awake. OR else her Borg and 8472 heritage is allowing her to not react emotionally to Q's ranting."

Seven of Nine tapped her combadge, =^=Seven of Nine to Voyager and the Enterprise.. We have a clear path to the Pod.  
Can you lock onto it and beam it out to our location inside the pattern enhancers we've set out for it?=^=

Tuvok answered, " I cannot lock transporter targetting sensors onto it. Something in the hull of the Pod is preventing it." came an answer from Voyager.

Riker's voice came through from the Enterprise, "Same situation here, Seven."

Chakotay wandered up, taking a few moments to see what the others saw through Molly. "We're going to have to go in."  
he decided.

Deanna nodded, "I agree. Maybe if we can figure out a way to release Q, we can persuade him to move the Pod out for us back to the present."

Picard sighed, "And may we not see the price of that folly,  
anytime soon."

Geordi laughed, "Amen!"

Seven reconsidered options. "Voyager, can you lock onto our party assigned to enter the cave to Molly's location?"

Tuvok answered, "Yes. Please stand by."

Deanna relaxed as she and the six with her were taken by the transporter. The Primary followed by other means.

Picard, Chakotay, Seven, Worf, Data, and Geordi nearly bumped their heads on the smooth ceiling of the internment chamber surrounding the Suspension Pod. The dust was gone. Slowly, everyone tested the air by removing their masks. The scent of old oil met them.

Molly barked happily and she sat down as she saw the Starfleet crew materialize around them. She froze in place as only a hologram could. Her job was done until the next order from the next person. She phased out back to Voyager.

Data scanned the Pod with a tricorder after being marvelled by the eerie ambient light emanating from the walls around them. Even the rocky floor glowed seagreen.

Troi through up her hands, "How do we get in?"

Data saw a large white triangle, the only feature on the Pod hull, he got Picard's permission, and he pressed it. "Through here I believe."

Seven of Nine and the others involuntarily backed away from the amazing amount of vocal noise which abused their ears the moment the faintest crack in the ascending doorway appeared.

".......Until I get myself out of this. I am going to kick Preserver butt so badly that their own pants will make a fine hat for their heads!! ..." the loud insulting ceased,  
as Q became aware that his plight had been discovered.  
He hung on the energy bars encasing him.. "Oh,..there you are. Took you long enough.. Clever though, using the instant canine to sniff me out..." He stuck both hands through the spaces in the imprisoning lattice and gesticated wildly, pointing upwards.. "I believe the release mechanism's right there. Just give the blue lighted square a good solid tap and these infernal columns will go out." He said, giving one a smack with his fist. He was rightfully burned. "Oww!!!"  
Q protested.

Deanna was surprised, "Q..." she asked, "What happened?"

"I got burned."

Troi replied levelly, a bland expression on her grecian face,  
"I can see that. So why did you touch the bars?"

Q blew up vocally, "Do you think I like being in here? Do you think I like pain?! Do you think if I had one iota of my Q powers right now that I would be standing here talking to all of you about all this?"

Slow smiles spread through all of the away recovery party's faces.

Troi and Seven levelled their weapons at him.

Q scoffed and crossed his arms, leaning in to the Primary.. He said.. *SEE SOUND BITE* and hooked a finger over at Deanna. "Now I know why I don't like her mother very much." Then he added, "As if you can murder me in cold blood, Isn't that against the Prime Directive thingy of yours Picard?"

Seven, meanwhile, had circled around Q's alien cage and was scanning the Child. "Her lifesigns appear very stable. I think we can get her out safely."

Q was quick, "Get ME out and I'll get her out, too."

Deanna decided to milk this for all that it was worth.  
"Q..." she said, straightening and looking him in the eye, coming within inches of Q's nose with a finger.  
"Guess who's come over to play?"

Q didn't even blink, "*ugh* Your overproddy mother, no doubt."

Troi "Try again. Although this person's not near and dear to MY heart personally.. "

Q understood immediately, "Where is he? I knew he couldn't keep on that field trip with the Traveler for long. Let me out of here!" And Q promptly fried his fingers again. "Aghhh!!!" Q dropped to his knees. "Deanna.. if you have any empathy for a father worried for his son. Press that button. You can't imagine the stuffing that will hit the fan if Q2 really gets going.." Then Q fainted when he looked at the blistered condition of his palms.

Seven had a solution for that too. "I believe I can kill two birds with one stone.."  
She called for the EMH on her chest insignia.

He arrived via his mobile emitter from the away team campsite at the entrance to the tunnel.  
"You rang, Seven?"

He looked at Q.

He looked at the Child, nestled in her bed of blinking red and blue cables.

He knelt by the Child without hesitation. "How stupid."  
he said about Q lying flat out on the glowing floor.  
"His clothes are going to singe lying on that."

Seven sighed impatiently, "He's lost his powers."

The holodoc straightened up, "Oh, in that case, my triage choice changes.. " The EMH toggled his own emitter and two seconds later, he was inside Q's cagetrap. He drew out a tricorder and opened his medkit. The EMH took out two antigrav lifter disks and stuck one on Q's head and the other on a foot, activating them. Q floated a few inches off the hot, energetic floor. "There.. at least his derierre will no longer burn."

He leaned over after healing Q's hands with a protoplaser and shouted loudly.  
"Wake up, Q!"

Q did, rather comically, "Ahh!! oh,.." he flailed about ineffectually in the field of the antigravs. "Ahh,," he said again, "Now, I can't move.."

The EMH crooked a finger in Q's nose and hauled him vertical using the disks levitation. "I did that, although Seven here says your powers are gone because of another reason.."

"Oh, yeah... that's right." Q admitted. "So do your job and heal me."

"I did."

Q looked at his palms closely,, "You missed a spot."

"Oh.." The EMH huffed, crossing his arms.

Then another earthquake began suddenly and everyone was rocked side to side.. Debris and huge chunks of rock and dirt began to fill the cave once more.

Q laughed at their sudden panicked reaction. "Why are you fluttering about like chickens? The automatons will dig you out in a few minutes all."

Deanna yelled in anger even as she and the others ducked and dodged the collapsing pieces of ceiling.  
Data did his best knocking boulders away from his friends as they fell right above their heads. "We can still get squished Q before that happens.." she shouted.

Seven hit her combadge, "Away team Beta to Voyager. Emergency beamout!!"

There was no response. Then Seven realized a magnetic field charged by the moving plates of the earthquake fault nearby would most likely be causing interference.

She tried her badge again, Then Troi did.

Nothing.

Troi turned to Q accusingly, "I thought you fixed our little communications into the present from the past problem.. "

"I did! I mean.. I do... that's when I have my powers.. Now.. HIT ..THE SWITCH!!"

Data's hand shot out and hit the release panel on top of Q's cage. The Bars sucked back into the ceiling of the shaking Pod.

Q snapped his fingers.. And suddenly.  
All were back at the tunnels mouth with the dozens of other crewmen, likewise staggering under the influence of the earthquake.

Q snapped his fingers again, and the earth was still. Even the pterodactyls in the sky froze in place. Even the sun.

But the away teams and everything associated with them stayed normal. But a new change was with them. The whole intact Pod with its open door had followed them outside.  
The Child still lay inside her nest of cables.

Seven heard a reply from her badge, "This is Tuvok.  
We read you.. Is there a problem?"

Seven stood on shaky legs and dusted dirt off of her legs, frowning at Q. She tapped her badge,  
"Voyager, please stand by.."

"Standing by."

Q smiled, "You were saying?" Then more fiercely,  
and so loudly that more rocks fell from the cliff face.  
"Q2, you forgot to send me a postage stamped postcard from camp. I'm deeply hurt.."

The away team began to do what they were trained and asked to do by a very big alien insect.  
##Investigate the Child. She must speak to the Pyramid soon#  
The Primary joined them at the door to the Pod,  
peering in their minds as they worked.

(attachments)

Image : Seven holding a rifle.

Image: Troi holding a phaser.

Image : Q at a control device, grinning.

Gif: A LCARS screen of an EMH interface.

Audio: Q- She's quite a little spitfire now isn't she?

*************************************

From: "Samantha ." Subject: [voyagerliveaction] An interesting proposal Date: Sun, 03 Jun 2001 03:40:02 -0000

Light from the sun glinted across the hull of the transport shuttle as it approached the two sister ships. Off to the side loomed a very large and very intimidating Romulan War Bird. Admiral Paris almost did a double take when the vessel came into view of the shuttle. ::Where did they come from!?:: he thought to himself. He also noticed a somewhat mystified look cross over Kirk's face at the sight.

"The next few hours should prove to be interesting." Owen commented aloud to no one in particular. Through the corner of his eye he saw the pilot nod in agreement, even though he wouldn't be staying around long enough to find out. Once the transport came into range, with Voyager and the Enterprise between them and the warbird, Paris opened up a hailing frequency.

"=/\=Admiral Paris to Voyager=/\= Prepare to beam myself and Admiral Kirk directly to the Cargo Bay." Owen said through the comm-link. The reply from Voyager's first officer came soon after and the pull of a transporter soon overcame the two men standing in the aft of the shuttle. In a shimmer of pale blue light, they reappeared in the Cargo Bay a few meters apart from the crowd.

"Report." Admiral Owen Paris stepped away from the transport site and moved toward Captain Janeway who was standing near the door way.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Q2 watched in interest as a starship was towed away after a severe battle. A mischevious smile crossed his face and he flashed out in the white light that was usually linked to this omnipotent race. While in "oblivion", a place between flashes, Q2 heard an unual voice.

Then the android spoke to the air. Softly, where powerful teenaged ears could hear him. And he knew what he had to do. Arrange for a family reunion, fast. "Q2, this is Lieutenant Commander Data. I think I have a proposal that might intrigue you about our away mission. Only I need your assistancein this manner. Please respond.."

"My assistance? Now isn't that a rather interesting request. Haven't your organic collegues taught you anything? The Q do not willingly "assist" bipedals, it's against our nature." he finished his last sentence with a sense of mock snubness. Data looked at him with his usual blank expression. A feeling of small sympathy came over him, a trait he picked up during his stay as a mere mortal on Voyager. Q2 wrapped his arm around the artificial being's shoulders and moved him off to the side of the group.

"Tell you what, Tin Man. I'll think your little proposal over and get back to you. What do you say?" he turned around and looked at Data with a mock grin. Before the android could speak, a loud bellowing voice filled the canyon.

Q smiled, "You were saying?" Then more fiercely, and so loudly that more rocks fell from the cliff face. "Q2, you forgot to send me a postage stamped postcard from camp. I'm deeply hurt.."

"Ah, it looks like your friends have let dear old dad out of the mouse trap. If you'll excuse me, I have a few white lies to conjure up." the bemused being disappeared in a flash, leaving Data there to mull over the brief audience he had with Q's son.

A little ways away, Q2 reappeared right in front of a striding Picard. The Enterprise CO was stopped abruptly by this action and didn't seem so pleased. Walking up to his father, Q2 could now look him eye to eye instead of up. With the temporal difference in the Q Continuum, it was only a matter of weeks before Q's "first born" had reached his full height. With a smirk and airy tone Q2 approached his father, "You bellowed?"

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

(attachment)

Image : Q2, Q's teenaged son.

************************************************* From: "Alex Delet"  
Date: Sun Jun 3, 2001 2:54 pm Subject: Too many Directors

Hi Shelby! Auntie Kathy! Auntie Kathy! Do I have to go to?  
I am the captains assistant arent I? I can help out real good.  
I know I can.  
Janeway glanced down to the Wildman Child, "Yes, Naomi," Kathryn allowed, "You don't want to get in the way," Janeway knelt down and put her hand on Naomi's shoulder, "We'll get you back in here, just as soon as it's safe, Okay?"  
The Captain stood up and showed Naomi to the exit.  
Walking back briskly, Janeway gestured for Shelby to follow her as she crossed the Cargobay, heading for the workstation.  
Chakotay had come back, obviously while Janeway was seeing to Naomi... her First Officer handed her a Tricorder. Placing it on the Control Surface, she set it to interface. She spent several seconds working with the data, as she set the tricorder to upload it's contents.  
Since the archive function would take a few minutes - Voyager's Captain looked to Shelby. "Commander," she said, not inviting interruption, "What is your area of specialty?" the Captain asked, "You where a command uniform...but why did Starfleet send you to assist with our little away mission?" Janeway asked. "I'm guessing that your not hear as a Science Officer?" the Captain nodded.

Janeway walked out, gesturing for the Commander to follow, "I'm going to the bridge," she said.  
"Report." Admiral Owen Paris stepped away from the transport site and moved toward Captain Janeway who was standing near the door way.

Janeway didn't stop, "I'm on my way to the Bridge, Sir, To Find out," the Captain relished the chance to talk to an Alpha Quadrant race again.  
Already, Alarm Bells were ringing inside of her.... Two Admirals on her bridge would not be good... Especially one with a reputation like Kirk's.  
:: Wonderful :: Janeway told herself as she hovered outside of the Turbolift, ensuring she was last in...first out too. :: First of all, I have some condescending Commander coming aboard to start judging us...and now I have two Admirals, both legendary - one of them for his reckless attitude on my ship :  
:: I'm still in Command :: Janeway told herself, :: God help them if either of them step on my toes on my bridge :: Voyager's CO calmed herself, "Bridge," she ordered.  
The turbolift ride was more or less silent. Janeway burst onto her darkened bridge,noting the Red Alert klaxon was on - adding to the detectable tension.  
"Stand down, go to Yellow Alert, keep the shields up - but power down weapons," Janeway ordered, moving for her chair, after hesitating to assess the situation.

The Romulan Commander was still on screen, looking at them patiently.  
"Mute Audio," she called.  
At once Tuvok jumped in, "Captain, if we stand down, while the Romulans have their weapons pow..."  
"I said Stand Down, Tuvok," Janeway sat in her chair, "Return Audio," , "If you wish, we can hold an Extradition hearing on Voyager, I'm sure Admiral Paris, and Admiral Kirk will preside over it," Janeway said, dipping her voice, in her usual style, "But don't threaten my ship again, Commander," she said, darkly, "Especially, in your current position,"  
"Who is this?" the Commander demanded of Chakotay.  
"I am Captain Kathryn Janeway," Janeway said.  
Locarno stepped back, anticipating the end of the conversation, and obviouslygetting ready to establish his innocence.  
"We'll send you the co-ordinates, I look forward to meeting you, send over a list of charges, and we'll get started," Janeway said,"End Transmission,"  
Janeway turned to Locarno, "This had better be good," she started, "And I also want to truth, as to whether you have any contraband, on your ship?"

*  
From: "Nick Lewis" .uk  
Date: Sun Jun 3, 2001 4:10 pm Subject: Unplugging the Hybrid

Tasha leaves the computer, having learnt all she can for the moment and boldly steps through the Iconian doorway, journeying to the Captain's location. Out of time she may be, but she can't imagine the job has changed *that* much in the last fourteen years. And she still considers herself Captain Picard's Security Chief, even though in the back of her mind, she realises someone else officially has that role.

She arrives just in time for Q and Q2s father and son spat.  
Ignoring the omnipotent beings arguing, she approaches the Captain's party and sees the pod with the hybrid child inside,  
various wires and cable protruding from her. She looks so innocent for the ancestor of what would be the alpha quadrant's two most deadly species.

##Investigate the Child. She must speak to the Pyramid soon.## The Primary joined them at the door to the Pod,  
peering in their minds as they worked.

"Can we disconnect her?" Tasha asks the Primary.

##Great care must be taken## the 8472 intones, ##lest the child be damaged##.

Tasha glaces at Picard who nods his head. She turns to Geordi,  
momentarily startled at her friend's new eyes. She keeps expecting to see the old VISOR. "Geordi, let's see if we can safely get the child out of there. I don't think this pod is gonna be as light as I hope." She smiles at him. It's weird seeing him look older, but at least she's got a second chance to do that. She never thought she'd be grateful of something Q had done, not that she's ever going to tell him.

As Geordi looks at the pod, working out a way to unhook the hybrid child from the cables, Tasha thinks of something else.  
Looking around, she sees the bald man in a blue medical uniform and remembers him being addressed as the ship's doctor.  
"Doctor..." She then realises she doesn't know his name. "Could we have your assistance please?" The EMH moves over to the pod.  
"We need you to monitor the child's lifesigns. Make sure we're not harming or distressing her."

"A sensible precaution" the Doc nods and whips out his medical tricorder again. As Geordi works, the EMH keeps glancing at Tasha. She can't fail to notice it.

"Is there something wrong, Doctor?"

"No, I just......" He sighs. "I've seen the dead brought back to life once before - it's a long story" he says before Tasha can ask. "But I must admit, the concept fascinates me. What happened when Q brought you back? How did it feel?"

The question throws Tasha. How can she explain it? "I... don't know. I wasn't aware I was dead at first. I remember the Armus,  
he must have struck me. I felt my body shutting down, my mind going black, then I was here... well, on the Voyager. I don't think I had time to feel anything in between."

"Hmm." The Doctor seems a little disappointed and goes back to his tricorder readings. "Lt Yar" he says suddenly, "could you follow this cable" he points at a thick clear wire "and find out what it connects to. If this is right, then our endeavor is about to hit a rather major problem."

Tasha nods and traces the cable up to the pod's upper computer banks. Taking her own tricorder readings, she realises what the Doctor means. "Looks like it's connected to her brain. If we take it out, she could go into neural shock."

"An accurate assessment, Lieutenant." The Doc looks to Geordi who has disconnected two of the wires already.

He nods. "Agreed. Primary" he calls, "can you do something to prevent the child from being affected by the cable's removal?"

*  
From: "Clairissa Fox" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] I found Him!  
Date: Sun, 03 Jun 2001 23:04:26 -0000 Dr. Basheer! Dr. Basheer! You got to come. Jadzea is here and she misses her belly friend.

"What can I do to help? It's not like Jadzia is sick or anything now is she? From what you've told me, she's on an away mission with her crewmates, isn't she?"

Yes. But she said she missed Dax inside of her.

"Tell you what, Naomi Wildman. I'll have a talk with the EMH and see what I can come up with. But at any rate. I want to come to your starship to see all of this anyway. No doubt Starfleet is going to want an investigation of Q bringing back these two ladies from death."

Realy? I thought them comeing back was a good thing.

"It is, to some people. But then there's the Prime Dir-"

I know. I know. The Prime Deerective. Ok I will tell Auntie Kathy you are coming so come quick, ok?

"I will. Dr. Bashir out."

I was happy. I was doing my job as captains assistent. And the bed was ready for my little friend from the pod when they got back from the Grand Canyon.

I lookd up at the screen and I saw a scary thing. There was a Romuhlen ship up there. Oh no! Why were they here? I had to go see. I had to see for me.

So I left sickbay and I took the lift to the bridg.

Chakoty was there and Auntie Kathy to. But ther faces looked worryed. I didnt know why they did. Maybe it was the Romuhlens outside. But we were so close to earth? Why be scared at all?

Auntie Kathy! Auntie Kathy! I got the sick bed ready for the little girl in the Pod. Its all set now. And a new doctor is coming to help Jadzea and us out. His name is Basheer.

I saw Auntie Kathy look at me but she was thinking to hard about something so I went over to Tuvok.

Tuvok! Tuvok! What can I do to help here?

Tuvok looked at me and showed me the screen that showed the door into the past. The away team was looking at a wire there in the Pod. Then I saw the wire going into the little queenie's head.

Oh no! She was part of the Pod. Why did that happen?

The scary Primeery was there by the others looking at the Pod and where it was inside of her head. So he spoke to me.

(Mum is writting here.)

##I realize this connection was part of the Hybrid. It is a way to link her to the systems which sustained the Pod while she was buried. This control by her feet will release her.##

I saw all of this on my telly screen and I was happy that she would be coming to us here on Voyager soon. She had to! All of the hollow doctors things were here.

I hit my chest pin

Yar! Yar! We are ready over here on the ship. Sickbay is set. I made shure of that.

Then I turned to Auntie Kathy.

They found it! The button that makes her wake up.

I watched as the Primeery showed the away team how to press the waking button.

His long purple finger hit it. Then the little girl yawned and started to move around in the cables around her place.

The hollow doctor was there watching with his tricorder.

The EMH spoke quickly, "We have to get the Hybrid Child to a stasis field right away until we can reevaluate her condition. No doubt eons of suspended animation has taken their toll on her mental health."

I saw the EMH nod to Picard and he and Geeordy set up transporter getter sticks around my new friend and she went to Voyager.

Very soon, all of the away teams from Voyager and the Enterprize were back in the Cargobay where they started.

I saw the Primeery close the time door.

I ran to sickbay to meet the party bringing the little girl to sickbay.

I went to her side. She didnt have hair! And she lookd like 7 used to with all the robot parts. And her skin was shiny like the Primeerys.  
The hollow doctor put her in a blue light blanket that kept her safe.

Then I heard him talk to the Bridg.

"EMH to Captain Janeway. All the away teams have been returned to Voyager. The doorway to the past has been closed. We have the Child in sickbay. Her condition is stable but she is not conscious at this time."

Then I saw the red alert change to a yellow alert. I guess the Romuhlens werent here by Earth to hurt anyone. I was glad.

I sat by my new alien friend and waited.

Then I saw a man beam in near us with the transporter. It was Dr. Basheer!

You came! You came!

"Yes, and I brought a friend." Julian held up a portable stasis kit. Inside was Dax, the Trill symbiont. "His host heard Jadzia was around so he is loaning Dax out for a few days."

They can do that?

"Things have changed since you were lost on Voyager, Naomi, Now it isn't lifethreatening to have a host and symbiont connection severed."

wow!

I was glad. Soon, Jadzia was would be here to see her belly friend.

-  
(attachments)

Image : Naomi Wildman in front of Chakotay and Janeway at a science fair.

Image: Naomi with her science fair globe.

********************************************

END WEEK TWENTY ONE RECAP 06-03-01

()  
.com/group/voyagerliveaction Writing list site.

WEEK TWENTY TWO RECAP 05-30-01 ()

*  
From: "Roxy Dee" Subject: The Jihad~~ Date: Tue, 05 Jun 2001 06:11:17 -0000 Shared Post with Jeff Seltun at and Roxy Dee at . Editor was Dr. Seltun.

Roles portrayed;  
Captain Picard, Data, Harry Kim, Geordi LaForge, and Boothby the consultant link on the two ships.

Harry left with the EMH for sickbay the moment he counted every head safely returned to Voyager. He was near Captain Picard's group on their way downship to the Child so he heard every word spoken in confidence.

Picard was speaking calmly to Boothby about a sudden order the Enterprise had received from Admiral Komack which circumvented the authority of both himself and Janeway. Harry saw the striking captain nod fractionally at his comlink to Earth and Starfleet headquarters. "I understand the situation, Admiral. The Iconian artifact must be secured in a level ten containment field. You say the Guardian of Forever contacted earth about it? Now that is setting a precedence that device has never before disclosed to us. What do y-"

The Enterprise captain nearly collided with a man appearing in a bright flash that sounded like Q's, but the face he came nose to nose with was very different from the Q Picard knew. He saw the danger of fiery youth in those eyes. He decided to remain silent while the teenaged appearing Q moved on from him a few seconds later. ::Merde. A hundred fold more complicated. A Q with raging hormones.::

With a smirk and airy tone Q2 approached his father, "You bellowed?"

Harry Kim leaned next to Geordi, who had followed him and the others on their way to the rendevous in sickbay. "Can you spell T-E-E-N R-E-B-E-L?" from the corner of his mouth. He got a pandantic glare from the elder Q at that.

Geordi replied. "...yeah. I've seen better days that for sure. Tell you what? Five credits these two will be battling it out before lunch."

Harry said, "No deal..." And the two men shouldered around the two Q's to follow Picard's lead in ignoring the two entities in their "stand off" in the corridor.

Boothby spoke to the Q. "Recdeck Three is empty. Go duke it out there, if you're going to brawl. Leave the crew here out of it."

That was the last audible sentence Harry Kim heard of the distraction ploy standing order Janeway had programmed into Boothby should any Q return to her ship. The holoman would do everything he could to keep Q interested in him and him alone for as long as it took for the Q to become bored and leave Voyager.

---------------------------------------------

Data was the first in sickbay followed by most of those who decided to come from the Cargobay to see the Child while the EMH worked on her.

Captain Picard stood by the biobed at the Hybrid Girl's feet and waited for the Voyager's medical holo to finish his prelim assessment on the child. As he did so, he noted on one of Boothby's screens, the situation on the bridge with the Romulan appearing vessel facing them.

He quietly hit his combadge, "Picard to Riker. Give me a situation report in fifteen minutes. Yellow alert is noted. Picard out."

He knew his first officer on Enterprise would keep things civil even under aggressive posturing from the newcomer.

Data regarded the scene before him with his usual boylike curiosity. He addressed the EMH. "Doctor. I am not familiar with the Non Borg half of your patient. Can you tell me more?"

"Why certainly, commander." the holophysician smiled. "She is half what we Voyagers term 8472. An advanced telepathic insectoid race that has advanced physiological and physionomic characteristics not only in body, but technology as well. Here are the specifications. It is all Boothby knows, too, Mr. Data. I can plug you in to the proper files if you'd like."

"I would agree to your offer, doctor." and the android sat down near the doctor's officer computer.

The EMH said, "I'll return to disconnect you from the Computer matrix in a few minutes to free you."

"Understood." said Data as the EMH pulled away a patch of his hair and found the port leading into his cranial region. He felt a snick and he was one with Voyager's computer. He began to read the files on 8472.

Then, shifting, Data focused his link to the sensors reading data off the Borg Pyramid near Io. It began to glow at its top when the Romulan vessel had slowed to a halt before Voyager and Utopia to answer Chakotay's hail.

He looked at the Primary who seemed to be "listening" to Boothby's video showing Janeway on the bridge facing Locarno and demanding to know of the man's shady dealings with contraband cargo. The great beast seemed to slide sideways into another door, and he was gone.

"Captain Picard! The Primary has disappeared." Data called out.

-------------------------------------------------

The Primary appeared, blending neatly into the green lighting and dark shadows of the Romulan vessel that matched its own skin perfectly. ##I sees why these are here. They are on a hunt for the Iconian things I keep. They seek for the glory and lure of power. A warrior caste no doubt.##

He smelled the air and saw that he was alone. His natural ability to evade these beings homes' sensors was a simple thing. The Primary's lifesigns simply.. didn't register...

He "reached" into the Romulan leaderman's mind on his bridge just as the Voyagerleaderwoman cut her connection off from him following her Extradition offer. The ephemeral was an outcast from his own kind. ##This Romulan vessel was sent into exile for being obsolete with an aging crew. How uncivilized! They don't honorably kill their old ones.## thought the Primary.

He strode around the Romulan ship using subtle mind sendings to hide his presence from the Romulan crew while he investigated this new race's technology and reason for coming so deep into human territory.

His telepathic invisibility screen was effective. The 8472 found what he was looking for, he pulled the fuse from the Romulan's weapons banks and they suddenly went inert.

He roared his presence then, now that his Child was safe. "I takes your claws, Greenbloods. A nofighting has been said by the Voyagerleaderwoman. Do honor to meet her in kind at her offer."

It took almost a minute for the Romulans to get over their initial astonishment at seeing a huge 8472 sudden towering over them on their bridge, and to actually think about the mind message they were receiving without viscerally attacking it.

The Romulan Commander in charge of the bridge said, "So,, you are the one with the ugly Borg Netuhen(pyramid) who has what my government has been looking for for centuries. The Arm of Remus. Hand it over, bug. Or we'll not reset the self destruct we set the moment we sublighted into this system. It cannot be stopped by your reading any of our minds, thing."

##Why should I obey ones who use fire to fight for them? Yes, What you call the Arm of Remus ended the Ancestors. But the Enterpriseleaderman will not allow it to do the same to your vessel in the same way, greenblood. He has locked it away from curious paws.##

"Not good enough!" the Romulan roared at the Primary. "I don't care if you're from the future. Our scholars have been waiting for you since the Preservers last left their myths on our world. You cannot deny us what the Preservers have Ordained. Earth has had the Arm long enough, and the Child watched over it. Now it is our quadrant of the galaxy's turn to serve as its resting place. I know of its dangers. Picard knows its dangers. He calls it the Iconian Key. It is a weapon of mass destruction. But I know my government is fit to custodian it without abusing the Arm. Our honor makes us respect ultimate power. Likewise, Could that be why you returned to the past Lizard? To get the key for your own time against an enemy you have there?"

The 8472 stepped sideways again, through its dimensional door until it was back on Voyager. Then it opened its mind to all on that ship and the Enterprise as it relayed the entire conversation it had just shared with the Romulan leader to all present.

Startlement rippled through all on Voyager and Enterprise. Picard's artifact was in fact, the Romulan equivalent of the Earth's holy grail.

-  
(attachments)

Image: Data with a plug in his head.

Image: promo of Geordi LaForge.

Image: Shot of Utopia Planetia Shipyards.

*  
From: "Cassidy Meyers" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Confiding with the Enemy Date: Fri, 08 Jun 2001 00:23:45 +0400

Deanna Troi felt nothing but curiosity and wonder when she and Seven of Nine entered sickbay where the Child lay unconscious on the biobed. The EMH was there, hovering over her, taking readings of her slowly awakening biosigns. The Primary was nearby, sniffing at one shelf full of one of the doctor's racks of plant shoots. It asked the holodoc,  
##What is this is?## of the greenery its head end was near.

The EMH looked up, "That? Oh. That... is called Cococea Aranthus. A mild stimulant herb that contains caffeine which humans prize in a drink called coffee. Especially Captain J- err.. the leaderwoman."

##Hmm. In our home seas, we have no terrestrial land and no lifeforms such as this with the green starlight eating cells.##

"Interesting." the doctor remarked. "So.. what do 8472 eat anyway?"

The Primary lifted its head, ##Solar decay rivers.  
Through what you people speak as Dark Holes..##

"Black holes.. Hmmm. Makes sense. Sort of like black smokers in the bottom of Earth's oceans feeding the giant tube worms indigenous there.  
They, too, need no plants or animals that eat plants to survive."

##I should go to this ocean place Earth. It sounds of homesea places.##

The EMH chuckled as he hit a button sending a report on the girl's condition to Janeway and Chakotay's board on the bridge. "That's if you can immerse in saline solutions of oxygen bonded hydrogen. The seas are not the plasma you know in Fluidic Space."

##We can survive there. As we've been in that kind of harbor before.##

The doctor did not press to see whether or not the Primary's comment meant that 8472 had been on Earth before or just visiting another water sea on another world. It was a disconcerting thought to think so many races like the Preservers even meddled with Earth and her young space faring humans.

Deanna was only half listening to the voice in her head from the Primary and from the doctor through her ears. She and Seven were working on the universal translator program that would be needed for Voyager and Enterprise crew to be able to understand the Child when she awoke from her suspended animation. The concept of her being a guard of sorts of the Romulan declared Holy Grail seemed bizarre at best.

The counselor could only imagine how Captain Picard felt having accidently used it to destroy all the life on the Borg Cube. But Picard's emotions were ordered with a hint of irritation. No doubt, he was on his way either to sickbay or the bridge from the cargobay after learning about the Romulan ship looming outside. Deanna looked up the name Boothby had given her of the Romulan who had contacted Voyager's captain and first officer.  
Vakiris. Centurion. The Rom equivalent of a Federation first officer. And the ship he was on was a Klingon enhanced Romulan vessel.  
::Not exactly a military mission then, to find this Arm of Remus. More like a bounty hunter after treasure. Or somebody.::

Troi frowned when she read the log showing the conversation the Voyager bridge crew had with Vakiris. "Nicholas Locarno..." she said aloud.

"I beg your pardon." Seven said next to her, looking up from her language algorithms.

Deanna shook her head fractionally. "I was just thinking . Know anything about that man? The Romulans second reason for violating the Treaty by coming into Federation Space must be a pretty compelling one to warrant an ambassador's diplomatic immunity clause to do so."

Seven raised both eyebrows, "They have clearance to be in Federation territory?"

"Apparently so. This report from Admiral Komach grants them leave to pursue a fugitive." Troi said, eyeing the document on another screen.

Seven harrumphed in a good imitation of the EMH,  
"That would explain the powered weapons the Relek has raised against Voyager."

Troi nodded again, thinking mostly to herself."Apt name considering what she's here for in part. A relic."

A tone sounded from the computer.  
##Download complete. Enter input when ready.##

Seven turned to the Primary. "Our language banks have received your program from the Borg Pyramid Primary. I believe the computer will be able to record anything the hybrid Child says for our records."

##I understand. Is waking soonest in one of your hours#  
the 8472 said.

Deanna sat on a stool near the little female a short distance away from where two security guards were watching the level ten security field surrounding the Iconian artifact Picard had sealed away. "The Arm of Remus..." Troi mumbled.  
I wonder if it really was one sometime."

She contented herself with watching the developments on the bridge through Boothby. No doubt Picard would call the counselor when the Romulans met with Voyager's bridge crew at the meeting Janeway had arranged to settle matters.

Deanna took the Child's scaled hand and waited.

-  
(attachments)

Image: Deanna, Luwaxana and Wil Riker having a formal picnic on Betazed.

Image: Seven talking to Janeway in her dimly lit cabin. Closeup.

*  
From: "Cory Anda" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] The Meeting.  
Date: Thu, 07 Jun 2001 20:29:49 -0000

Chakotay sat quietly in his chair, agreeing with Janeway's choice of action. He knew of these Klingon tainted scout vessels with Romulan hulls and crews. They were definitely not military types. And hence,  
potentially dangerous because of their civilian unpredictability.  
He doubled the guard around the room where the extradition Kathryn had called for would take place. And tripled it in sickbay where the artifact lay.

He decided the Senior Officers lounge would suffice.  
It had large computer screens that would help both sides show their data about their purposes.

He handed Janeway a datapadd with his arrangements.

She was pleased the location was no where near where the Iconian Arm of Remus artifact was being held under containment fields. Who had rights over the object over who would be decided later.

Chakotay looked to Tuvok, who had returned to his science station shortly after Janeway entered the bridge.  
He held up his datapadd, showing that he had gotten Seven and the counselor's computer squirt with the new language parameters the universal translator would need with the Hybrid Child.

"The Officer's Lounge is ready, captain." he said to Janeway.  
"I am reading the Relek is powering down weapons. Looks like your first act of trust has paid off. Maintaining yellow alert."

He comm'd Harry. =^=Chakotay to Ensign Kim. Keep me informed of the Child's condition. I want to know the moment she's speaking.=^=

=^=Understood. Kim out.=^=

Chakotay rose from his seat, pointing to two security guards to take up their positions with him to greet the Romulan Centurion for his escort to the Officer's Lounge. He made sure the number of crew he had with him equalled that of the number of Romulans showing in the paused transporter beam.

A few minutes later, Chakotay was in the Transporter room,  
respectfully weaponless himself but with armed guards on either side of the door.

"Energize." he told the transporter operator.

Vakiris and three other Romulans appeared. They looked nothing like military types. Their clothes were torn and soiled. But Vakiris himself wore a functionally neat,  
occupationally neutral tunic and trousers. With a single shiny metal emblem hanging on a chain around his neck.

Chakotay raised his eyebrows, ::He looks like a padre with his silver cross."

He spoke, "Welcome aboard Voyager, gentlemen. My captain and I will receive you in the officer's lounge."

Vakiris grumbled, "I'm sure you will. The sooner I get the human fugitive and the Arm back, the better."

Chakotay wisely didn't respond and held out a hand,  
asking them to preceed his party to the meeting.  
He tapped his combadge, =^=Chakotay to Janeway. We're on our way..=^=

=^=Janeway here. I'm set for you. Welcome aboard. Vakiris.=^=

-----------------------------------------------------

Tom Paris cleared the cargobay as soon as he could giving orders to the away team. Soon, they had cleaned up and dispersed back to their duty rosters.  
Tom fidgetted.  
::If there's Romulans on board. I want them as far away from my daughter as I can.::

He queried Boothby, and found Torres's location behind some crates examining the Primary's silent Iconian portal frame. He hurried to her side.  
"Hey bumpkin," he said cradling B'Elanna's swollen belly. "And I mean your stomach this time, not your forehead.. Q didn't know what he was talking about then.." He kissed the top of her head. "Missed you."

Torres scoffed, "You were only away for three hours."

"Yeah. But a million years separation's bound to have an effect on me, don't you think?"

Tom hugged her again, pulling down B'Elanna's tricorder that she was holding scanning the darkened portal.  
He felt a kick, strongly, under his hands. "Hey.. she's a little active today, don't you think?" he said frowning.

Torres shrugged, as she shrugged off his arms, pointing to the doorway and to engineering that was calling to her mentally.  
Tom stopped her, taking her hands, "You are due anytime now. Are you sure that morning sickness wasn't Klingon labor pains or anything? I've done a little reading and that symptom is usually one of the first signs of pending birth.."

He smiled at the thought of his daughter having her birthday the same day Voyager got home. He cocked an eyebrow,  
waiting for the love of his life to fess up.

-  
(attachments)

Image : Tom kneeling down by alien technology,  
fiddling with it in a cargobay.

Image : Chakotay grinning like a sly fox in the transporter room receiving alcove.

**************************************

From: "Roxy Dee" Subject: What to do at the end of the ride~~ Date: Fri, 08 Jun 2001 21:13:55 -0000

Harry turned after acknowledging Chakotay's order to let the bridge know the moment the Hybrid child was awake from her induced sleep.

He saw the counselor already by the child's side and Seven and Deanna finished with their upgrades to the universal translator. There was little for him to do in the way of preparation work for first contact with the tiny Queen. ::And,.. I wasn't summoned to the bridge or to help handle the Romulan meeting in the Officer's lounge. So,  
I guess that means I'm meant to turn in. I guess it is my off shift.::

Harry looked up at Troi and Seven, the Primary and the holodoc, Picard and Data announcing. "Well, I'm going off shift for a nap. My shift's over. I've got Boothby rigged to tell the bridge the moment she awakens." he said, gesturing to the bed.

Picard nodded, "Good night, ensign."

Harry Kim walked out into the corridor and just leaned on the wall. The two security guards Chakotay had posted outside sickbay just grinned.

"Long day?" one of them said.

"And how.. You'd never know that nine hours ago,  
we were still stuck in the Delta Quadrant."  
Kim moved closer, smiling.."So, have either one of you got to contact Earth yet? How is everything?"

The burly man shook his head. "Captain Janeway wanted no one on or off ship since Locarno docked his ship. Starfleet's sent over Commander Shelby to...investigate and head Voyager's debriefing.."

Harry frowned ruefully, "Already met her. Tough as nails.. Let's hope she's not too hard on the Captain.."

Both men agreed empathically.

Kim waved and continued to his quarters.

He entered the main room and sat on the couch,  
tugging off his boots. He said, "Computer,  
dim the lights one half, and display of my messages."

One appeared on his desk computer's screen. It was tagged as having come from the Enterprise.  
Part of the ensign's heart fell at that. He had really hoped Libby would give him another go now that he'd come out of his nervous breakdown over the loss of his grandmother. But then again, another part of Harry just wanted to sever all ties with anything that reminded him of home.  
It was too painful.

"So,....where does Harry Kim go now? I'm home.  
I'm...relatively safe. And...." Kim sighed, "I'm bored already.."

He started chuckling as he leaned back onto the couch and closed his eyes.. A heavy grogginess gripped him almost at once. It HAD been a long day. He was too tired to get up and go over to the computer to read his message so he asked the computer to do it for him.

The computer warbled, #Incoming message is from Geordi LaForge, Lt. Commander on board the USS Enterprise under the command of Captain Jean Luc Picard...#

"Ok,.. shoot."

#Please restate command.# the computer said.

"uh,,,,*yawn..* Playback message.." Kim murmured placing an arm over his face and wriggling his toes.

The Lt. Commander's voice came over the speakers speaking eagerly.. "Hello Harry. I just found out some more things about that artifact my captain messed around with. Not only is it a holy relic to the Romulans but three other races... Including the unidentified race that created the Guardian of Forever. Get this. That gate called Starfleet for more facts and has since tapped into Boothby we've got rigged between our starships. Ha..ha.. Getting more interesting all the time. I wouldn't be surprised if Janeway and Picard drop this whole affair into the Committee of Galatic International Affairs lap and wiping their hands of the whole thing. It's about time you Voyager crew get to really go home. Don't you miss your families?"

Harry Kim's face sobered as he heard that last part.

"Say...I've got a little project for us as soon as you get back on duty if our captains allow it. How about a portable tunnel conduit running from Voyager to the Borg Pyramid like a space station pylon? That way the Primary and us can have free run back and forth between the two vessels without having to rely on transporters all the time until we get the Primary and his little queen child squared away.  
Until then... Have yourself a really good snooze. You've earned it.." Then almost off the pickup range.."Man,.. thirty thousand light years and one million years time under the same belt on the same shift.. Talk about your long duty shifts..."

Harry Kim never even heard the end of the message and the computer turned off the desktop screen as soon as it registered Harry's lifesigns level off into sleep.

"*Snore*.......

-  
(attachment)

Image : J encouraging Harry on a matter at his station.

*  
From: "Clairissa Fox" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] I found how to help for my new friend.  
Date: Sun, 10 Jun 2001 05:17:36 -0000

I waited by my new friends' bed. She was so tiny! I was bigger than her. I saw Deanna Troy keeping a watch over her for the captain. I was glad I helped out by getting sickbay ready for the holo-doctor. (boy did I spell that word wrong before)

But I ran over to Dr. Basheer instead. Doctor! Doctor! Can I see Dax? Is he ok? I saw the silver case that was glowing that held him safe. Then the Primeery spoke to me in my head.

##What is this other?##the 8472 inquired. ##I feel him in my mind and it has great age.##

I laughed. Primeery, that is Dax, Jadzias' belly friend. Hes' here to visit her.

"Another being is there?" the Primary asked.

Yes. I said. He's small and lives inside Trill people and he makes them very smart because he's lived so long.  
I read about it in the database.

"Will he speak?"

Only when he has a mouth to talk with. I called Dr. Basheer over to Voyager so Dax, that's his name, can see his old body friend again. Her name is Jadzea.

"So,.. her name will be Jadzia Dax when they are together."  
the 8472 thought carefully.

Hey. That's right! That's where I heard that name before.  
The two ones together. Now I knew why it was so easy for me to remember it. It was because I had seen it before.  
I told the Primeery. Be careful what you say to Jadzea, she died the last time they had to be two people again. But Dr. Basheer said they could visit and not get hurt when it was time for them to go again.

I was happy. I ran over to the silver case and put my nose on it. I could see Dax moving in the water inside. I tapped on the little window with the lights but he didn't do anything different.

I excused myself from the Primeery and went over to my new friend the one who was a girl just like me.

I saw her blue skin, and gray hair out the back and could not belive she was a robot and a 8472. Maybe she could like I could be two people at once. I was Catarean and human. And I guessed where her parents were.  
If she was sleeping so long in the Canyon, and her mum and da didn't, then they had gone to heaven a long time ago, like when the dinosaurs where still alive!

So I went over to the pretty lady, Deana who was staying by the bed. I said. I know how I can wake her. Mum used to sing me a morning song and then a smile would come insted of a yawn.

So I got real close and I sang my best for her so she would know we were nice.

"Far beyond the stars, my soul is longing to go.  
There beyond the stars. To a better place I know.  
Though you feel afraid Keep all worries from your heart You are safe, beyond the stars.

Time passing again passing as time will do.  
And know lying so low that the hour is near We'll go flying so low that our toes brush the trees.  
Come and play Beyond the stars.

Listen to the birds do you hear them singing above?  
I don't know the words, but I know they're songs of love.  
Thoug I'm far away.  
Don't you know I hold you close?

I love you, beyond the stars."

Then I saw something! The hol o-doc started to sing too! And he knew my song!

The pretty lady started to hum but I didnt' dare stop. And then the other little girl's eyes opened!  
She saw me!

But I didnt' know if she could talk so I set up Bootby.  
I had to see. I had to see for me.

Bootby! Bootby! Get the talkthing ready. She did it!  
Shes' awake now.

Then my new friend said this...

-  
(attachment)

Image: Naomi on the holodeck in sunny woods looking demanding.

*

From: "patti keiper" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Like Father like.  
Date: Sun, 10 Jun 2001 23:18:32 -0000 TANDEM Post between (Samantha) and (Patti) via E-Mail Tennis.

Q2 watched as the two Starfleet Officers walked around him in their dust covered jump suits. An impatient air came over him, one of many a spell when he was around his "father". Turning back to Q, Q2 let him know the full range of his emotions by the look on his face. "Would you please make it fast, I really don't have all day. There is so much I need to get done..." he trailed off a bit, not wanting to let on to his little plans.

---------

"My dear boy.. no, that's not right. You were never a boy..." Q said,  
first lecturing and then with genuine chagrin.

Behind them, Boothby scoffed and choked an electronic note.

Q glared over his shoulder. "Do you mind?!" he said to the simulcrum,  
"I'm trying to talk to my son here..."

"Do you ever?" Boothby said. "Thwarting authority is first on that one's mind.." he said, pointing to the youthened looking Q.

He was pointedly ignored by the demi dieties in front of him.

The older Q turned back to the younger one. "Q. I am so surprised you came. Usually you don't like my particular kind of sandbox.  
Humans hardly know how to push back, so I can see how you'd think they might be boring.."

Q2 studied his father and decided not to let on just yet. He conjured a comet, shrank it down and played with it like a tennis ball against the wall on Boothby's face, leaving subzero degree pockmarks on the crystal face of Boothby's monitor.

Boothby promptly adjusted environmental controls and melted the tiny ball's ice away so the rock wouldn't further damage Voyager. His hasty move was unnoticed by the Q. The son continued dribbling the thing off floor, wall and his palm with the long ease of palled boredom.

Thunk, thunk..puh.. Thunk thunk..puh..

"So,.. how was the trip, Son..?" Q said, jabbing his elbow against Q2, and winking. "I figure you ditched the Tinny Traveler and his zitfaced sidekick Wesley as soon as a nebula so much as drifted between you two."

Thunk thunk puh...

-------

Q2 didn't even look up and said, "Nope, I left long before that. The kid was starting to bore me with his babble."  
He tossed the sphere into the air behind his back and caught it in front of him. A silence passed between the two omnipotent beings, yet, only for a short while. In the process of levetating the ball, Q snapped it out of existence.  
The teen looked at him with the power of 10 upset adolecents.

-------

"That comet's absence will cause the extinction of a whole race whose whole religion revolves around it's return every growing season's beginning!" Q snapped back verbally. "Think before you act, young man..."

-------

"If you must know, I came here because I thought that I could have some real fun without "dear old dad" interfering.  
With you out of the way, that was actually possible for once."  
he gave the aged man a look of contempt and found a new 'toy' to amuse him. This turned out to be a small shuttle craft from across the quadrant. Like before, this was shrunken down to figurine size.

Q2 imitated the dialogue and sounds of a communication and finally an S.O.S. He then uncerimoniously crashed the shuttle into a nearby bulkhead. He looked up to see a somewhat surprised look on Q's face. "Don't worry, I flashed them back to their homeworld. They'll be fine." Q2's face simply told him "duh".

--------

But the look of surprise never left the senior Q's features.  
"You really think that of your old man?" he said softly. The air didn't even flow from the volume, "All I ever did was be there for you. Even when your mother gave up and "went"  
away. What's a few rules between family? The Continuum is the root of our powers and if the majority only hands out lightning bolts to citizens who follow the majority rule, so be it.. I just happen to be the one with the custodial duty to make sure you don't lose your powers by crossing the line."

Q picked up the shattered shrunken alien shuttle and snapped his fingers until the crumpled hull and all of its delicate parts were whole once more. He blew on it and sent it back to dock gently with its own homeworld, but full of what the beings Q2 displaced would consider valuable as well.

Then he regarded his get with a neutral seriousness.  
"Compassion is something that comes with experience so I'll tell you what.. if you want to galavant around the cosmos,  
blowing up that or fiddling with this, go right ahead. Your ultimate actions will get us both kicked out of the Continuum and out of gas. You want that? Fine. If you say you're a grown Q, I'll treat you like one. Be responsible not only for yourself,  
but for me as well. I am laying the outcome of my future Q-ness at your feet."

He made shooing gestures. "Go on,.. go.. I'll most likely be fully mortal by sundown on Earth over China.." he said morosely.  
"One thing. Leave my humans alone. Do what you want with anyone not in the original Voyager crew. They do not have my affections. " Q looked his son, up and down harshly, "So what are you waiting for?! Go have a day completely unregulated. Just expect to be in some seedy jail cell of the race you've pissed off after our powers are gone.."

Q winked out, away from his son's sight and into sickbay where the Hybrid Child lay.  
He appeared suddenly, making the dozing Deanna Troi jump.  
"Hello gorgeous.. I don't suppose you feel like babysitting my son, too huh? "

Troi glared at him.

Q sighed like a steam engine. "Didn't suppose you would... "  
He created a stool next to her and sat down. "I need a counselor... I've just disowned my son and it could be the end of us both.."

Deanna still offered Q no sympathy.. Her black eyes just got blacker.

Q actually winced at that. He said, "What do I have to do to actually make a friend around here? You have no idea how lonely being me can be sometimes. I guess it's just your human friends rubbing off on me.. " he said picking pieces of the shuttle's paint from out under his finger nails.

"So help me, Troi,..I've developed a conscience.. Something that no Q has ever had before. Not even my counterpart Q who died on this vessel after Janeway's tribunal." He set his chin on top of his laced fingers, watching the young Child breathe in her sleep. "She reminds me of him..

Th- that's why I came... here i-in the first place. I just had to see how it ...used to be.. " his voiced trailed off.  
"Especially when he used to rest at eon's end. Q looked that way when he was younger. So cute with some galaxy wrapped in his little hands.." Then the almighty Q began to weep.  
"Oh, Deanna.. what have I done?"

In spite of herself, Deanna found herself wrapping comforting arms around Q. For his emotions held all the pain of any dysfunctional father ever could.

-  
(attachments)

Image: Q with Chakotay's Tattoo

Image: Q2

Image: The Hybrid Child in close up.

Gif: Plasma green light bar.

************************************

END WEEK TWENTY TWO RECAP 06-10-01

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WEEK TWENTY THREE RECAP 06-13-01

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*************************************

From: "Alex Delet" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Reaching For The Past Date: Mon, 11 Jun 2001 19:59:32 +0100 Jadzia Dax stood against a replicator, on one of Voyager's many observation decks.  
:: I might as well be just Jadzia :: she told herself. Since she'd come back from the dead, Jadzia had felt...and knew that Dax wasn't in side of her.  
Although Jadzia Dax was a correct description for the woman who stood on Voyager, it was also completely incorrect.  
The Biological part of Dax was silent, the normal union of two minds that happened with Joined Trills was no longer going on.  
...but the memories, the personality,everything else was.... It was disconcerting.  
A Tricorder scan, revealed that there was indeed a Dax inside Jadzia, the symbiont was fulfilling all necessary biological functions in order to keep Jadzia alive.... But it's mind was.  
not active. The Trill could feel her Symbiont in dazed confusion. It had separated itself from Jadzia at the moment of her death, ready for it's next host. And it wasn't ready to go back to being with Jadzia.  
Naomi to Jadzea! Naomi to Jadzea! I can help you a little bit.  
Didn't you see Worf when you went through the cargobay? He was right there at the computer with the cannen near Aunti-  
I mean Captain Janeway, when you walked by. I know you did.  
I saw you. I read in the library that Worf is your husbend.  
Or were you to scared to see him?  
Dont worry, Worf will go through the time doorframe to you soon.  
He has to tell everyone where to find my friend, the little Queen.  
Dax smiled at the young and eager voice of the girl, someone had told her that the Captain's Assistant would be along to talk to her eventually.  
"Dax here," Jadzia responded automatically, "I...did see Worf, and Yes, I...was Scared," she said, simply, wondering why she had decided to pour that out to the child on the end of the comm line.  
Jadzia had 'borrowed' a duty report...noting all new officers boarding the ship in the last few hours. One name stood out.  
triggering a flow of memories. Dr. Julian Bashir.  
That name rang out.  
"Computer, Location of Dr. Bashir?" she said, quickly.

A Familiar Face from her Academy Days appeared in of her.  
literally, Dax decided it was a hologram of some sort.  
"Bashir is in Sickbay with Naomi," Boothby grinned, "They're waiting for you,"  
Jadzia smiled, and jogged to the nearest Turbolift.  
Although she wasn't 100% sure, why the hologram had decided to inform her of that personally - she reasoned it was important, and called for a priority route to Sickbay.  
"Jadzia!" Dax turned around quickly, the Intrepid class Sickbay had two entrances, and since she hadn't seen Bashir, before he'd seen her - she'd obviously chosen the wrong one.  
When she saw him, the emotion of something familiar, someone that she knew....made her run toward him, "Julian," she said, tears in her eyes as she embraced him in a hug.  
The hug lasted several seconds before Jadzia pulled away, whatever sixth sense within her - that told her when a symbiont was nearby, had activated.  
Jadzia turned her eyes toward the silver tank, seeing...Dax.

She walked over to it, and rested her hand on the case.  
Julian jumped back, as the Symbiont's energy arced through her hands...Jadzia felt something stir within...the Dax in the tank, had tried to communicate with the Dax inside her.  
It had failed.  
"We borrowed Dax from it's new host," Julian told her, correct, in not assigning a gender to the symbiont,"So you two could.  
catch up,"

Jadzia turned to him, ::catch up?:: she asked herself.  
"Dax lives on," she finally said.

"Yes..." Julian looked uncomfortable.

Jadzia looked at him....wondering what had happened since she'd.  
:: since I died :: she thought.

"Julian...If you want to implant...Dax into me," she said, "To wake up the Dax within me...." she turned, suddenly remembering Worf.  
"We can start right away,"

Jadzia was on a biobed, Voyager's EMH was busy with the child, the away team had 'sent back' , Naomi was also occupied, with it. Julian set up an Opaque forcefield to begin the procedure....Jadzia closed her eyes, waiting for him to start.  
But he didn't start.  
Jadzia opened her eyes to see him staring at her.  
"Julian," she said, that one word being a question, and a statement.

"I'm Sorry," he stepped forward, "But the last time I had to operate like this..."  
he trailed off.

"I was dead, and you were saving Dax," she smiled weakly.

"It's...good to see you Jadzia," he told her, "Although..."

Jadzia interrupted him, "I don't belong here, Julian," she said,  
"Everyone I know, has moved on with their lives..." she said,  
"Worf....," she remembered, "And I'm a ghost from the past," she smiled up at Julian, regaining her spirit. So what if she was back from the dead, to a time...she didn't belong in. This was no time to regret, to feel weak.

This was Dax, and Dax was not shy.  
Julian took her hand, understanding, as he had on the last day they'd talked, as friends, before she'd died.

Captain Kathryn Janeway sat patiently at the head of the table, Admiral Paris at her side, and a seat for Locarno further down, with Chakotay to the other side,or at least, a seat for him. The other end of the table, was ready for the Romulan...delegation.  
Janeway watched Locarno closely, she wasn't completely naive when it came to deception. An extradition hearing was not a good thing to start off with...Especially not with a Romulan, who wanted two things - neither of which, Janeway was happy about handing over.

-  
(attachments)

Image : Janeway with short hair and a black turtleneck under her command uniform.

Image: Jadzia and Dax together in the mess.

*  
From: "Cory Anda" andacoryh...  
Date: Wed Jun 13, 2001 4:49 pm Subject: Saving Graces

"Give me what my government demands, captain! Or it may go very badly for your precious Starfleet!" spat the Centurion Vakiris. He was only just conveyed from the transporter room to the Officer's lounge. And he was none too happy either.

Janeway held up a hand, got up from her chair, neutrally in the middle of the long length as opposed to a seat at one of the ends of the negotiating table. She walked over to a panel, touch a button and an almost life sized image of the Primary's Borg Pyramid leaped into view in front of them all.

The Romulan and his four escorts visibly flinched.  
Vakiris said, "Where did that come from? Are we in any danger?"

Chakotay spoke up from his place on the other side of the table opposite his captain's place. "You mean you didn't notice the Primary's homeship in orbit of Utopia? Quite frankly.. I'm surprised. And no, we aren't in any danger. This Primary of whom I am speaking is an ally. It is he who found and brought your Arm of Remus from the Grand Canyon into our hands. I'm sure our ship's engineer can assist your crews with their sensors if you have problems detecting Borg vessels..sir."

The subtle "behave yourself" remark from the first officer toned down Vakiris's tirade admirably. The Centurion, smoothed his robes, now in an attempt to save face, his earlier ire forgotten. "That sensor suggestion would be tolerated, Commander.. In the spirit of good will ambassadorial conduct, I'm sure."

Chakotay was short. "Of course. We've our treaty to govern us, Centurion."

Janeway had slowly made herself return to her seat at the table while she watched Chakotay maneuver intent out of the Romulans.

Her silence was noticed.

Vakiris snorted. "Oh, very good, Captain Janeway. You let your inferiors test the ground.. Play the wind.. But I assure you.. Give me the human interloper Locarno and the Arm and we shall leave and trouble you no further."

Chakotay again spoke, at Janeway's subtle nod.  
"Centurion. It's critical you know that the Arm is not our possession.  
It is an Iconian artifact that the Primary had foreknowledge of being buried on Earth one million years into the past. We've only just recovered it. It is he whom you must speak with on this matter."

Vakiris blinked, "Now why would I trouble myself with a a..a being from a ship my vessel cannot see?"

Chakotay smiled tiny, "Because he's from the future and I don't think neither you nor I would like that pyramid to get angry with superior technology, now would we..?"

Vakiris's eyes shifted uncomfortable, but to his credit, he did not blanche. "Very well. Show me this Primary and I shall have words with him."

Boothby, on a panel watching proceedings, chuckled.

The 8472 arrived on schedule, ducking its great bug head as it crammed itself into the Officer's lounge. It undampened the telepathic communications routes into the Romulans minds and it spoke. ##What is this warrior whom I must have speakings on the matter of the Key?##

Vakiris nearly shrank into his seat at the sight of the giant 8472 towering over them all and dwarfing everyone at the meeting table.

::Oh Elements!!:: Vakiris quailed. ::It is a demon!:: He reached for his disruptor but the Federation Transporter had conveniently left it behind on the Relek. "S--Stay back...thing!!"

Boothby grunted from all the computer faces in the room. "Finer words were never spoken..."

-----------------------------------------------

Tom Paris studied B'Elanna's eyes for about two seconds. "Don't start giving me any of the stubborn Klingon backbone, B'Elanna, saying things were just a bit of heart burn because tricorders never lie..." he said holding up his medical one. "It says here that your pelvic bones have begun to soften.. Whether you like it or not.. Our daughter's coming."

He smiled and said, "Call me when things get really going.. I'll be in sickbay. No doubt the doctor will need me with the Child's consciousness assessment. She's showing as having just awakened.

He kissed B'Elanna on the nose and about faced out of the cargobay, leaving Torres with a half smile on her face.

-------------------------------------------------

Tom Paris didn't know where to head once he got to sickbay. There was a strange doctor near one of the surgical beds and he seemed about to start a surgical procedure on the Trill Tom saw Q reanimate.

And on the second bed, he saw that the Hybrid was indeed awake near the counselor and Naomi Wildman.

He just stood in place and said, "OK, doc. Open up a third bed. We're about to have another babycall is it or not exam again. Just look at these readings.."

He tapped his combadge, =^=Hey Harry! =^= he shouted irreverently. He knew that Harry was off shift and he didn't care. He was too happy. =^=Still got those Cuban cigars handy?=^=

-  
(attachments)

Image : Chakotay with an ensign. Very elegant expression on both their faces.

Image : Tom Paris talking to Harry.

*********************************************

From: "Roxy Dee" Subject: The Baby Ball is Rolling~~ Date: Thu, 14 Jun 2001 15:59:04 -0000

Beep!

He ~Tom Paris~tapped his combadge, =^=Hey Harry! =^= he shouted irreverently. He knew that Harry was off shift and he didn't care. He was too happy. =^=Still got those Cuban cigars handy?=^=

Kim's response was non existent.

Another hail from the helmsman came over the comm and then Harry's hand shot out of its own volition to smack the pin set on the backrest of the couch above his head. The rest of him moved not so much as a millimeter.

*poke* "Ughhhg- ghh?" said the ensign to the air.

The canned chuckling he heard did nothing to warm his mood. Harry's sleeping fog had his mind in a vise grip of lassitude.

The computer added its own question, in response to the illegible english it was relaying into the comm badge voice communication system. #Vocal reply indistinct.# Then it slipped into a new diagnostic. # Do you require medical assistance?#

Harry whipped the pillow off his weary, irritated face and he said. "No, but somebody else will in about two seconds. Old good ol buddy boy of mine...." he growled into the comm pin so close that it squealed in protest....

Tom Paris said four words. =^=It's showtime,......Uncle Harry.=^=

Kim blinked at that and then full comprehension dawned on him. All trace of grumpiness left in two nanoseconds. He shot to his feet so fast for his boots that he bumped his shins on the low glass table by the couch and grunted in pain again.

#Do you require medical assistance?# the computer piped up.

"No!! Computer..." Harry spat as he fumbled on his footwear and set his pin on the wrong side of his chest in his haste. "Deactivate bioflag medical monitoring on Ensign Kim, Beta Nine Alpha."

#Unable to comply.#

"Why not?" Kim said.

#Auto lifesign monitoring in all crew quarters instated by Commander Chakotay as of 0207 hours in response to the Romulan delegation's arrival on board.#

::Heh. That's in case one of us gets ambushed for the artifact or other espionage tricks from the crew of the Relek.. Dmned annoying to have the vocal medical analysis mode running. What would happen if a couple were engaged in a horizontal slow dance in the privacy of their own quarters and got a little bit loud?::

Kim did not ask the overhead computer about that little problem. But he felt sorry for the first incident to occur that ended up with a site to site beaming into sickbay just due to lusty sounding vocal analyses tracks pegged by the overprotective computer.

He'd remember to bring up the topic to B'Elanna the first chance he got.

Then he remembered.. ::B'Elanna! She's going to have her baby!::

And he shot out of his quarters making time to sickbay like a ballistic photon.

---------------------------------------------------------------

When he got there. The expectant father was there. But not the expectant mother. ::????::

Tom was leaning casually on a desk, cool as the hills, watching events happen around him.

Harry made his way over to the EMH. "Hey, doc.. Isn't B'Elanna coming here yet? I just got a call that the baby could come at any time...."

The holographic doctor turned and faced Harry from his scanning of the Hybrid Child. "It CAN happen anytime. Only it's not happening right this moment.. You know how women are in their final trimester. And with B'Elanna's unique Klingon/Human physionomy, it's up to her when she delivers her daughter."

Kim laughed aloud, "Listen doc, I just got a comm from my buddy here that said things were moving along at a good clip.."

The EMH raised an eyebrow. "Figuratively speaking, they are.. the latter stage of pregnancy has many milestones that occur in the body.."

Kim smacked himself on the forehead. "That's not what I mean.. I mean... when's the child coming into the world?"

"The Hybrid? She's awake right now.. Our Miss Wildman sung her a lullaby to bring Sleeping Beauty out of a million year coma that brought a tear to the eye.."

"No..no no no no..." Kim sighed.. "When is B'Elanna having her baby?... Exactly..."

The EMH sighed, "Oh. " he set down his instrument he was calibrating for his patient. "You're going to have to ask Lt. Torres about that one. I really couldn't say... You see.. It's because of her un-"

"Unique Klingon/Human physionomy... yes.. I heard.." Kim grumbled.. "And I was roused from a deep sleep for this?" he said impaling Tom Paris's merry back with a stare. "I bunged my shin for nothing??"

The EMH glanced down the ensign's leg, "You are injured? Do you require medical assistance?"

Harry let out a sigh of exasperation. "Not you too.. Listen doc, would you tell Chakotay not to be so gungho over activating the ship's bioflag monitoring system.. It's too much of a mother hen.. " Kim started to stalk off towards Tom Paris, rolling up his sleeves.. "But it might come in handy very soon. You're about to have a little business ready for the fourth biobed... Tom's about to take a short trip site to site after a solid roundhouse right...!"

The EMH sputtered.. "Now ensign... Try to restrain yourself. I'm sure that Lt. Paris meant well by waking you with his happy news. His tricorder scans did reveal certain changes that suggest Lt. Torres is beginning the birthing process.."

Harry's whole demeanor suddenly about faced, "Oh... Then why didn't you say so?" And he walked off to grip his best bud in a congratulatory shoulder snug.

Left behind, the EMH sighed, "I thought I just did.."

-------------------------------------------------------------- (attachments)

Image : Harry looking peeved.

Image : Harry happy at Tom.

*  
From: "Cassidy Meyers" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] The Pure Fire.  
Date: Sun, 17 Jun 2001 18:46:13 +0400

Deanna sat up straighter when her tiny charge moved on the biobed in front of her. ::This is it. What I've always loved. A first contact.  
Something usually reserved for captains and away team leaders.::

Nonetheless, her hand hit her combadge. She knew Captain Picard was in route.

=^=Troi to Captain Picard. She's awake and her emotions are calm.=^=

"Understood. I am almost there." came his reply.

Deanna watched as Naomi, sitting next to her began smiling. As yet, Captain Janeway was not there. Troi suspected it was because the meeting with the Romulans had begun. Now that was a tangle even she didn't want to be responsible for.

Who knew what would happen. Then the Enterprise counselor's attention was drawn toward downwards.

A hand had grasped her arm gently in the feathermost touches. A soft, liquidlike voice met hers even as she uttered a reply.

"Hello..."

"~~~^^??"

The universal translator struggled to work with the algorithms she and Seven had setup in Voyager's language bases. With the Primary in the briefing, it was the only way things could be understood by those in sickbay.

She felt the Primary's acknowledgement inside her head that things had started. He told her that the translator would clear up with only a few sentences. And that he would be right down. Troi heard his passing comment about Vakiris.

##This people thinks I am a energy creature of great malice.. Tell me.. what is a demon?##

Troi laughed in spite things and the tiny Child answered.

"~*^^"' And she sat up.

The EMH came over to them at once. "Ahh. I see a few eons on ice hasn't effected your sense of humor young lady. " he said to the Child. "Keep speaking and then we will be able to understand you."

As the holodoc spoke, Troi felt understanding begin to dawn in the soft emotions she was receiving on their young patient.  
::Good. It's working.::

Seven of Nine nodded from her terminal station across sickbay where she had sent an update to the briefing room to Chakotay and Janeway about the Child's return to consciousness.  
The tall woman made her way to Troi and Naomi's sides, crossing her hands respectfully behind her back.

Seven thought about the female child in front of her.  
She had no sign of Borg machinery on the outside, although her blood on her scans showed a healthy river of nanoprobes. She could feel the slight tie of "I am here." her proximity sensor was picking up like it had done for any other nearness to a Borg drone.  
But it was different some how. This Child was an individual. She had no machine like manner about her. ::More like the Wildman Child:  
Seven mused. ::But with 8472 physical parameters:  
She saw the wide orange eyes study hers, and the blue skin on the Child's face break out into a bright smile.

Then the girl spoke. "You've come for me." came her sentence, quite clearly. The translator was functioning well.

Seven shrugged, "Yes. But the one who truly found you will be here shortly. Do you know of the Primary?"

"I know them. They are from the far ahead time usually. Sent to seek me. Tell me, sister of half of my essence. Where is your ancestor collective?"

Seven raised an arm, looking at her own hand where the silver lattice covered it. "I am no longer part of them. The captain of this vessel you are upon has freed me from their influence. My assimilation has been nullified."

Troi spoke up, "What is your name? The Primary has called you a Queen apparent to his vessel, the Borg Pyramid."

"That is but a loose wording title. In your minds, I see a better set.  
I am the centerheart of all the Borg and all the Species 8472 ships in the Primary's time. I was sent back to watch over the Key in this system's waterworld when the ancestor Cubes found a way to fight the 8472 in their home seas. I am called Risha. "

Seven felt a deep bond she couldn't explain for this Child. It came when she had spoken her name. A shudder went through her body involuntarily that was not a chill but one of a delicious thrill of familiarity. She sighed. "How...do I know you?"

Risha smiled at Seven. "It is because we share the same Borg nanoprobe,  
daughterofmyheart. I have a single nanoprobe from each of the Borg ancestors on all the Cubes in your time and one cell from all of the 8472 in their Fluidic space here, too. It is how I can be both Borg and Species 8472."

Troi nodded, "A conglomerate hybrid we call it. Tell me.. Do you know of whom we call the Preservers? We know they've been here, leaving signs of their passing."

Risha smiled, far more wise than what her tiny Child's body suggested. "Yes. They are the ones who guide me in my purpose. This place on your Earth is only one of several times I've had to keep the Key from the Ancestors. Sometimes, I have to use it to keep their wars from effecting other races around them."

A thought occurred to Seven, "Risha. Captain Picard accidently used a setting on the Key, what we call the Iconian Artifact, to destroy a Borg Cube. Is this what you mean?"

"Yes." the Child said. "It usually only takes a short century or so of my being in the time where they are fighting for my presence to calm them. Their aggressions cease. If it does not occur fast enough, I act... As your Picard unknowingly acted. The Key is a culling instrument."

Troi thought carefully again. "Then why are the Romulans implicated on the Key.. There is a symbol there we recognize as one of their vessels..."

Risha sat up and her beautiful smile filled the room. "It is because, I am not yet complete. The Ri'hannsu are to be my final third genetic pillar. Their aggressions with the other peoples in this galaxy are effecting the balance of power here. A taste of the Ancestor Borg and the Ancestor 8472 will make it possible for me to incorporate their people's fire into my own essence so that I may serve the Primarys in their time as a policing guide."

Seven frowned, "How will introducing the Borg and the 8472 to the Romulans help you?"

Risha laughed like silver bells. "It will teach them the same humility the Preservers taught the humans and the Klingons. A sign of a Preserver lesson learned is one of reaching out to fellow races such as the existence of your human Federation.  
The Klingons, and Humans and Vulcans are all part of that greater good. All except the Romulans. That is to change."

Seven asked, "Then what about the Q.."

Risha shrugged gently,, "Oh..." she giggled mildly, "Them.. They are only the flies in my soup..."

Troi sat very straight. "So,, you are here to be the playground monitor who enforces the rules. And the Romulans are the bully you mean to correct."

Risha smiled again in her angelic way. "Yes. Only then, can I take the best their race has to offer inside of my makeup for the future in my time. Then I will be complete to serve my purpose for all the Primarys worlds. The Preservers have sent me. I am not only their messenger, I am their arrow."

-  
(attachments)

Image : Deanna smiling with Riker behind worried.

Image : Seven of Nine looking at her hand.

*  
From: "Alex Delet" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Cold Change Date: Sun, 17 Jun 2001 20:50:14 +0100

:He reached for his disruptor but the Federation Transporter had conveniently left it behind on the Relek. "S--Stay back...thing!!"  
"Centurion," Janeway held up a hand to bring calm. The Low-Ranking Romulan was not in charge here...and Kathryn felt the odd desire to show the Romulan that specific fact.  
With Shelby obviously not here as the plain 'liason' Starfleet's report had suggested, and the presence of an Admiral on her ship.... Janeway was beginning to feel the tell-tale slip.  
This was still Voyager, and this was still her crew.... Voyager's Captain would keep on that line....hoping that would never end.  
"Centurion," the Captain insisted a little more forcefully, as the Romulan continued to back toward the wall, scrambling around for a weapon,  
or getting into the standard Romulan Military Hand Combat position, hands perfectly positioned to strike a humanoid.  
Janeway realised it was a knee-jerk reaction - because it would have little effect on the Primary, who trundled patiently to the back of the room, behind the table.  
It obviously didn't want to sit down.  
Voyager's Security Officers followed it, their phaser rifles by their sides.  
although Janeway knew Tuvok would have adapted the devices with borg nanoprobes.  
Janeway noticed that she had not, in fact, recoiled when the 8472 had entered.  
Voyager's Captain smiled inwardly - perhaps it was the fact that she'd been dealing with very new, very alien, races for the past few years - and the fact that she'd met an 8472 before... that allowed her to adapt.  
But there was at least hope - that the Federation could still deal with particularly alien races.  
It was good to be home.  
"Centurion, this is a diplomatic meeting - it is not the time for threats," Janeway kept her expression hard, "Especially, in light of your tactical situation,"  
"Behind the Silver-Tongue of Federation Diplomacy....that almost sounded like a threat, or at least a challenger..." The Centurion smirked.  
"You want us to hand over a Federation Citizen," Janeway recounted, glancing to the now silent Locarno, "And an Artefact, which we are not in possession of," Janeway added a touch of sarcasm to her tone, "But rather than negotiate, or just to ask... You've decided to make me feel as if we are obligated to send them both over,"  
Janeway let a pause slip in, but didn't allow Vakiris to make use of it, "And as if that wasn't enough,"  
The Captain sighed, "Your going to threaten a Federation Starship....in full view of Earth, and the most important shipbuilding site in the Federation.... with the Flagship a few metres away,"  
Janeway rounded off her speech, "I don't like threats, Centurion, so I'll end my speech there,"she said, "Either explain why you want Locarno - or find us someone who can,"  
"An Extradition Treaty exists under the terms of our Alliance," Vakiris said, undaunted by Janeway's ascertain of control, "But you won't have read that particular treat? Will you Captain Janeway?"  
Janeway recognised the attempt to force her to back off, "Perhaps," she accepted, "But that means that you are aware that an alliance is in effect... so why don't we deal with this situation as Allies, and not as opposite sides of a Cold War,"

Jadzia Dax swept her legs over the side of the biobed, and closed her eyes. A Deep Smile Spread across her face, as she felt the implanted Dax communicating with her Dax.  
Waking her symbiont from it's... limbo.  
A deep joy that came from feeling...whole again, was replaced with concentration, as the Implant-Dax, communicated wordlessly everything Jadzia had missed since her death.  
"Ezri..." Dax said.  
Julain cringed at that name, knowing everything that he had experienced,  
everything that had happened between him and Ezri, especially the night before the Invasion of Cardassia.  
all of that... was implanted in the mind of his former love, who sat before him.  
"Jadzia..." he began, searching for a way, for a word that would communicate what he felt.  
"Don't," Jadzia opened her eyes, "It's Okay....It means so much to know what has happened to everyone," she told him, "And I'm happy for you,"  
::what has happened to everyone since I died :: Jadzia filled in, mentally.  
Dax lay back on the bed, as she used a Trill technique to deal with the experience of a new host.  
There could not be two Dax's.... too confusing.  
And this was what Curzon had tried.... When he'd taken Odo during her 'Rite of Closure's .  
Trying to fight it... Trying to pretend she wasn't dead.  
"Jadzia, Maybe we should get Ezri to come here...?" Julian asked,  
removing the screen to see the commotion around the Human Lieutenant.  
"I'll talk to Counsellor Troi when she gets a free moment, " Jadzia told him,  
"But...I shouldn't meet Ezri, not yet," she smiled, "Go and help out somewhere,  
I'll look at bio readings... I'm a Science Officer, remember,"

(attachments)  
Image : Janeway seated in a chair.

Image : Closeup of Jadzia Dax

*  
From: "Clairissa Fox" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Lessons!  
Date: Mon, 18 Jun 2001 03:39:07 -0000 I didnt understand everything my friend said to Deana and 7. But I knew alot. She was special. She was working for the preservers, the ones who made all of us live on our planets near Earth. I knew she was really someone. I knew she was.

The Primeery wasnt in sickbay with me and the pretty lady. But I knew he saw Risha in his head.  
We all could hear him talking there. So I spoke with Risha.

Risha! Risha! Now that you are awake. What are you going to do next? I know there are some Romulans in the officer lounge. Do you need to talk to them or go to their ship? I think it is called the Relek.

Risha looked at the human girl and smiled. "I am not here to battle them, Naomi. I am here to talk and show them what the Borg and 8472 are in their time. No sign of predation has been wrought on any of their worlds as yet by the Borg Cubes and so neither have Ri'hannsu seen the 8472 who rival them. Already, the beginnings of the Preservers work is with their culture. Just look how they view my Key. Your Iconian artifact, as their Arm of Remus. They know its value even if their perception and misguided plans desire it to be a weapon waged against races."

I didnt understand much of what Risha said. But I knew enough. I said they are new to cooperating with others like us on Voyager and on Earth and even with the Vulcans on their home! What can I do?

Risha looked at me and then nodded in the direction of Boothby. "That interface can be a conduit to the Borg Pyramid. I can show them all the truth of the history of the Borg's raiding into the Federation. "

I saw the holo-doc and 7 looked worried.

"Dont worry." Risha said. "I will not supply tactical detail. Just records of past conflicts and damage images so the ...how do you term them? The Romulans see what Borg Cubes and Spheres are.  
And Species 8472 was reacting to them."

I nodded. That sounded ok. It seems the crew needed to keep certain things private. I knew that and just pictures wouldnt matter.

Go ahead and show the Borg Cube and the 8472 library Bootby to the Romulans in the meeting. I know Auntie Kathy will want to show why the Primeery is here too.

And then Risha can do what she must for her job.

The simulcrum of the caretaker chuckled, "Done.  
You make a fine captain's assistant, Naomi Wildman.  
However, the presentation will not proceed without Captain Janeway's approval first."

ok. bootby. I understand. Then I turned to my new friend.  
Want to play kazkot?

"I must eat first Naomi." Risha replied back. "I haven't taken nourishment since the Grand Canyon formed."

I laughed at that image. Oh! Then I can get you some food from the food slot. Be right back!

I went and got Risha some food Bootby said was ok by the Primeery and the holo-doctor to get. Then I handed the bowl to Risha. Here you go. Smells like salty bananas.

"It is a soup I think it would be in your Federation words, Naomi."  
Risha said.

Deana was nearby with 7 and they were waiting for the meeting to end. I was too! I wanted to see Vakiress face when he saw a Borg Cube cut up another ship. And when the 8472 blew up ten Borg Cubes with their spider net! Then theyd have to listen to anything Risha and the Primeery said.

I sat back in my seat and waited for something to happen.

-  
(attachments)

Image : Naomi and Seven playing at their Kazkot boardgame.

*  
From: Jeff Seltun Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Less than a Lament for Locarno Date: Sun, 17 Jun 2001 20:50:01 -0700 (PDT)

Captain Picard rushed into sickbay from the outside corridor. Things were looking up. He over heard everything that had transpired with Counselor Troi over the Boothby live video feed onto the panels tracking his group's route to Risha.

His attention was also drawn to the sights and sounds of the scene in the meeting room as well with his fellow Captain Janeway and her crew with the Romulan delegation.

He tapped his combadge. "Picard to Enterprise. I have just witnessed Vakiris mention that the Relek has activated her auto destruct on an attempt to coerce us out of the Iconian Artifact. Raise shields and give yourselves some safe distance!"

Geordi came online. "Already on it."

Tuvok broke into the commline.  
"Utopia's projecting a protective bubble around the Relek using the ship yards emergency containment field. The only danger is to the Romulan contingent themselves."

"Very good." Picard said to both men on his com link. "Let's hope those Voyager heads in the meeting can cool hot tempers. It would be a shame if the Relek destroys herself needlessly."

Data, still in the doctor's office, let his head fall as data transfer completed to his downlink. He let the EMH free him from his computer tether. "I think I know which files Risha would like to present the Romulans. I will send them on to Bootby."

"Very good, Mr. Data." Picard smiled. "Now.."  
Picard indicated the other sickbay room where Jadzia still lay still reeling from her new inheritance of the Ezri memories following her symbiont surgery and where Risha now sat, legs over the edge. "Meet me in there, Commander. When you're ready.."

"I am ready now, sir." Data said.

Picard waved a hand, satisfied with his officer. But then he had another thought.  
Nick Locarno. "Good. Go in there and see what you can learn from Risha about fulfilling her obligation to the Primary and his vessel.  
I want this all ended peacefully and without incident. Romulans indeed. Let me know what you come up with, Data."

"Aye sir." And the android disappeared into the main patient ward of sickbay.

Picard himself, went back the way he had come, retracing Boothby's map to the meeting.

He sat down quickly, without disturbing either the speaking officers or Vakiris himself. But then the Romulan had finished his "requests." He met Janeway's eye and gave a short glance to her that meant."I've got an angle."

He got his go ahead from the Voyager Captain.

He rose in his seat. "Ambassador Vakiris.  
Excuse my late arrival. I've just returned from the away mission which recovered the Iconian artifact."

Vakiris bristled, "YOU were the one who touched the Arm and used its power."

Picard held up hands, "Inadvertently, I assure you, Centurion. I had no idea what the Primary here had given us."

"Do you expect us to believe that?" Vakiris said of he and his men clustered around their leader around the briefing table.

"Yes." Picard said, "In the name of political neutrality befitting of a Romulan ambassador."

Vakiris's eyes narrowed but he began to smile.  
"I grant that the Arm can be negotiated for with the Primary here.." he said, looking at the giant 8472, still with the initial fear that had gripped him when he first came into the room. "But we must have Nick Locarno for Trial for his crimes."

"Very well." Picard said. He saw Janeway start in the corner of his eye. "Take him."  
the Enterprise captain said simply. "International Prime Directive Code. No fugitive shall be harbored by any Federation affiliation if due proof of guilt can be provided."

Vakiris handed Picard and Janeway Romulan data diskreaders. "It's all here. Contraband.  
Illegal animals.. Tribbles..."

"Say no more. Nick Locarno will be extradited to the Relek at once. If he remains safe..." Picard pegged Vakiris with a stare,.."And alive... There will be no quarrel from us."

Vakiris was speechless. He spoke quietly into his combadge, "Vakiris to the Relek. Transduce to normal mode. Now. I have him." he said simply.

Boothby and the others watching his sensors saw the self destruct mode turn off onboard the Romulan/Klingon vessel.

Nick Locarno was transported without ceremony a few minutes later to face his music that he had been running from for so long.

::Perhaps that was what he wanted all along:  
Picard mused. ::A plea bargain to avoid a death sentence at the hands of his persecutors. He got it.:: Picard smile ruefully, ::We were all played by the hands of a master swindler.::

"Now.. about the Arm." Vakiris hissed.

The Primary spoke into the Centurion's head.  
##You must speak to Risha. She is the one whom it is entrusted.##

Vakiris looked askance at him, "Ahh.. does she.  
uh.....look anything like you?" Nervousness punctuated his whole manner.

"Even uglier..." Picard said. "She's part machine.."

-  
(attachments)

Image : the Enterprise D over Earth.

Image : Picard and Boothby on the Academy Grounds.

*  
From: "patti keiper" Subject: Yar's exit "Q".;  
Date: Mon, 18 Jun 2001 05:06:39 -0000

Q raised his head. The others had gone. No Deanna's lap. No calming mortal touch. ::You crybaby you, Q..:: Q told himself. ::A little tough love never hurt anybody.::

He was being ignored again. And this time his son wasn't the one doing it. His humans and not quite so humans were....

The half and half thing he had shared Podtime with was awake. And chatting a blue streak.. ::Fitting analogy considering the color of her skin..:: Q sniggered mentally.

He listened, leaning an elbow on the biobed to the newly named Risha to tirade on about genetic completion with Romulan cells to her makeup.

That part didn't interest Q. That didn't lead to a solution with his son, Q2. He then heard Picard come into the room and leave his chalky Pinocchio to Sherlock Holmes delve for him. ::Typical Jean "Luck":: "Oh well...." Q said when he saw the Captain leave. "Let's see if I can have a little fun.."

He finger snapped into the cargobay. "Huh.." He spied Tasha Yar right away..

"There she is.. My little Miss Frankenstein."

Yar's eyes started to flash anger but Q simply kissed her cheek turning her ire into mortification and he was off on his great plan.

He grabbed her by the shoulders and whisked her away to the meeting. Just after Picard's winning ugly line...

Vakiris looked askance at him, "Ahh.. does she.... uh.....look anything like you?" Nervousness punctuated his whole manner.

"Even uglier..." Picard said. "She's part machine.."

Q sighed.. not missing a beat while Yar recovered from her sudden Q transport to the meeting lounge. "Well here's beauty herself...in the mean time."

He watched with interest as the meeting progressed into its usual boring pattern.

He sat on the table top. Ignoring the security guards alerted to him and he grabbed Vakiris by the collar. "Now take your man and go... or this will happen to you.."

He promptly poofed his fingers and Yar disappeared in a snowy gust of ice.

::Merde!:: Picard gasped.. ::Not again..::

Q caught his look. "Whaa? All I did was set things right again. Restored the precious timeline. She's got her halo back if it means anything to you. Jean Luc."

All in the room fell silent at Q's little stunt. Q laughed.."What..? It's not as if I killed my own son?"

The Primary hissed, ##Flies in soup Q is!! Preservers send you back to Chaos nothingnesses!!##

Q put his hands on his hips. "As if they could.. They couldn't eons and eons ago in the Playground. What makes you think they can do anything about us now?"

Vakiris was looking at Q with a mix of fear and admiration. Q noticed this.."And no...I am not a "god"." he told him. "Kathy and Picard. I mean to do right by you. Truly I do. But I've just had my world turned upside down by a teenager one thousandth my age. Do forgive the occasional whimsy like the Yar thing. All's well that ends well.. At least, for you. Do you want me to fix Jadzia too?"

Boothby and all Federation people shook their heads violently. "No.. no . "

"No.. no!!" Janeway said.

Q looked mildly surprised. "Oh... ok, then ...well... tootles.. I'm off to sickbay to show Risha a really good time with her coming slideshow for the Rommies. I can put a really realistic edge to things.. heh.."

And with that, Q disappeared, leaving a stunned Picard and meeting room to deal with the loss of the short re-lived, Tasha Yar.

Of them all, Data, in sickbay, suffered the most.

--------------------------------------------------------

Deep in the bowels of Voyager, Q materialized in sickbay on the bed being prepared for B'Elanna Torres. He told the surprised medical staff. "Oh,, don't mind me. I am just going to do a little thinking here. Trust me.. There'll be only my body heat remaining behind when that firecracker engineer of yours needs to pop out the little tykette."

::Now what can I do to win back my son's favor?:: And then, even the great almighty Q, fretted like a rooster.

-  
(attachements)

Image : Q and his baby son in Voyager uniforms.

Audio : Picard : "Q! What kind of game are you playing!?"

***************************************

END WEEK TWENTY THREE RECAP 06-18-01

.com/voyagerliveaction Website.

.com/group/voyagerliveaction Writing site.

-WEEK TWENTY FOUR RECAP 06-20-01

()  
.com/voyagerliveaction

*  
From: "Fran Catrair" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Complications Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2001 06:21:14 -0000

Torres watched Tom saunter out of the cargobay. ::Is that a swagger?:: she thought to herself, amused. As she prepared to head to engineering, she thought about his recent behavior.  
::He is sure going to be nervous when it's time.:: she thought to herself. However, her mood changed and she felt a touch irritable. Yes, she knew she was due at any time, but she wasn't an invalid, dmnit! She hated that Tom, Chakotay,  
Janeway and others seemed determined to put her into sickbay.  
She would do her duty up to delivery, just like her mother before her.

As she left the cargobay, she felt a slight pain in her abdomen. Shrugging it off, she just decided it was because of the recent...how would Tom put it...roller coaster ride the ship had experienced. Yes, that had to be it. She was so wrapped up in her thoughts she didn't notice she was being followed.

Walking down the corridor, a voice called out behind her.  
"Wait up, Lieutenant!" As she stopped and turned to look,  
she noticed a red-haired woman, the one she believed was called Commander Shelby. As Shelby caught up with her, she spoke. "Thank you, Lieutenant..B'Elanna Torres, isn't it?  
I don't believe we've been introduced. I'm Commander Elizabeth Shelby."

Looking at her, B'Elanna kept her expression neutral. "Nice to meet you, Commander." she said. "Forgive me for not being sociable, but I'm needed in engineering." she concluded.  
"That's all right, I'll walk with you." Shelby replied.  
Looking at the young woman, she wasn't a medical technician,  
but she could tell that Torres was due; soon. "Are you all right, Lieutenant? Shouldn't you be down in sickbay?" Shelby asked her.

Turning on her, B'Elanna snapped. "I don't know why everyone is so anxious to put me into sickbay! I'm fine!" she flared.  
Another wave of pain hit her, and she gasped audibly. Shelby decided to back off with Torres' outburst, thinking about what had just occurred in the cargobay, and didn't hear B'Elanna's gasp.

"Tell me, Lieutenant, what is it like to be the Chief Engineer?" she asked suddenly. Before Torres could reply,  
Shelby continued. I mean, you went from being an engineer on a Maquis vessel to becoming the chief engineer of a Federation Starship. Impressive promotion, wouldn't you say?" she concluded, looking at her questioningly. B'Elanna was taken aback by the sudden change in the conversation.  
It appeared Commander Shelby was in a back-to-business mode,  
now that events in the cargobay were over. "I...I don't know what you mean." B'Elanna replied, stunned. "Come now,  
Lieutenant. I heard Commander Chakotay recommended you himself. What was in it for him, huh? Let's see...I scratch your back, you scratch mine?" Shelby asked, getting into the questioning. She didn't notice the change of expressions coming across B'Elanna's expression. "How DARE you!" B'Elanna breathed, but was cut off by Shelby again. "And, nice marriage you have. Did the Commander arrange that, too? Thought if you married the son of an Admiral, you and your Maquis friends wouldn't be prosecuted? Let me tell you something, Lieutenant.  
It doesn't matter if you are married to Tom Paris and have his child. That doesn't mean that Starfleet Command won't investigate you all fully and send you off to prison, if need be. Don't forget it was because of all of you that Voyager was lost in the first place!" she concuded with a flourish.

B'Elanna became completely unhinged. "How DARE you! You have no idea what we have all been through the last seven years! You forget that BOTH ships were lost. And let me tell you something, yes Chakotay did recommend me, but Captain Janeway wouldn't take his recommendation at first. I had to prove to her that I could do the job. If you had even bothered to study our logs, I'm sure you would see that I have earned this job everyday!" she declared angrily. She began to feel awash in pain, increasing throughout her body. She didn't care. "And let me tell you something else. Tom Paris is a decent, honorable man! He has more heart than any of you Starfleet types will ever have! I love him for WHO he is;  
NOT for who his father is! Lady, it's obvious to me that you don't know a thing about love!" As she said this, she felt somthing inside her just...let go. She fell to her knees.  
Shelby finally noticed B'Elanna's distress and moved to support her. "My baby..." she moaned. "Tom, I love you...I'm sorry."  
she softly cried, slipping into unconsciousness.

Shelby commed sickbay. =^=Commander Shelby to sickbay. One for emergency beam out.=^= she announced. =^=We're kind of busy down here, Commander. What's the problem?=^= he asked.  
=^=Lieutenant Torres is going into labor. she just collapsed in front of me.=^= Shelby finished. =^=Understood.=^= the doctor replied. As B'Elanna disappeared, Eliabeth felt slightly shaken. ::That girl should NOT have been still on duty. What kind of duty roster is Commander Chakotay setting out?:: she thought. Suddenly, the red alert status appeared in the corridor. ::What now?:: she thought to herself. Deciding to investigate the situation and have her previous question answered, Shelby headed to the Bridge. ::Like killing two birds with one stone.:: she thought, picking up her pace.

-  
(attachments)

Image : B'Elanna sitting on sickbay bed with Tom Nearby

Image : Shelby portrait.

*Animated gif* A Spinning Voyager combadge.  
Sparkly..

************************************* From: "Roxy Dee" Subject: The Short and the Long of things~~ Date: Thu, 21 Jun 2001 20:45:13 -0000 Harry Kim saw Q reappear in sickbay up to his usual standard. But there was an edge he saw in the being's face that hadn't been there before.. ::Ah, now this is interesting.. I wonder what mistake he's done this time?:: Then Kim saw the population count on his sickbay Ops link was down by one person. A quick check showed that Tasha Yar was no longer on board Voyager. Anger flooded him.

He walked over to Tom Paris, on the other side of the bay to start a revolt against Q when an emergency hail for B'Elanna came over the intercom to the EMH. Harry stopped in his tracks. "B'Elanna's down? I wonder what.."

Then he realized what that meant. His best bud was going to panic. And panic bigtime. ::Amazing what impending fatherhood can do to people. Never mind the mother protective mother instinct. ::

He grabbed Tom's shoulders and shook his head. "No, Tom.. There's no way Q caused this.. He's been here the whole time.. There's something else going on. Shelby's the one with her."

Tom looked at Kim with anxiety high on his features and he wiped his palms as he waited for the site to site beam to sickbay. Harry already shooed Q off of the biobed, who left it as promised. Even he seemed surprised by the change in events.

Tom was caught speechless when his belly swollen wife salt and peppered to solidify in front of him. Torres materialized, but she was unconscious. ::Shelby was right about that..:: Harry thought. He handed the doc a medical tricorder and sent the bioarch to form over B'Elanna's middle section.

Paris next to him was quiet, beyond words. Harry asked the holodoctor for him. "What is it, doc? Is this normal for Klingon delivery?" He said, indicating Torres's pale still form.

"No, it isn't.." the EMH frowned. "But neither her nor the baby is in a lifethreatening condition.." He frowned even deeper. "This is odd. Her blood pressure is high, not low, to explain this faint."

Harry shrugged, "Maybe it's that famous temper of hers.. We all know how fast her blood gets riled that way."

"Perhaps.." said the doc.."Hmm.." he said peering into his bioscreen..

"What?!" Tom and Harry said as one.

"Her placenta is separating unnaturally.. in the early stages of pregnancy labor instead of the latter.."

Kim asked again, "Is that bad?"

"Not really. It just means baby Torres is eager for this world and fighting for a "quick exit." The only side effect is that it is quite painful in the process. All of B'Elanna's bodily changes are happening all at once instead of over hours."

"We have to hurry then!" Harry said.

The doc shrugged and watched Dr. Bashir leave Jadzia Dax's side by her bed to join him in studying the readings. "No we don't .. I'm sure the EMH has told you it is up to B'Elanna to decide when the baby is born and it won't happen while she's out cold."

"But the separating...separ.." Kim said, embarrassed.

"Placenta..?"

"yeah.. won't it harm the baby?" Harry managed.

"No." the two docs said in unison.

Bashir sighed. "You forget anyone with Klingon heritage has two sets of some of the internal organs and can deal with any oxygen debt without us intervening."

The EMH continued,"But what's puzzling is what upset the baby..."

"Huh?" Harry and Tom gasped.

Julian smiled, "I concur.. B'Elanna's brain is out to lunch because her daughter is rushing things along to suit her needs. Now that reflex doesn't happen unless something upsets the baby, usually emotionally.."

Harry just stared blankly at the monitor, uncomprehendingly.

Boothby came online next to their scrutiny of B'Elanna's monitor. "I know why, doctors. It appears Shelby's been interrogating in her usual "witch hunt" fashion again. Observe.." And he played back the little corridor incident before B'Elanna's collapse.

Tom's face contorted in anger.

Harry held him back,''Tom.. Now beating Shelby to a bloody pulp isn't going to make matters any easier.. Especially not because of the way Elizabeth thinks you're brainwashed to B'Elanna's Maquis background and thinking.."

Tom still smacked the bed. Harry sighed. "Tell you what... You stay here with B'Elanna and I'll start the ship to ship tunnel idea of Geordi's to the engineering crew. I have a feeling that both Captains are going to want that physical link to the Borg Pyramid in place for the Primary and the Hybrid Child.."

Harry left sickbay for engineering feeling a little malice toward Shelby of his own. ::So help me if I even see her in the next two minutes.. I'll deck her myself. Talk about stupidity.. Endangering a Klingon pregnancy that way..::

--------------------------------------------

In engineering, Harry opened a live channel to Geordi LaForge. "Geordi... got your ears on?"

The dark man with the visor chuckled as he appeared on the comm image panel by the warp core. "And then some.. Look out your port bulkhead window.. We're way ahead of you..."

Harry turned and so did most of the engineering staff to see the tunnel from the Enterprise's cargobay drift with its tug pods to a stop end forwards to the cargobay of Voyager.. The far tail swung around to the Borg Pyramid whose locking conduits bit down and hissed shut around it.

Kim grinned, "You did this while I was sleeping?"

"Yup." LaForge beamed, "Been watching Risha's progress. Figured she'd want an easy way to her ship, fast. So we improvised.. Helps being so near a shipyard.."

Harry smiled back and said, "Thanks.. Torres is going to be pleased as punch once she wakes up.."

Geordi frowned, "Something wrong?"

"Yeah... Commander Shelby ticked Torres off and it caused the baby to speed up being born. Torres's in sickbay, passed out because of it."

"That's not good. I knew Shelby was a bit of a hardrear but this.... It's..it's not her style usually.. I wonder what her time with the secret admiralty actually did to her.. Usually she just tries to get Commander Riker's job over here." LaForge admitted.

"Huh.." Harry said. He let Boothby handle the tunnel's final docking to Voyager and the sound of ports mating filled engineering from their visual link to the Shuttlebay.

The computer's voice filled the air. SOUND FILE...

-  
(attachments)

Image : Harry with a tricorder by equipment.

Audio : Klaxon... shuttlebay doors opening.  
Computer: Shuttle bay forcefield,  
activated.  
Klaxon again...

Image : Geordi LaForge promo shot.

*****************************************

From: "cassidy meyers"  
Subject: Face of the truth.  
Date : Fri 22 June, 2001 0:00:00GMT 13:47:09 SPT

Deanna caught the stabs of anger from Bashir, Tom and Harry at something over Torres's biobed. Immediately she knew what it was. ::Only one person can cause that much hard feeling so quickly. Even Q can't ruffle feathers so fast. I think I am going to have a talk with Shelby right now. This has gone on long enough. But first...::

"Risha." the counselor said. "There is an internal matter which I must deal with. A commanding official has disrupted this ship's functioning."

The blue skinned, delicate Child looked at her. "I heard the one yet unborn in the Primary's mind. Do not fear, the tiny one is not harmed he says."

"Thankyou for checking for me. Will you be all right with Naomi for a bit? No doubt Captain Picard or Chakotay will be showing you the tunnel we made leading to the Primary's ship."

"I will be well, People Troi. Go." Risha smiled.

--------------------------------------------------

It took only a very short time for Troi to locate Shelby lurking in the hallways, carrying a datapadd into which she was making notes.

Deanna kept her own emotions into check. "Commander.  
I was wondering if I may have a word with you."

Elizabeth nodded, cooly aware of the turmoil her presence was leaving behind her on Voyager's crew.

Deanna leaned against a wall and turned on Boothby so he could follow directly what was to come.  
"Commander..." Troi began. "No doubt you have hidden orders to investigate and disband this crew on Voyager at the end of it.  
Admiral Komach wasn't even aware of your reason for coming on board until he learned it from Boothby just now with the conversation you had with Torres before her collapse. "

Shelby didn't even change expression. "My purpose here isn't a secret to those that matter."

"I am not contesting that fact, Elizabeth." Deanna smiled. "I am here to see for the emotional well being and adjustment of any shock Voyager's crew might have after getting back home again. Just as you are here to decide and find out just how prevelant apparent Maquis activity might be on this ship."  
Troi smiled, "I've been on board for days now, and I've discovered no insurgents, no...vigilante Maquis forces, and certainly no Maquis spies.. "

Troi folded her hands neutrally in front of her. "If anything, the news Reg Barclay sent them about the Maquis being destroyed in the DMZ a year ago, has ended any "movement" that might have been kept alive. I've learned a few things. Only one crew member on Voyager has been a disruptive Maquis here and that member was Seska according to Boothby here. "

Boothby's face nodded.

Troi continued, "And she's dead.. From one investigator to another... " she said, leaning forward, "I think you're barking up the wrong tree... There's no Maquis traces left with these people. That desire was burned out long ago by the more heartfelt one of a ship's crew simply wanted to get home to their families again... So let them, Commander Shelby. Let them go home for the simple reason that they all, finally are home.. after an arduous journey.  
Why accuse them and try them for Crimes that don't exist any more. Neither one of us knows the whole story... But my gut feeling is that no one on Voyager except Q is a threat to Starfleet any longer... "

Troi waited to see what the strawberry blond woman before her would react. To her credit. Her emotions remained even and relaxed. ::She really believes in her cause.. How tragic.::

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Seven of Nine felt she was needed elsewhere the moment B'Elanna's medical emergency arrived in sickbay. Troi had even left Risha's side to go on another errand.  
::Perhaps it is time for me to go on with my duties as well.::

She nodded respectfully to Risha and waved to Naomi and then she left sickbay to walk along the corridor. Inside, Seven of Nine was burning with curiosity and a little fear. ::I can go there.  
The tunnel is now in place.::

The thought of facing Borg again caused Seven's old instinctive fear that gnawed at the pit of her stomach. ::But it's a good fear. One that Captain Janeway gifted me with when I became an individual again. For that I am grateful. The holo physician terms this as the "survival instinct." Very well. I promise I will listen to it.::

Seven squared her shoulders and entered the shuttlebay where the tunnel's near mouth had linked with Voyager. The blue glow of the force field holding back the vacuum of space from its interior made her squint. Seven of Nine asked a nearby technician.. "How long until suitable atmosphere is gained within the passageway?"

The young man looked at Seven. "In about two minutes. That engineer on the Enterprise must be a miracle worker. He shaved off a whole hour on the atmosphere envelope operation."

Seven raised her eyebrows in an ironic look for the benefit of her younger companion. "Admirable. Please carryon. I will be the one to check the route when you are ready."

He nodded and moved off.

Seven got for herself a light field pack, wrist light, and tricorder with the standard medkit. She knew she had no authority to actually enter the Borg Pyramid as yet. But... ::There's no order against me standing on the doorstep and looking in....::

A short span of minutes later, Seven was ready. The blue forcefield between Voyager and the tunnel was made biomass fluid. So Seven stepped through between the security guards Chakotay wanted to watch for Romulan subterfuge attempts and held her breath.

Her first step inside the tunnel felt squishy.. The tennis bubble material around her moved slightly like a high river bridge and the stars around her could be seen faintly through the vaguely transparent tube. Her boot sank only an inch or so down and her breath sounded unnaturally hollow with the tunnel. In the distance, Seven could see the far away glow of green coming from the Borg Pyramid's end of Geordi's tunnel.  
::It's not so very far. Voyager and the Borg vessel are station keeping only two kilometers away.::

An unseen space solar wind made the tunnel sway, and the deflector field netting around the outer membrane of the tunnel sparked briefly on the Utopia Station side as a small rain of meteors were bounced away safely.. Still, the sound of energy flare made Seven jump.

A scent wafted into Seven's nostrils.. One of old oil and ozone.  
A connection deep in Seven's cortical node snicked into gear.  
A voice met her shocked senses.

-  
(attachments)

Image : Seven looking into a tunnel.

Audio : Female voice - Never forget who you are.

Image : Counselor troi looking fierce in her gray and lilac tunic uniform.

**************************************

From: "Samantha ." Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Centrifical Force Date: Fri, 22 Jun 2001 18:11:29 -0000

After watching his father flash away, Q2 stormed off down the corridor, his anger apparently blinding him of his power. It took colliding head-on with one of Voyager's crewman to fix that. In a flash of white light he disapeared from the lower decks of the Intrepid Voyager. In almost that same instant, that same point in the space/time continuum, Q2 flashed to the middle of the Orion Nebula. He looked around at all of the stellar phenomona surrounding him and took a deep breathe.

"Well, this isn't exactly a night at the Roxbury, but it is...relaxing." he quickly looked all around him to make sure that no one had heard. He shook his head, and, for the first time, let himself laugh, "Like anyone could here me way out in space. Only the Q can." with that realization he again looked all around him.

"This is no fun, I need some real entertainment. I think it's random flash time!" Q2 flashed out of the Orion Nebula and into the lap of some ridged alien, "Risa!" shaking his head in disgust he flashed out leaving the disgruntled alien to figure out what had just happened to him.

"Figures that I would end up in some galactic resort based on the pleasure of seeing scantly-clad women serving tropical drinks. Now where's the fun in that?" he absent-mindidly walked down the corridor of his current location in thought, he laughed mischieviously, "Dad would love that place. Though he'd probably get all bent out of shape if I tried to have a little fun a Bajoran or two, let alone his precious humans." Q2's submerged anger towards his father again came bubbling to the surface. Q2 now found himself pushing his way past people not exactly knowing where he was going. In a hot flash of anger he burst through a near-by door only to stop in surprise at where is was.

"What...where am I?" he looked around and found, with the evidence of the EMH, the hybrid child, and a senior officer scattered here and there, that he was once again back on Voyager. "Didn't I just leave this place!?" he almost yelled, catching the attention of the medical bay's occupants who all turned to see who it was. This also seemed to stir Molly, the holographic dog, out of a sound sleep which she was taking under the doctor's desk.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Admiral Paris scanned around the bridge of Voyager and sighed. Walking over to a nearby station he asked the crewman there to bring up a report of both Voyager's and the Enterprise's status. Thus, he was given the current "Boothby Report" to satisfy his needs. Finding the information adequate he exited the bridge and headed towards sickbay. Upon entering Sickbay, Owen saw the bustling crew scurrying around and side stepped a few crewman on his way over to the Enterprise's counsellor.

"Counsellor Troi?" she looked up at the Admiral and stood. "If you will, what is the status of our little friend?" Troi gave the Admiral the basic report with the added section on the feelings she had sensed from the child. With a smile and nod of acknowledgement, Owen walked over to where his nervous son was standing.

"Ah, fatherhood. There is nothing more rewarding then seeing your own child come into this world." Tom looked up at his father with a dazed looked.

"Don't tell me you haven't forgotten my admirality? I know about the marriage and the unborn child. I admit at first I was a bit peeved, but then it hit me that my son was not a boy any more. He is a grown man, accomplished pilot, husband, not to mention a legend." wrapping his arm around his son, the Admiral finally felt a sense of respect for Tom's actions, he was proud.

-  
(attachments)

Gif : Admiral rank pins.

Image : B'Elanna in a shuttle racers suit.

Image : Cartoon of South Park in STTNG setting.

********************************************

From: "Cory Anda" Subject: The best things in life are, food, air and water.. and...gravity?  
Date: Sat, 23 Jun 2001 19:49:28 -0000

Chakotay decided not to return to the meeting. He knew that Kathryn would have things well under hand with the Romulans. He rerouted from the transporter room to sickbay. He was concerned about Torres.

He tapped his chest insignia. =^=Chakotay to the doctor. Report on B'Elanna?=^=

=^=No change commander. But neither she nor the baby are in jeopardy. It's simply a case of baby wanting out to pick a fight with the aggressor of her mother..=^=

Chakotay frowned. "I don't understand."

He heard the EMH sigh through the communications channel... "An admiralty heavy, Commander Shelby, had words with Lt. Torres and the emotional outfall brought about B'Elanna's little sojourn to sickbay.."

Chakotay smiled. "So, .. we will have a little scrapper on our hands in a while.."

"How soon is up to B'Elanna, Commander. You'd better keep your cigars at home for at least twelve hours." the doctor said..

"Understood..Chakotay out."

Chakotay moved off to go to sickbay after seeing how Harry was coming with the tunnel setup. He knew that Risha and the Primary would love to know that a safe route past the Relek was possible. No doubt, Vakiris would have his people watching for an opportunity to get the Arm of Remus through less than diplomatic means. ::A raid isn't out of the question, even for a bunch of Romulan clergy missionaries..:: the first officer grinned. ::Glad the Iconian artifact is safe in sickbay...::

-------------------------------------------------------

In sickbay, things were tense. Tom Paris was barely able to keep out of the EMH's and Julian Bashir's way while they studied the computer scan display of his wife's body.

"Yep." Bashir said, "Placenta Primavera.. This baby's definitely coming warp speed,.."

The EMH chuckled. "Only B'Elanna has the starting flag in this race. Nothing's going to happen until she signals the go ahead."

With a smile and nod of acknowledgement, Owen walked over to where his nervous son was standing.

"Ah, fatherhood. There is nothing more rewarding then seeing your own child come into this world." Tom looked up at his father with a dazed looked.

"Hi dad.. Doesn't this get easier? " He pointed to the biobed. "Can't you wave your magic wand and give me the secret to "father knows best."?  
It's what you're good at.. being from Earth and all." and he smiled.

"Don't tell me you haven't forgotten my admirality? I know about the marriage and the unborn child. I admit at first I was a bit peeved, but then it hit me that my son was not a boy any more. He is a grown man, accomplished pilot, husband, not to mention a legend." wrapping his arm around his son, the Admiral finally felt a sense of respect for Tom's actions, he was proud.

Tom actually looked his father straight into the eyes for the first time.  
"Thanks, dad. I didn't know I had that much of an effect being a trillion light years away.." his smile faded once again into worry. "Right now,  
there's little joy for me, seeing my wife and daughter like this..."

Tom asked meekly.. "Um. Can you wake her?"

"No." "No." said the two doctors firmly.

Bashir looked at his holographic colleague, "Not with that amount of pain going on. She'll wake when the birth bed is fully torn away and she's free to deliver. I don't think it would be very fun for your wife if she was awake before the cake was ready."

"Ok, just asking... I... miss her, that's all."

The EMH shrugged, "Why don't you go shower or something. Prehistoric dust coating everything isn't conducive to aseptic maternity ward conditions."

"Oh..." Tom said, softly, glancing down at his partially tan powered red and black uniform, "..right.. Be back in five minutes."

And the shellshocked lieutenant exited sickbay for the nearest sonic shower in the nearest empty quarters to sickbay. ::Nice that my seniority has a few perks like crew quartermaster codes.::

The warm sonic wash soothed his tired skin and muscles... "Oh, this is a long day.. hope it doesn't get any longer."

--------------------------------------------------------------

On the far side of the medical ward, in another room, the soft glow of the containment field around the guarded Iconian artifact hummed serenely. The three guards were alert with their rifles, watching the meeting going on between Janeway and the Romulans with interest.

Behind them, The artifact began to crackle, as if an old style television set would with static electricity. It emitted a tone pulse, like a telephone on hold.

A guard turned around listening for the source of the sound found it, but shrugged because of his orders preventing any disruption in the security field around the Arm of Remus.

He turned back to the monitor showing the meeting.

Voyager's containment field began to grow in size from its set breadbox size around the table where the artifact lay and swelled slowly.. still holding its normal integrity... until an edge of it touched a metal door set into a wall. It immediately shrank at the contact, returning to the way it was when the guard glanced around again, frowning.

Nothing was amiss. He tapped his badge anyway. " Sickbay isoward to Captain Janeway. There's a "call" for you down here..." he said in code. "Nothing major just curious.." He said looking at the artifact still blinking and beeping its prompting tone. "I think something was left on by accident, sir."

Then he waited for a response..

On the monitor he saw Janeway excuse herself to move a short distance away from the negotiating table and tap her combadge to answer him..

--------------------------------------------------------

Tom Paris had switched the sonics to actual streaming water when he belated remembered that he was only one sixth of a solar system away from a planet that was 72 % water.. Earth.. ::Heh.. no more sound wave vibration cleaning for me.. The captain was on to something with all of those baths she took on our journey home. This feels grreeaatt... And a now endless water supply..::

Steamy gouts wafted around Tom's head and he leaned on the shower wall, simply soaking in pleasure..

Then the water sputtered.. and turned glacial icy in about half a second..

"Ahhh!!!" and he leaped backward, smacking his rear into the far wall to escape the frigid stream. A short karate kick hit the end switch and Tom stood there a few seconds shivering.. "What the-?''

A hammer of weightless gripped him and he floated off his wet toes as the gravity released around him.. The change was gradual enough from one to zero gees in eight seconds. "That's weird,.." Tom said, floating in his birthday suit. "What else could go wrong?"..

He caught a silver sparkling rain of specks coming from his shower head and beelining for the drain in spite of the weightlessness from the corner of his eye. By the time Tom looked fully at it, the strange sight was gone.. ::Looked like pepper on the wind for a sec. Must be imagining things.::

Then the lights went out.

Tom kicked the shower door open and float flew across the washroom to the cabin beyond. He moved to the cabin closet but then remembered that these were vacant quarters.. "Oh man.." he groaned. He began to regret throwing his dirty uniform away down the revamping chute.

There were no towels, no bedding of any kind in the room. "Just... carpetting..... wonderful..." And the replicators, neither food nor clothing, worked.

He thought about tapping his combadge to get himself some covering but decided to leave channels clear for people to handle this sudden crisis.. Further check showed that outer shields, communications, and weapons were not effected at all. Just what made humans comfortable like.. light and weightfulness. Everything else except food and clothes replicators worked. ::For now..:: Tom thought glumly. ::I wonder what's happening.::

Dripping, Tom fumbled around in the glow of the computer screen on the wall until he found a wrist light.

A quick computer Ops sensor check showed that the environmental gravity and lighting controls were out ship wide. He called for Boothby. There was no reply. The nearest crewman approaching his location outside had an Enterprise combadge ID. Female. The lucky individual had already located a jet pack and was jetting down the hall like a deep sea diver in the zero grav, going where she was headed.

Tom pushed off the wall with his heels and said, "Now I'm really going to need infinite tolerance in infinite diversity..Let's hope buck naked humans floating down corridors doesn't rattle Admiralty employee types like Commander Shelby. I have to get to sickbay , now.."

He came nose to nose with a "flying " Shelby in the gloom and in the light of her flashlight, flushed red, every inch of him. "Hi,.. uh.. could you give me a lift to sickbay?"

-  
(attachments)

Image : Chakotay in front of a diagnostic display.

Image: Tom Paris in a chair, talking to Chakotay.

*  
From: Jeff Seltun  
Subject: [voyagerliveaction] A little night surgery Date: Sun, 24 Jun 2001 09:29:24 -0700 (PDT)  
Captain Picard instinctively didn't move an inch when the lights went out. The security guards smoothly turned on their wrist units and Jean Luc ordered, "Emergency battery illumination..."

But the computer didn't follow his command. Boothby was silent.

An angry voice split the dark.  
"What is the meaning of this?!"  
Vakiris spat. He was surrounding by his compatriots who were clustered around him in a circle,  
to safeguard him. "I thought this was one of your newest flagships.  
If this is some pathetic attempt to delay our retrieving the Arm of Remus, it will fail."

Captain Picard watched Janeway move to her own personnel to get to the bottom of things so he assumed the responsibility of seeing to the Romulans. "Calm yourself, Ambassador. There must be a perfectly sound reason for this malfunction.."

The Red alert bar came online automatically. ::Thank heaven the central core is not totally out. So life support is still functioning.::

He watched as a clever ensign tapped all the computer wall panels in the room to a random ship's diagnostic display so the officer's lounge filled with light once more. Everyone returned to their seats.  
Picard eyed one diagnostic system almost as quickly as the Romulans did. Vakiris shrugged. "So,.. lights are out. This annoyance happens on my vessels as well although it has been YEARS since it last occured." He and his men had a good laugh at the expense of the Starfleet officers in the room.

Then the gravity went out.

There was a pause for about three seconds then the Romulan clergy said, "That hasn't occurred on my ship for generations.."  
And he laughed while he held onto his chair arms to keep himself into place. "Forgive my earlier ire, captains. Deception runs deep among my people and that is my first reaction in any situation, to be suspicious. I may not be military.. but their biase rubs off on us all still."

"No offense taken, Vakiris. Captain Janeway will have her crew determine the cause. In the meantime you can either remain or return to your vessel to await the resolution of this...problem.." Picard said.

"No need. I see all the crucial systems are intact. The artifact is safe. We are content."

"Perhaps a refreshment?"

A young voice rippled across the room.  
"Ah,... sir. The...replicators are out, too, sir."  
said a crewman flying through a check of computer systems at one side of the meeting room.

"Most unfortunate.." rumbled Vakiris.."I was quite hoping to try this human Brandy I've heard so much about."

Picard smiled, his face glowing orange and blue in the running displays on the walls.  
"I'll get some from my own personal stores the moment this is over..."

"Much appreciated.." Vakiris waved a hand over to another display. "So, shields and weapons and life support are intact as well as transporters and commlinks.  
Sounds like a minor system is the culprit. May we lend assistance from the Relek? A computer link with two synthetic brain cores might find the answer sooner." He cooly smoothed his robe down from its floating around his face.

"We will let you know, ambassador.." Picard said, nodding his head. "As soon as we know more and find that this isn't transmissible to other starships.." Picard wrapped an ankle around the bolted down table leg to keep from floating out of his chair. One of the security guards swam past his position with an engineering tool kit, on his way to check a computer port behind them.

Vakiris's composure waxed serious when he realized that possibility may be true. "Is this a computer virus?"

"It's too soon to tell.." the Enterprise captain said as he watched Janeway work quietly with her people, "However, I have an idea.."  
He tapped his combadge, "Computer route this outside of the Boothby parameter."

##Bleep. Modification complete.##

He saw Janeway look up with a pleased smile. She hadn't thought of that angle to get a thinking AI online once more.

"Computer. Track down where the first anomalous malfunction began.." Picard asked of it.

"Abhorrent reading first manifested in sickbay, primary isoward, panel conjunction five B."

Janeway's head snapped up. That was the location very near where the Iconian artifact lay in stasis within its security field.

Then the guard's message about a "Call"  
for Janeway came over the comm line and his remark about something being "left on.." Picard noticed the time index on that comm message and noticed that it had been recorded over three minutes ago. He spoke aloud, "Captain Janeway,  
I've just noticed that the comm, although working, has a time delay of three minutes for delivery. I would plan accordingly."

He saw her order for hand held communicators to be issued for each crew.  
He was given one in moments. Picard asked,  
"What is the function of that medical panel?"

The computer went on with its report.  
## That Panel is monitoring medical locker two, holding blood supplies for six species and a biomechanical substrate for a Borg/  
human crew member on this ship's roster.##

"Biomechanical?" Picard asked. ::Doesn't make sense.:: "Scan for all of these materials continued presence..on your list."

##All blood stores are accounted for. IV Bag 9-47x is empty.##

"What is the name of the crewman whose blood store that is?"

"Seven of Nine."

"hmm. Status of all medical and stasis fields in the isoward." he asked.

##All fields intact. No sign of power interruption.##

::Well.:: Picard sighed. ::That is a starting point. We now know where the computer net relay began failing.::

----------------------------------------------------

In sickbay, Data smoothly turned on all computer panels in the main patient area with his tricorder. He spoke to everyone in the room, and physically altered his metal feet to magnetize so they'd stick to the gravityless deck. He moved forward and activated a restraint around Torres so she wouldn't float off the bed.

It surprised him because the EMH didn't think of it first.  
"Doctor, are your systems operating sufficiently?"

Bashir next to the EMH glanced up quickly at his simulated fellow.

The EMH was frozen into place, sparking lines where parts of him were sliding offline.  
Then Data and Bashir saw the EMH move toward the bed before him and Torres's sheet covered belly.  
The holophysician said, "We must get the baby out immediately. This zero gee will make things simplier.  
I suggest a C-section through the lower abdominal pelvic crease..." And he reached for a scalpel,  
slicing frighteningly fast.  
The knife cut through the silver sheet and Bashir shouted in alarm.."Doctor, no!!" but he floundered in the lack of gravity, hanging onto the arm of the bed.

Data's arm shot out, gripping the EMH's holographic one with android strength, pushing back the EMH's hideously artificial one with all of his machine power.  
"Doctor, " he said calmly. "Stop. Does it not make sense that your patient is not yet under anesthesia?"

The EMH did not reply, keeping a serene smile on his face while he attempted to commit vivisection.  
Data's arm trembled but he forced the EMH's hand up enough so the others could float the bed away from the knife. Data said calmly to Julian. "Erect a forcefield around me and the doctor. I just may be able to keep him still until you do.. Set it to hold in holoimages."

Bashir launched himself to a computer panel and hit a control.. Nothing happened. "Looks like the holodeck programs and all of its systems can't be turned off."

"Then I will hold him until technicians repair the computer malfunction."

Julian locked B'Elanna's bed down and magnetized its leg wheels so it anchored to the deck. "She's fine. He didn't cut her. Data, how long can you physically hold him."

"Five days, nine hours, fifty two min--"

"I mean.. be careful. He can damage you with that scalpel just as easily one of us." he said, erected Data's suggested containment around the struggling pair.

Data didn't take his eyes off the smiling, knife wielding EMH. "I will endeavor to be careful, doctor." he said. "Thank you."

He grunted as the computer tried once more to make the holodoc perform surgery and countered the increase in strength. The knife descended lower to his own chest. And lower....

"Data!!" Naomi shouted.

-  
(attachments)

Image : Data with a tricorder.

Image : The EMH looking shocked.

Audio : EMH- Welcome to sickbay, take a number.

*  
From: "Clairissa Fox" Subject: Do Rommies have cookie jars?  
Date: Mon, 25 Jun 2001 06:00:32 -0000

I didnt want to see what happened next. Why was the holo-doctor trying to hurt Mr. Data? I didnt like it at all. Not the lights going away or the way I was floating in the air. I didnt know which way it was to the floor!

I held Rishas hand and told her. Something not right is causing this. Something I need to find. So I told Risha to wait until I could help Voyager get better.

I saw what Captain Picard did to see where the computer problem started. It was the blood box! The one I didnt want to go into because of what was in there. And 7s blood was missing! How could that be? You need legs to walk I thought.

I tried to talk to Bootby but he didnt answer me at all and his telly monitors stayed dark. So I flew over to the room where the Key of Remus was and over to the metal box. The two guards waved at me. And they had the magnet booties on already.

Hi Naomi, whats up? I told them. They both checked the light fence around the thing but it was ok. Then I pointed to the locker Captain Picard had found.

The computer lights werent on by the locker. So I went and opened it after putting on magnet booties of my own. I closed my eyes when I put my hand over the cold bags of blood the holo-doctor was saving for emergencies. Then I found 7s bag. It WAS empty! I looked at it and found that a tiny circle like a cat burglar had been cut into the plastick and a hole was there. Who did that?

So I went into the other room and showed them all what I had found. By now, everybody had magnet feet and were on the floor again.

Hey look! Where's 7s blood? Nobody elses is gone.

Then Dr Basheer came over to look at the bag I had. He said. "May I take a look at that?"

Sure. But theres nothing there to look at. It stinks like old oil like one of Tom Pairs cars he always tries to fix.

-------------------------------------------------------------

I left sickbay in my floor grabbers and went with a flashlight into the corridor. I thought Auntie Kathy would need some flashlights so I got a pack of them and went up to the bridge.

Tuvok was there and the only light there was the red from the red alert bars. He made me leave again. But I took my boots off and got into one of Neelixs jeffrey tubies and got into the meeting anyway.

I put my boots on again. Everyone was so busy talking that I almost missed seeing one of Vakierizs guys try to sneak out of the room the same way..

Auntie Kathy! Auntie Kathy! One of the Romulans is trying to get out without your permission. Hes going to get the Arm key. I know it. Stop him! Stop him!

But he didnt get very far because Voyagers security was better and got there before he could even think of getting far. That was cool.

Then I got over by a chair and climbed into one. Risha wants to be friends you Rommies so be nice!! She wants all of your people to be part of her jeans. I mean dna. Did you do this to the lights and the force that keeps us on the floor? Bring them back!

I had to see Voyager better. I had to see. I had to see for me. -  
(attachments)

Image : Naomi in the holodeck,  
hands on hips.

Audio : The baydoors opening.

********************************

END WEEK TWENTY FOUR RECAP 06-24-01

()

.com/voyagerliveaction

WEEK TWENTY FIVE RECAP 06-26-01 ***********************************

From : "Patti Keiper"  
Subject : A Pretty Pickle.  
Date: Monday , June 26 2001, 14:09:07 GMT USA

"Didn't I just leave this place!?" he (Q2)  
almost yelled, catching the attention of the medical bay's occupants who all turned to see who it was. This also seemed to stir Molly, the holographic dog, out of a sound sleep which she was taking under the doctor's desk.

"Arph!!!" Molly said, part suspicious, part fully grown setter acting like a puppy. Her desire as a holodog had worked.  
Molly didn't know how she had gained sentience, she only knew that the other one who smelled like the "teen" in front of her had made her more than holo, fluffed to the hilt with psi and tensile and other flashy abilities alien to her natural starship matrix programming. Q had made her the super hound to track down the Hybrid Child on the away mission and then he had conveniently forgotten that he had done so.

Molly, as a result, could still will and track down what she wanted. She felt her benefactor's son try to go to a beach place called Risa but her unconsciously crafted canine to Q "leash" yanked on Q2's directional power and diverted him back to Voyager.

And this "teen" son was whom she wanted to play catch with. Molly "wished" a bright scarlet rubber ball into Q2's hand. She then took a leap at him playfully,  
arcing with slabbering joyful jaws at the sphere in his hand in jest.

Then the gravity went out on Voyager and Molly's rising trajectory kept her gaining elevation and her front paws aimed a bit higher than the broad chest she planned on bouncing off of. They missed Q2's shoulders entirely and her momentum carried her in a perfect straight line upwards. Then the lights went out as Q2's face started to register in horror, what would happen next...

*SMOOCH*.. Doggy tongue met Q lips in a wet kiss, when Molly realized where she was headed in happy accident.

"EEEooowwww!!!!! Ppwahhh! *spit* " said Q2. He flailed and went spinning in the zero gravity pitch black dark..

Molly, caught onto the zero gravity without a blink. Her playfriend had let go of the ball in an effort to wipe slime off his mouth and it was spinning in a corkscrew near the ceiling. Her holo eyes read the infrared of its paintjob and she zeroed in on it like a dolphin,  
leaping off the ceiling and grabbing it firmly in her teeth.

**Poof!!!** Q appeared into the doctor's office dressed like a Tahiti native dancer, juggling flaming Tahiti torches, in smoky arches. "Isn't that cute..?? Puppy wants to play... " His happy face flickered in the orange and red flames that was the only light in the room.. "You know, Q, maybe I have been neglecting my fatherly duties.. That's the one thing I overlooked in your earlier childhood. You've never had a pet given to you.  
What do you want? A dog like this? The humans LOVE canines.  
OH! Or perhaps a cat? There are so many alien races who worship or mimick cats.. Or perhaps,.. a hamster....."

"Squeak.." said a fluffy white and tan teddy bear hamster that appeared on Q2's head, the little darling promptly began cleaning itself.

Q2, shifted irritably and the tiny creature sweaked again when it was jolted into freespace and left tiny brown pellets as token gifts behind, It swam somersaulted into one of the doctor's desk drawers and wormed its way inside to hide.

The zero gravity lifted the doodoos, of course, until they framed Q2's head in a crown of teddy terdies like the rings of Saturn.

"Or perhaps not.. they aren't very ship broken, now are they?"  
Q senior remarked.. "Ah, well,... "and he spun his flaming torches like a fan until they blew the poopies into crevasses, away from his son's head where much later on, some unsuspecting techie would later have to clean up.

Q blinked as Voyager's red alert turned on in response to the lack of lights and gravity. Then he shrugged and continued his line of thought. "Please oh, product of my flesh... Let me make up any inadequacies you see I made as your father. Tell me everything that I mussed up, fudged, overlooked, skipped over,  
in any time I was with you and I promise.. We'll redo everything until things are just right.. Please?.." Then he got very serious and a touch sad, "...please..I'd hate to lose you like I did your mother. Somehow, living up to be the failure the humans all think I am would be unbearable. Just picture how smug Jean "Luck" would be if he ever learned of us splitting ways."

Q grinned a toothy shy smile at Q2, and then remembered his manners and whipped off the leafy crown he had on his head in respect. He looked down and saw that his loin cloth didn't cover much either down below so he morphed the leaves into Bermuda shorts and fingersnapped them onto himself.

But before his first born could react. He noticed something.  
Near the computer panels where Boothby usually appeared on his monitors.

Q nixed the torches, in favor of Denebian glowworms waving on their silk tethers so he and Q2 could see with their hands free. Even Molly froze in her upside down chewing session on her ball. Her ears floated over her head.  
Q motioned Q2 over to the glass of one of the screens and gingerly touched its surface, then looking at his fingertips like a detective examining them and rubbing them together.

Molly scrambled/floated/swam over to them and sniffed.  
She sneezed as something got into her nose and tickled there. A fountain of silver motes sprayed into the air into a dispersing chaotic cloud before they drew together into an orderly computer like network in the air above the Q's heads, and angled neatly to suck back into the computer screen they were sniffed out of.

"Well you look at that..." Q muttered. "I've still got a few on my finger. Ok.. Quick! " he said, "Son!! Here's lesson number five trillion six hundred billion...etc, etc, etc,... Can you tell me what these are? One future month's grounding immunity if you can tell me the answer.. Oh, and here's a clue.. They like ravens... especially imagined ones. And animating dead Neelixes... and they have just turned Kathy's precious holo-medicalman into Dr. Jeckle and Mr. Hyde."

-  
(attachments)

Image : Q, Janeway and a cute irish setter pup.

*animated* Dancing hamsters.

Audio : Silly chipmunk voice singing "Doo,doo,doo etc,"  
giggling with a hiccup at the end. From the famous "Hamster Danse(Holland)" website.

Gif : A combadge bar in blue with insignia either end.

From: "Alex Delet"  
Date: Wed Jun 27, 2001 3:50 pm Subject: Where the Action is

"Sickbay isoward to Captain Janeway. There's a "call" for you down here..." he said in code. "Nothing major just curious.." He said looking at the artefact still blinking and beeping its prompting tone. "I think something was left on by accident, sir."

Janeway blinked, as she watched Captain Picard handed over Locarno to the Romulan Authorities. A Stab of anger flowed through Janeway, and she stood up, "Excuse Me," she said flatly, as the Romulan considered the developments.  
"Janeway here," the Captain said, as she stepped to the side, "I'll be down as soon as I can," she finished, looking distracted, to those in the conference room who observed her.  
Janeway felt a feeling inside her stomach, and had just enough time to brace herself as gravity left the ship.  
Janeway knew her ship, and glided over to the doors.

The Lighting failure was well timed.  
Kathryn lost orientation when the lights failed, and glided straight into the doors."Crewman," Janeway called blindly, the Security officer headed with an Engineering Toolkit, and started to work on the doors... Together they forced them open.  
The only source of lighting, was the interface screen on the wall.  
Janeway was relieved, as the doors slid open and her home turf, the bridge of Voyager, was revealed. All consoles lit, but all main lighting offline.  
Janeway had seen her bridge from the...upper perspective before.

Gravity had been a tricky system to calibrate, when Voyager had last been to Utopia Planitia, Seven Years Ago. Within view of the conference room, Voyager's Captain worked on a console, diverting all Computer bandwidth to the re-establishment of full life support, lighting, and gravity.  
Janeway felt a slight rise in Temperature, from Protocol Bridge conditions. Instantly, she called up Environmental controls - which checked out perfectly.  
All heat was being dealt with normally.  
Mystery heat.  
"Come on Voyager," she muttered, as she manipulated the controls.  
As she entered her code, a Flagged Piece of info came in, from Boothby (=-=mod addition- from before his blackout failure along with the lighting and the gravity=-=)  
A Small Log of a scene some minutes ago, recording a heated confrontation between Shelby and Torres. Janeway watched the gist of it, and gripped the console hard as she slammed a finger down to terminate the playback. ::This I Don't need :: Janeway mused.  
The Annunciation lighting flashed Red, giving an eerie glow to the bridge. Janeway looked around to find Tuvok standing over a console. Naomi arrived, with Starfleet Issue flashlights,  
which were deployed to those who needed them.  
Janeway had no luck, on the console she'd first found... Auxiliary Tactical... and moved to Captain slid down behind it, but instinctively hit the rim of the console in frustration.  
Tuvok floated over and pulled her gently back to the...floor.  
Voyager's Captain nodded briefly before pressing a control sequence to reactivate gravity.  
"Initiate," she told the computer.  
Just like activating a light, gravity came back.... Janeway felt her head being pressed hard against the console...her vision blurred, and several muffled screams came across over the whine of gravity.  
"Terminate!"Janeway ordered, knowing that the Computer would be monitoring all vocal commands.  
Once again, instantly, gravity deactivated, and Janeway floated upward.  
A starfleet 'heads up' chirp, gave the Captain a focus... Gravity had risen to far above standard...and would have crushed them all if it the order to engage hadn't been countermanded.  
Picard, in the conference room, shot Janeway a knowing glance, through the still open doors.  
A Second 'heads up' flashed in. Calling up a status report, Janeway sighed. Deactivating the ship's comm-system, she tapped her comm-badge, hoping that everyone aboard would either be wearing, or near to someone wearing, a comm-device.  
"Attention," Janeway said, as she headed for the Bridge weapons locker. "We have suffered a power redirection, from secondary life support," Janeway said, "Lighting and Gravity systems are.  
malfunctioning," the Captain injected a slight note of humour, "Break out emergency lighting, and go to Zero-G protocols,"  
Janeway entered and accsess code, and issued herself, and Tuvok with phasers.  
The Second heads up was still chiming, Janeway moved to Science, and focused all internal sensors one meter above the deck, on Deck Five Section Twenty.  
"Tuvok," Janeway called., the Vulcan floated over with finesse Janeway hadn't bothered to muster.  
"Curious," he said, as he saw the readings.

Janeway re-opened the comm-link, "Intruder Alert," she called, the Red Alert lighting was accompanied with a klaxon.  
The Captain re-directed the comm to security and senior staff, "On Deck Five, the air particles are being moved aside,  
as if something was moving through it," Janeway explained, "But sensors read no other signs, whatever is gliding through down there... is flying perfectly under this lack of gravity, and this air density," Janeway mused,  
"It's moving slowly, but.. it, is headed for Sickbay," Janeway announced.  
"It seems that everything is taking place in Sickbay," Janeway told the assembled, as she made her way back through to the conference room. The Captain, while she waited for the response from Picard, fixed a beacon to her wrist, and opened up a store cupboard for mag boots. The Primary and Romulan Ambassadors studied each other intently... Janeway decided, "The best place to deal with everything.....is where everything is," Janeway decided, crossing the room to the panel. Momentarily disrupting the light giving diagnostic...Janeway ran a new diagnostic. On Transporters.

(attachment)

Image : Janeway, looking intent.

*  
From: "Roxy Dee" Subject: Consequences~~ Date: Thu, 28 Jun 2001 22:38:23 -0000 Harry had about two seconds warning when the gravity let out in Engineering. "Everybody!! Magnetic boots! Now! Don't find yourself floating up too close to the ceiling. If the bridge restores the gravitic stabilizers.. You aren't gonna like the height you're gonna fall from."

They had about thirty seconds when the lights went out. Harry moaned, "Oh, the captain's not going to like anyone messing with her ship.."

The main lights failing had no effect in his immediate area. The reassuring blue glow from the warp core told him that at least, propulsion was working just fine. "I wonder what she's up to..." Kim mused.. wanting answers.

He coordinated his board with what he found Janeway's command codes doing.. Looking for possible systems breaches.. "What th? " Then he noticed the density discrepencies too on Deck Five in the absence of lifesigns. As he even thought of what it could mean, the amber intruder alert sounded. "You heard the change.. Move! Move! Arm yourselves.. Tracking atmospheric distortions toward sickbay.."

He saw the junior engineering teams both drop containment fields on every deck in answer to Janeway's alert. "That'll hold whoever's doing this, I hope." Kim wished.

He knew that the sweeping teams would need arm lights to see by once the shipwide search began for the intruder. So he broke out a case from a locker.. He had just about handed out the last when the gravity suddenly increased ninety fold. His body was smashed to the deck and his internal organs squeezed down in a vise grip.. as hands, feet and head were ground into the deck.. "eegh....!!" he gasped, but his remaining air in his chest got out and for long agonizing seconds.. Harry could not breathe. Then he saw the captain's code flash up again on his monitor and gravity immediately was cut off again. Zero gee returned.. leaving white retina starbursts and bruised muscles to twitch in almost everyone in the room.

"**Gasp......** Is everyone all right??" Harry said, spitting out the blood from his mouth where his teeth had bitten through the edge of his tongue.. He saw a young ensign who was floating off the floor.. She was not moving..

Harry launched himself off the wall to get to her side. "Hey.. .. Can you hear me??" he said as he drifted toward the stricken woman.. He grabbed her shoulder and spun her around in the air.. turning her body toward him.. Unnaturally, her head didn't follow suit, flopping sickeningly in the zero gravity.. One of her eyes was partially open and an end of her broken C-spine protruded out of her neck. Kim screamed and let go of the dead woman while he calmed his horrified heart. One breath, two. Then he hit his combadge.. "Kim to the bridge. We've got a fatality.. Engineering. The tactical ensign on duty.."

Kim realized she must've have been near the warp core railing when the gravity jump slammed them all flat. Her head must've impacted the outer guardrail and broken her neck instantly as she was tugged downward.

Harry waved a security guard to deal with the body. He tried to call sickbay.. "Kim to the EMH. Come in.. We've injuries here and a death."

There was no response..

Harry grunted.. =^=Computer! Status of the EMH..=^= he said, waving his own trailing blood away from his eyes.

##The EMH is online..##

"Then why doesn't he answer?!" he yelled to the air.

"Combadge communication hasn't arrived to the party indicated. Message interception will occur in two min, fifty-"

Harry hung onto a pillar as he started to float off his feet. A passing crewman gave him gravboots and he put them on. "Computer stop.. Run a shipwide Injuries and status report. Reroute one copy here and the other to the bridge. Implement.."

##Order implemented.##

"Good,,.." Kim sighed to himself.. He noticed Boothby was offline. That meant the Enterprise was blind and deaf to happenings on Voyager. Their co link had been severed. Experimentally, Kim ran outside sensors .. All readings were where they should be, Utopia Planitia, The Enterprise.., the Borg Pyramid, the tunnel.... All just where Harry had last scanned them. He realized that those on the outside of the ship probably didn't even know that Voyager crewman were in trouble. He sent out a distress call universally broadband, broadcasting Janeway's internal intruder alert with it..

Breathing hard. Harry glanced down at his board... ::Oh no..:: Sensors blips of spreading blue were coming out of the walls. Bathrooms and ceiling conduits, sinks,.. waste units.. The water pipes Within Voyager's infrastructure had burst in the massive gravity surge that had killed the ensign. Huge bubbles of water were floating in the zero gee loose and deadly to the very computer systems that usually regulated it..

Harry flashed his discovery to the bridge and Janeway's terminal. He added an internal environmental control alert to the intruder klaxon.

"That's all I can do except start picking up the pieces down here. With B'Elanna out, I'm the acting engineer until a higher rank relieves me..."

He hoped that over on the Enterprise.. Geordi was paying attention. No doubt with his call to Harry cut off, he would investigate.

::Then help will arrive in a flood..::

Kim hoped the water didn't do the same thing inside the main computer core. -  
(attachments)

Image : Harry's face full of horror. Close up.

Audio : The red alert klaxon.

Audio : Harry- Voyager to Janeway.

J- Go ahead.

Harry- We've got problems here.

************************************* From: "Samantha ." Subject: [voyagerliveaction] When it rains, it pours Date: Fri, 29 Jun 2001 03:59:46 -0000

As the artificial gravity gave way in sickbay, Admiral Paris managed to float over to the nearest console and prevent himself from bumping his cranium on the ceiling. All around him, people were doing the same save Lt. Commander Data and the EMH. The EMH...there had been something different about the holographic doctor since Owen had entered sickbay. Having seen the proto-type and Voyager's 'expanded' holodoc, he had determined that there was probably some sort of malfunction there.

After a brief struggle with the G-Forces, Admiral Paris managed to grab a hold of a spare pair of magnetic boots and quickly replaced his regulation boots with the more stable ones. Making his way over to a small locker, he handed out the magnetic boots to those who had none. As he did this, the slowed comm system played the latest communique to the medical bay.

Harry waved a security guard to deal with the body.  
He tried to call sickbay.. "Kim to the EMH. Come in.  
We've injuries here and a death."

Owen looked up at the sound of the young Ensign's voice. The loss of a life onboard any ship was always an unsettling thing. Yet, for the crew of Voyager, after coming 70,000 lightyears in record-breaking time, this must have come as a slight shock. The long tedious journey was over, and the vessel was in the vicinity of headquarters and a massive Federation fleet. Pushing to incident to the back of his mind, the Admiral noticed the "antics" of the two omnipotent beings known as Q...

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

After disbanding the small puddle of slobber on his face, and discarding the furry hampster from his head, Q2 found himself in a rather disconcerting position. Floating freely mere feet above the carpet the boy soon realized the fact that this situation could be easily avoided for he and his father. With a snap of his fingers and the trademark flash of white light, Q2 again found himself planted firmly on the floor.

"Well you look at that..." Q muttered. "I've still got a few on my finger. Ok.. Quick! " he said, "Son!! Here's lesson number five trillion six hundred billion...etc, etc, etc,... Can you tell me what these are? One future month's grounding immunity if you can tell me the answer.. Oh, and here's a clue.  
They like ravens... especially imagined ones. And animating dead Neelixes... and they have just turned Kathy's precious holo-medicalman into Dr. Jeckle and Mr. Hyde."

Q2 puzzled over the sudden pop quiz but unhesitantly put his brain to work on the question. In a fit of inspiration the teen snapped a very over exagerrated pair of glasses onto his head. From the outside looking in the eyes of the teenaged Q seemed ten times larger than normal. Grabbing the forefinger of the older Q, Q2 closely examined the silver gobbily goop.

"Hmmm, very interesting..." he trailed off before continueing with the sentence. A spell of silence fell over the two until a burst of sudden sound exploded from the younger.  
"I've got it!"

Q jumped.

"I have the answer to your little lesson dear ole dad. One word, nanoprobes. The answer to little Miss Wildman's puzzle as well. Apparently something in the proximity to the little techno-spiders caused them to become active again. With one little miscalculation though...they have what your techies would call a "glitch" in the programming.

Snapping away the goofy goggled glasses, Q2 let go of his father's hand and smiled a surprisingly triumphant smile. There were times that even his own genius impressed him, the latter as well. Sensing an air of confusion he explained further.

"It's that "glitch" that's causing these h&ll bent bugs to turn Voyager into a Zero G three ring circus. The little mites don't know what they are doing and, as I have diagnosed, become unpredictable. We're going to have to bend the rules a bit and warn Capta..."

Q2 was cut off by the unmistaken beep of the computer. To a veteran of the Starfleet world, it signified a message of some sort. Although the klaxons were already flashing their blood red color, that color seemed to intensify when the computer announced the bone chilling news.

See SOUND BITE

-  
(attachments)

Audio : Voyager's computer.. ## WARNING Self Destruct Sequence has Been Initiated. Warp Core Overload in Four Minutes Fifty Five Seconds. There Will Be No Further Audio Warnings ##

Image: Computer deep core LCARS display.

Gif: A funny B & W of The four TV series captain embedded in the Mount Rushmore monument with them instead of the four US presidents.

*  
From: "Amiee Jo Fielder" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] And Then There Was Silence Date: Fri, 29 Jun 2001 02:40:53 -0500

She had been observing the goings on for more than long enough. Her "husband" and son and done quite enough damage since they flashed onto Voyager. "We're going on a vacation" they said. "We need some father son bonding time" Now, seeing Data and the EMH struggle over the unconscious body of the pregnant half Klingon woman, she had had enough!

There was a blinding flash right in the middle of sickbay, just as the computer blared

## WARNING Self Destruct Sequence has Been Initiated Warp Core Overload in Four Minutes Fifty Five Seconds. There Will Be No Further Audio Warnings ##

The Computer never finished it's sentence. All moving things in the room were still, the silence was deafening. Time was standing still.

"Enough!" Lady Q blared, leaning into the ear of Q. Q cringed as his wife berated with insults and criticisms of every kind.

"Of all the no good irresponsible thing in the entire universe you could teach our son......."

Q drowned out the droning words Lady Q .  
:: On, and On, and On, she goes, when she'll stop nobody knows ::

"Q, I've asked you time and time again, to keep your son under control"

Lady Q strode over to where the EMH and Data were frozen over Be'lana's body and removed the scalpel from the schizophrenic doctor's hand. She then flashed the doctor out of the room and put him safely in the halodeck, with all the safety protocols on high. Then to eliminate the last of the risk, she moved Data away from the biobed jsut far enough that he wouldn't land on the half Klingon when things went back to normal, when she unfroze time.

When she snapped her fingers again, there was bright flash, just as she suspected, Data fell forward a little before he regained his balance. He looked around, confused, but said nothing when he saw Q and Q2 glaring at the domineering female that had mysteriously appeared in sickbay. Obviously, she must be someone they have respect for. :: He thought to himself.::

Lady Q turned to her husband and son. "You know you are not to go gallivanting all over the cosmos. It was hard enough to convince the continuum that having a son was a good idea, and this is how you teach him?"

"Which of these humans is in charge here? I wish to speak with them."

(attachments)

Image : Lady Q (Suzie Q) in civil war gown looking posh.

Audio : Q- She's quite a little spitfire, now isn't she?

*  
From: Jeff Seltun Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Let's go fly a kite.  
Date: Sat, 30 Jun 2001 00:07:55 -0700 (PDT)

Captain Picard decided enough was enough. As a fellow captain he knew the pull of a vessel in distress on Voyager's commander. And he knew the necessity of prioritizing. ::Right now.. The Romulans are a risk even I wouldn't want on my ship if she were crippled.::

Jean Luc had no idea what the Voyager captain was thinking. She had hardly said two words to him since she instigated the meeting in her officer's conference lounge. ::All right.. Let me second guess my colleague. The Iconian artifact or what Vakiris so colorfully describes it, the Arm of Remus, needs attention more than us fulfilling idle banter with Vakiris and his clergy in the interest of common intergalactic neighborliness. I think our Romulan guests have overstayed their welcome.::

Through the soft glow of the computer Lcars displays,  
Picard spoke quietly. "Gentlemen," he addressed the crew of the Relek still clinging to each other in a protective circle in the zero gravity, trying to look dignified. "I see this little matter on board Voyager would be a perfect opportunity for us to take a recess, We'll let the proper Starfleet channel deal with your concern over the artifact then. I suggest you retire to more comfortable surroundings at your earliest possible convenience."

With that Picard nodded to two of Voyager's guards to escort the four Romulan contigent to the beam out pad. "I suggest you take advantage of the fact that Voyager's transporters are still uneffected. It may make for a long, tedious flight back to your Relek in one of Voyager's docking pods. No shuttle will be released during an intruder alert..."

Vakiris sputtered, "But..but..what about the importance of the Arm to the religious health of the Romulan peop--"

Picard left the lounge closing off the Centurion's final statement. He drew out a tricorder on Voyager's bridge, deciding not to depend on the main computer for a while.  
::Nothing like your own senses to fathom the truth of things..:: He gave an exasperated sigh big enough to let Janeway know that he shooed the Romulan affair off her ship.

No doubt they would all hear from the Romulan embassy before the hour was out. ::That's IF we are capable of receiving any communication from the outside then. This looks more dire than I first realized.::

"Captain.." he said from a science station near Tuvok.  
"There's signs of widespread breakage in the water circulation and delivery plumbing. It may further compromise our power grid if it goes uncontained for much longer.."

Tuvok stated, "I've reconfigured the environmental controls to lower relative humidity to 2 %. That way any free water will evaporate back into the gaseous state and out of harm's way."

Janeway nodded, still engrossed in the checks and cross checks she was doing on the transporter array.

Captain Picard saw the damage report Harry sent via hard wire console to beat the commbadge delay problem. "I don't like the looks of engineering.."  
He glanced up at Kathryn. "I'll stop down there for you to see how they're faring medically.. There's no response from the EMH on any channel at all.. Or from Boothby for that matter." ::Odd that such a sophisticated computer program like it going inert.  
The holophysician on the other hand, was still showing as being online. And in a new location. :  
"Mr. Tuvok,.." Picard began. "Did you transfer the EMH down to your holodeck for a reason? I thought your young ensign in engineering mentioned casualities."

"He did. " Tuvok raised his eyebrows. "I am at a loss to explain such a relocation."

Right then, Picard's tricorder registered a very familiar energy signature. The telltale blossom of Q power.

Now there were three on board ship. "I think I have found the logical answer, Tuvok.. With your permission, captain.." Jean Luc said, "I'll deal with the three Q now in your doctor's sickbay office. No doubt they are, even if just in part, responsible for what is happening to us right now... I'm going down there. At least one of the Q and I go way back."

Picard left the harried Janeway to her work. He thought ::She must be tired if Q fail to rouse her attentions:  
On his way to sickbay, he kept a tab on a curious reading on Deck Five of Voyager. ::There's something down there moving freely through the zero gee that has no lifesigns whatsoever.. Odd. Voyager's shields never went down, so how can a physical intruder come aboard?  
There has to be another explanation.::

Again, his tricorder showed the "formlessness" move through the atmosphere down there in a line toward sickbay. Jean Luc felt more at ease with a group of his own security detail he had brought on board to guard the Iconian artifact surrounding him while they moved through the still working turboshafts to Deck Five, sickbay's level.

Picard let his guards preceed him out of the turbolift.  
The air displacement readings were still approaching his location readily. "Gentlemen, " he addressed his crew, "I suggest we hurry. I'd like a secure location with which to meet this intruder should one materialize, preferrably, within sickbay...It is more defensible there." Picard and the others picked up their pace in their magnetic boots clicking on the deck hollowly in spite of the carpeting beneath them.

The darkness gave way under five light beams of wrist units as the party advanced towards the medical portal.  
Then Picard heard something. "Who's there?" he said,  
drawing out his phaser along with the security guards flanking him.

Picard heard the sound of a jet pack speeding away around a corner. ::What th? One of Janeway's crew responding to the intruder alert:  
The sound faded into silence. Then...

"Ahhhh!!" Tom Paris said, still buck naked, floating in the air above Picard's head. "Of all the nerve.  
Shelby just up and left me behind....."

"Lieutenant?...." Picard puzzled, his forehead furrowing. "...I think..." he said noticing the lack of uniform..and lack of pips in which to firm up his guess as to the identity of this Voyager bridge officer.

From behind the Enterprise group came the sound of feminine laughter, barely contained.. "Oh my..Mr.  
Paris.." said Deanna.. noticing Tom. She averted her eyes respectfully, swimming until her back was to the helmsman.

Paris simply grabbed one of Picard's guards arms and pulled the burly man in front of his floating self,  
daring the counselor to say more.

Captain Picard cleared his throat, "Ummph.  
I'm......sure there's a perfectly good reason for your....status.....Mr. Ummparis. Are,,, you injured?"

Tom just rolled his eyes.

"Right.. if you'd accompany us to sickbay.  
we'll.......get you a new uniform..." Picard said bruskly. "Besides.. there's indications of unknown movement origin making its way towards our....our position.. Cadet!" Picard snapped..

"Yessir!" said the huge man in the gravboots now acting as Tom's vanity shield..

"Please.. uh, convey Mr. Paris along with us. We're almost there......"

"Yessir!!" And the big man held out his hand to Tom,  
to fly him down the hall like a kite. Deanna hastily leaped in her "Stick" boots in front of them to avoid certain views of scenery.

Her billowing hair was a screen from her side vision.

Tom was ever grateful.

-  
A few minutes later.

"I should've have known you had accomplices, Q.."  
Picard said, leaning on the doctor's office doorframe, arms folded at the familial gathering in the dimly screenglowed room.

Q, Female Q and Q2 turned in dumbfoundedness that a human dare interrupted their conversation.

::Hmmm.::Picard thought. ::Typical. ::He spoke aloud,  
"The three of you are all so busy in your tat, that I'll bet you aren't even aware of the self destruct that almost occured a few minutes ago. It surprises me that it cut off so suddenly....."

His inquiry told him all he wanted to know. The female Q being had known. The subtle shift in her arrogant head told Picard that the sudden deliverance of such a complication was solely hers.

::No doubt a time freeze or two occurred. Not that I'd even be aware of such a thing happening. Nothing else could explain a self destruct ending without verbal or manual security codes.:: "Tell me....could you relieve Voyager of her other problems just as easily? Or are they events you require for some sick game of yours?"

The sudden silence between them was punctuated by a muffled sneak from somewhere in the vicinity waist level. Picard couldn't tell for sure in the gloom. He squinted, seeing nothing. One of his guards angled a phaser at the desk and began investigating without needing an order.

Picard let his man work.. He impaled the family Q with a glare that held real heat..." A young ensign in engineering is dead right now. Her neck snapped like a twig.. ! And I had to hear about it from one horrified young Ops officer who shouldn't have had to see such a death so close to his home planet!!"

Q2 tsked in his throat, "Tsk tsk tsk..." Slowly shaking his head in mock amusement. "A shame.."

Q cocked his head, not at all bothered by the news.

The female Q interjected, "Like if WE were to blame..." and she crossed elegant arms over themselves in self righteous denial.

Picard's face split in wide disbelief.. "I see nothing has changed since our last meeting.. " He pointed at the woman Q and the teen Q irreverently. "It matters not that there are even THREE of you in this room. "  
Picard cocked his seat against the desk the guard had checked out thoroughly. What ever it was that had created the tiny noise was gone. "It must be a universal law that nowhere in the vicinity of any Q should go according to the norm.. aggghhh!!" he let out his breath in exasperation.

From out of the corner of his eye a tiny form arrowed for the only solid surface its limited eyes could see,  
Picard's bald pate..

"Squeakkk.." It said, coming down for a landing, like a missile.

In two seconds, three phasers oriented on the thing and a quick shout from Picard thundered in the tiny room,  
"On stun!!"

WHIINNNEE! went the phasers.

Squea----*POOOFFF!!!* Fluffy white and tan fur feathered outward from the phaser beams intersection point. A life sign on Picard's tricorder abruptly went out...

Picard sneezed in the resultant hamster fur cloud..

Q snorted, "Oh very good. Seems someone's not the only killer around here. That's two for two. Shall we go for three?"

Picard glowered in his mind. ::I didn't mean to off the Borg Cube. I can't read Iconian....::

-----------------------------------------------------

Data had seen Picard enter the doctor's office but he only assume his commander was doing so on part of his sweep for the intruder search. So he did not go there.

He was still puzzling over the EMH's sudden departure from out of his defending handgrip. A quick check on his tricorder showed the EMH safely locked away in full safeties net in Voyager's hologrid three.::Hmm. Someone must have beamed him away. I thought that wasn't possible.:: But then Data remembered strange device on the holophysician's arm that may have been a housing for his program like it had been on the away mission into one million years ago.::

Then he remembered. ::If Voyager's doctor is out. I wonder who's going to handle Voyager's wounded. Our shields are up. No one can get in to help us.::

Data moved to coordinate both his end of dealing with the intruder alert with his standing orders and planning possible triage for this ship's crew.

##I help..## said the Primary. ##The way to my ship is done.##

Data frowned, ::The 8472 must mean the connecting tunnel between Voyager and the Borg Pyramid that Geordi built us.::

The android could only care for the silent Klingon soon to be mother in front of him and wait to see what developed not only with her but with the rest of the dimly lit figures stuck on this ship of woes around him.

Back in the other room Picard was equally tongue tied,  
except in sarcasm. He said to the Q, of their unwelcome visiting presence from their standpoint.

SEE SOUND ATTACH..

-  
(attachments)

Audio : Picard: I am,.. Jean Luc Picard, Captain of the USS Enterprise. We come in Peace.

Image : Picard and Q in close conference.

*  
From: "Cory Anda" Subject: Lavalamp Effect.  
Date: Sat, 30 Jun 2001 21:48:10 -0000 Chakotay was on his way to sickbay moving along the corridor. His combadge had been silent for a while in spite of the red alert.

As yet, the first officer didn't know about the three minute delay between messages using that comm system.

He was moving along at a fair clip, determined to get answers for Kathryn on Torres. He turned a corner on Deck Five when the gravity went out. It was like hitting molasses.

"Oofff!!!" he said, flailing about in midair. His shoulder hit the far wall in riccochet but Chakotay instinctively padded his inertia by spreading out his arms and legs along it to end his momentum. ::That was fun...:: he thought sarcastically. :: Now what?::

As if on cue.. his entire deck went pitch black night..

Chakotay tapped the computer panel oriented beneath one foot, and the prompt screen lit. But no Boothby. "Oh,... don't tell me.. another biogel pack slumber party...." he said sarcastically.

Chakotay began using doorframes as monkey bars oriented sideways in the lack of gravity to pull himself along. He tapped his combadge. =^=Chakotay to environmental control.. Respond.=^=

There was no answer. But that didn't matter. He was only a stone's throw from his destination. Sickbay was just around the corner. Only about eight more door frames left to go. He could comm them from there manually with a biobed speaker.

As the first officer travelled, the computer panels lighting beneath him as his hands encountered the wall interfaces, flickered. "Yeah.. Someone's trying to restore grav--"

Fifty tons slammed Chakotay downwards back onto the floor. All of the air in his lungs whooshed out and he was pinned in what felt like five gees. "Wrronnnng wayyyy." he gasped to whomever was fiddling.

Then the ceiling above him bowed from its sharply increase mass and something within it burst apart. A tile slammed like a leaf sucking into the back of a fan into his hands, pinning him painfully and two instants later, Chakotay was sprayed with high pressure water..like a hose into the back of his head.

Water rapidly began to gush onto the floor, spreading thin.

The lights flickered again and the crushing gee forces left again transposing into the odd null gee once more. ::What th--?:: Then he coughed, lifting his face out of the pooling water.

Intruder alert sounded and forcefields slammed down section by deck section in automatic response.

Chakotay's area of hallway began to fill with water. The pool of water rose up into a big sphere from the puddle and more of it spurted like a gigantic string of pearls from the broken water mains in the ceiling.

He tried to move out of its way but found the ceiling tile had embedded a bent shard into the deck like a nail, it was still holding his hands. Holding his breath, inside the bubbles of free floating water drifting into larger and larger size around his head, Chakotay folded around and pushed the tile up with a foot, off of himself.

The heavy ceiling section drifted off Chakotay's hands. He got into air again.

Then, one by one... Chakotay manually deactivated each forcefield in front of him. The water bubbles followed him into the next corralled area. "This is going to take a while..." he said sealing off the area he just left with the intruder forcefield again to block off the pipe breach.

One by one, Chakotay moved, section by section, towards sickbay.

Then he hit an area that was shimmering oddly. Like silver snow against a window.. He paused, floating there just looking at it through the field in front of him. Then he realized whatever it was was trying to get through over to his side... ::Is it some glitch in the integrity field right there. Is that what I'm seeing?::

Chakotay suddenly ducked his head around a huge water bubble bouncing around his head like wax in a lava lamp. He did not want one to touch him. It would stick like putty around him slowing him down like quicksand..

"What is that?" Chakotay said, even as he drifted to a protective halt around water blobs. "Is that the reason for Kathryn initiating the intruder alert?"

Then he saw the intruder alert bar on the other side bend.. like ..... "Waves?!" Chakotay shouted.. "no...." He began scrambling backwards to the showering pipe section he had just sealed off..

The area ahead was completely waterfilled. That was why things looked like they were bending..

And then the shimmering changed, looking vaguely humanoid, made of silver sand.. It's face impacted the field and it chewed like a termite through the rest of the containment field in front of it.

::Oh no.::

Osmosis took over the moment the energy barrier snicked out. Water flowed around Chakotay, bonding, moulding into itself until he was surrounded not by blobs of water in air but the reverse.. Air pockets in water..

Chakotay tried to tread the water, holding his head inside the air pocket he had still around him.

He groped forward into the next one, using the next doorframe his grabbing fingers located, wavering in front of him. ::Just how far do I have to go to get to sickbay? This is the sixth doorframe.::

And another thing was bothering him.. What was that silvery form that compromised the intruder field so easily?.

The next pocket Chakotay could only reach with his foot, showing itself by the odd waves swirling inside the air filled space. ::Can I reach it?::

There was only one way to find out. Chakotay pushed. Hard.. He felt himself enter water and his eyes immediately blurred with it. Then his grip slipped and the wall was suddenly gone.

Chakotay struggled, not being able to see or know which way was up or down, mired in the zerogee glue of water. He could not breathe. ::Not good..:: For only momentum broke things through water film. And he had lost his..

Chakotay was like an ant caught in a raindrop. Drowning..

Time ran out very fast and he blacked out, Water filling his lungs.

Chakotay never knew when the computer flashed his stressing lifesigns into the computers bioflag warning system and to every working terminal on the ship..

##Warning.. Bioflag alert on Commander Chakotay. Deck Five.##

Still moving away, the odd body shaped but not alive form of silver specks began chewing through the next containment field blocking its path. It was not aware of what it had done.

-------------------------------------------------------

Dr. Bashir looked up from his work over Torres at the main door leading out of sickbay. The dim glow of the computer panels in the hallway were wavering slightly through the intruder alert barrier there. He said aloud, "Oh my god.. That's water out there."

Curious, he moved to the field and peered out seeing his own reflection bulging bizzarely in a mirrorlike air pocket drifting past.

Then he heard the computer bioflag go out. ##Warning.. Bioflag alert on Commander Chakotay. Deck Five.##

Bashir demanded.."Where??!!"

##Section two Deck Five. Vital signs fading rapidly..##

Bashir whipped his head to the left, trying to see past the mirage of water dancing air and through the dim blue computer panels glow out in the corridor.. He could see nothing.

----------

He could do nothing either from his end.

He could not drop the field. Or the water would invade sickbay too and all of them would get into trouble like Chakotay seemed to be in right now. "Dmn it.."

He hit his better than useless time delayed combadge. =^=Bridge! Anybody! Do something..=^=

He saw Data fly toward the computer control terminal in the main room but then the computer added another message.

##Warning. Transporter conduits offline. Detecting moisture in the main pattern buffer array controls.##

Julian's worst nightmare was being realized. The site to site systems had just gone out completely.

Then Bashir heard a voice calling to him from a side speaker near Data..

SEE SOUND BITE.

It was the captain. She saw the bioflag on Chakotay but she didn't know the EMH was indisposed yet behind inpenetrable nets on the holodeck. The holodoc was lost in his own delusions at the moment.

Bashir rapidly ran out of options even as the lifesigns he was monitoring softened into flatline.

"I hate this!!" he shouted helplessly.

-  
(attachments)

Image : Doctor Bashir staring at himself inside a water bubble.

Image : Chakotay's face close up while he's struggling. Blue lit.

*animated gif* And EKG monitor, with a heartbeat signal on it, slowing.

*animated gif* Another EKG monitor, this one's heartbeat graph spelling the word "Hi" within it, and flashing. The quote, "Still alive and kicking"  
displaying beneath it in red.

Audio : J- Janeway to the doctor. We have a medical emergency. Report to sickbay.

*  
From: "Cassidy Meyers" Subject: The Palm Seeker.  
Date: Sun, 01 Jul 2001 08:55:29 +0400 Seven heard the voice again in her mind. ::Never forget who you are..:: A dead voice. One that no longer hunted or ruled her.

Seven thought.. SEE soundfile.

"The Queen is long past in my history.. " Seven told herself aloud as she walked in the ship to ship plastiform tunnel leading to the Borg Pyramid. "She is no longer. Just as my link to the Borg Collective, is no longer..."

But Seven of Nine could not help that something was not quite ....right. And she couldn't shake the feeling. She was about four minutes walking time into Geordi's space tunnel. Yet instead of looking forward to the green glow of the ship from the future, Seven found herself glancing back over her shoulder at Voyager. ::What is bothering me?:: Seven felt her hand interface, it was warm.. reacting to a force unseen. ::Impossible..:: "My hand's function was only to gather my nanoprobes to me whenever I was in a Borg alcove years ago. Then, as now. It grew warm in proximity to my own nanoprobes."

Seven stopped in place and turned back around to face Voyager, pulling her hand nearer to her eyes so she could study it. The warmth she felt there was growing. Frowning in puzzlement, Seven dismissed the sensation as one of nerves for being on her way to a Borg craft.

Straightening her shoulders, Seven continued on her way. She suspected that she had another five minutes or so of walking time to arrive at the Pyramid's side of the tunnel. The first initial thudding of her heart when she first entered the passageway eased off. There were no drones to speak of in either her mind...or on her tricorder.. ::They exist only in my memories..:: There is nothing to fear here. The Primary has said so. He and the 8472 and the Borg of his time are allied. Like the Federation is with the Klingons and Vulcans. I am simply going to inspect the entryway of his vessel, until the Primary and Risha arrive to come with me." Seven gave a small shiver.. "So why am I still apprehensive?"

Answers eluded her as easily as the steam from her breath against the black clearness and stars shining through the tunnel material. Soon, Seven had arrived on the other side. She tapped her combadge. =^=Seven to Voyager. The tunnel is sufficient for use.. I suggest we..=^=

A harsh squeal met her ears from her own combadge, then went dead. Seven tapped it, repeating a hail. =^=Seven to Voyager.....Seven of Nine to Voyager... Come in....=^=

The Primary's mindspeak came so suddenly, that Seven jumped, hanging onto an edge strut of the tunnel wall. ##Scout one.. A troublings is on your home. Functioning is no more in walking force or seeing energy. Some people are no more!##

::What?:: Then aloud, "Who?!" Seven demanded both mentally and verbally of the 8472 picturing through its telepathy through her mind.

##A female in the propulsion place and the Marked one.##

"Chakotay and this woman? Dead?"

##This I know not yet as truth. Your leader woman is alarm emotions over both. I tries to help all. Yet the distance mover is not optimal.##

"Transporters aren't working? If Chakotay and the engineering crewman aren't long harmed, the EMH can revive them.." Seven made a choice. She dropped her pack, and began running back down the tunnel to the shuttle bay, back the way she had come. As she ran nearer the open cargobay doors she saw the amber glow of an intruder alert filling the huge chamber. No interior lights were on..

Seven ran inside into just the airlock and tapped a manual comm link "Seven to the bridge. I heard. Can I be of assistance?" she gasped, out of breath from her long run in the tunnel.

Tuvok came online immediately. =^=Chakotay's bioflag is critical, on Deck Five. We cannot reach him. The deck's flooded with liquid water following a massive gravity surge malfunction.=^=

Seven didn't think. She acted, noting the time the bioflag sounded on the first officer. ::One minute.. There's still time:: "Then I'll go get him. I'm on Deck Five. There's biosuits and jetpacks I can easily obtain. I have a medkit."

Tuvok didn't debate the issue. "I'll have a rescue team follow you in. Captain Janeway has been informed."

Seven got geared up in seconds. Soon, she stepped into the cargobay proper and the gravity immediately fled. She fought down the sudden nausea from the instant change in her stomach, then gunned the accelerator controls on her suit. She passed through the space door forcefield into the corridor that was partially filled with air bubbles and spherical air pockets in an eerie jumble.

There were no longer any lifesigns on the commander. Seven switched her lifeseeking tricorder to organic bone scan to trace where he was trapped.

He was still out of sight.

Then Seven's hand blazed into bright heat and she grabbed her own gloved limb protectively.. ::My hand implant.. reacting? How can this be? I am on Voyager.. not a Borg Cube.::

Seven tried to think through her agony and carry on. Precious seconds melted away... "Chakotay...!" she whispered. "I'm coming.."

Then Seven identified what the feeling she had in the tunnel a few minutes ago that made her keep watching over her shoulder.

It had been her own individualized intuition, screaming at her. -  
(attachments)

Image : A worried Seven looking at her hand web.

Image: Chakotay and Seven side by side looking up.

Audio : Seven- The link.. has been severed.

*  
From: "patti keiper" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Q Four.  
Date: Sun, 01 Jul 2001 19:04:58 -0000

Q waited expectantly for his grown son to come up with the answer. He held his breath so he wouldn't blow the animated silver motes off of his fingertip.

A spell of silence fell over the two until a burst of sudden sound exploded from the younger. "I've got it!"

Q jumped.

"I have the answer to your little lesson dear ole dad. One word, nanoprobes.

Q's eyes twinkled.. "Righto, first time block chip.  
or is that chip off the ol block?" he murmured to himself as his son rambled on, adding to his enlightened discovery.

"....The little mites don't know what they are doing and, as I have diagnosed, become unpredictable. We're going to have to bend the rules a bit and warn Capta..." Q2 cut off in mid sentence...

Both Q looked up. The comm speaker had crackled.

Q paused in between the computer tone and the simu voice to add to Q2. "A deal's a deal. Don't tell your mother. You've won that one month's grounding immunity...." he slipped in..

But then, before the Voyager computer could fully verbalize the self destruct message, the object of whom he had been referring "snapped" in.

His mate. Q promptly traded his native leaf shorts for a decently covering Voyager uniform.

Both men unconsciously straightened their collars, sleeves like cowed little boys while she spoke..

Lady Q turned to her husband and son. "You know you are not to go gallivanting all over the cosmos. It was hard enough to convince the continuum that having a son was a good idea, and this is how you teach him?"

Q sputtered.. "Whaa.... I....that was just costume. The real lesson was about these..Borgy things.." Q finger pinged a floating nanoprobe like a gnat on a screen across the room to show her one.  
"Seems Seven's blood got a night out on the town unsupervized.  
See? You even stopped the suddenly suicidal computer from finishing the job."

Q waved an absent hand around the unlit room and pointed to his and Q2's feet to show Voyager's gravity wasn't working to hold them to her decking. Q took a deep breath of pride. "And my son,  
guessed what they were even without knowing about Seven's EMH augmented bodymites first.. Well,.. he might have known about her body already.. Who hasn't..?" Q immediately bit his tongue and Q2 smacked his dad on the arm to silence him .

Lady Q glared.. "Interested in human mating practices again....Ughhh."  
she sighed. Then both father and son uncurled from their mutual wincing when she gave Picard the once over and asked.  
"Which of these humans is in charge here? I wish to speak with them." Then she ignored him.

Picard threw up his hands in disbelief. "Not me apparently.."

Q gave Picard a "settle down" hand gesture behind Lady Q's back.  
Then he cleared his throat. "Dearest... You are right.. Q and I had a little falling out on our trip. A rafting ride with the Traveler does tend to make one a little dimensional seasick. And it didn't help to have Wesley Crusher along as the tour guide..."

Picard glared at Q at the insult to one of his former crew.

Lady Q wasn't mullified. "That's no excuse."

"Wellll....." Q shrugged at a loss for words. He was ALWAYS at a loss for words around his son's mother. ::Maybe it's the I wasn't the one who carried him for nine millenia inside my womb paternal guilt that makes me feel this way around her:  
"If you must know who's in charge. It's Kathy..."

Lady Q stiffened. ::The human exgirlfriend. I wonder if she still has that dirty earth canine infant in her "ready room". Ready room.  
huh. Ready for what? A dog show?::

Q went on, "But she's a little busy right now with.. with..."  
Q looked over Lady Q's shoulder and seemingly through the decks to something he saw in another fold. "Oh my.  
Looks like wilderness boy's in a bind. Humans should know water and zero gee don't mix. Even Q here learned about that one when he was .6 eons old."

In a pinch, Voyager's pipes were mended and their contents returned inside of them. No more bubbles of water drifted about like hot air balloons. But only that.

On deck five, a soggy limp Chakotay still hung lifeless in his dark forcefielded section, alone. Dying.

Q did nothing to help Seven move any faster. He was too busy kowtowing to his mate.

"Honey.. Bumpkins..." Q said, taking Lady Q by the hand and flashing her favorite nova there. "We will go somewhere else then for vacation... How about the three of us? Your pick."

There was the sound of another voice, brash and bright adding, "How about the four of us..?"

All three of the Q family turned to watch as Quince pulled himself out of one of Voyager's dead computer screens like taffy. "God I hate leaving my cover before I'm through with my spying assignment.  
And being Voyager's Boothby consult program in disguise was one of the better ones I've ever come up with... But I just had to leave it. Those nanoflea things were tickling me. Broke my concentration.  
I missed quite a few people trying to get me online to help them out for scratching."

Q pointed, "You...were Boothby?"

Quince leaned on the doctor's desk, flinging his arms wide, "In the flesh.  
Ever since Janeway activated me last year in the what was that thing called?  
The Carousel Coordinate? " Quince sniffed. He looked at the three Q studying him.."Don't worry. I didn't break the rules. The next time one of these humans calls him back up again, their own Boothby program will function just like he would've if I hadn't taken him over. Believe me. I learned a LOT about that quality of humanity we all have to keep a look out for as Q. Have you guys had any luck just with what that quality is yet? All I know is Baldy Boy here," Quince smacked Picard on the chest as he sauntered by, "is chuck full of something that makes these others listen to him. And when humans band together in great numbers to journey "OUT THERE",they begin to look a lot like us Q now don't they?"

The Q family relaxed, then tensed at Quince's next words, "Speaking of rules.. quite a few have been broken here. As usual, the continuum's asked me to ..investigate.. snoop...sniff out.. exactly......why you've been playing on this particular human ship so often. I mean.. look around. It's not exactly a paradise....." Quince's face wrinkled in disgust, "Is anyone else smelling that stench around here? Smells like hamster stew..."

"...and why did you ever..when I took away your powers that one time on Baldy's ship, when the Calamaraine were after you, think....SEE sound to finish sentence.. Q?"

(attachments)

Image : Quince on a console near a blue lit Q.

Audio : Q- You would ask these puny humans to protect you from me? Fat Chance!

**********************************************

From: "Alex Delet" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Deep..Water Date: Sun, 1 Jul 2001 20:53:28 +0100

Yet another 'Heads Up' warning flashed on a console near to Voyager's CO, as she crossed the bridge toward a Jeffreys Tube.  
This one, was accompanied by a very loud, very unexpected Computer warning.  
Janeway was the only person on the ship authorised to initiate a Self-Destruct sequence, and was now being informed,  
that one had begun, without her consent.  
"Water...." Janeway watched in amazement, as a visual sensor recorded the 'pipes' bursting in the aftermath of the gravity surge.  
"We've dealt with water before," Janeway said, :: At Least, I have:  
she corrected herself, Janeway still remembered the combined bridge flooding.... but nobody within earshot did.  
"Captain.." he (Picard) said from a science station near Tuvok.  
"There's signs of widespread breakage in the water circulation and delivery plumbing. It may further complicate our power grid if it goes uncontained for much longer.."  
Janeway nodded, "If we engage bulkheads, it will trap crewmembers,"  
Janeway toiled, "I'm going to try to initiate forcefields around power systems that are vunerable to Water," Janeway told him.  
As a matter of routine, all bioflags also warranted a 'heads up', and Janeway froze for a second, when she saw Chakotay's.  
Then, Voyager's Captain felt her stomach turn....not from gravity loss, but from the gravity of the feelings...

One of her own, had died, in engineering.  
At Janeway's hand. The Gravity she'd initiated had killed one of her own.  
And there was no feeling, that could cause Voyager's Captain any more regret.  
Since the Self-Destruct sequence had frozen...all computer monitors had too, literally, frozen.... However, Janeway heard, in that moment, one slightly more shocking.  
SEE SOUND FILE.  
Janeway, momentarily forgetting the gravity, stamped her foot down throwing herself up, to impact the top of the compartment.  
"Water is gone.....Pipes Holding," Janeway said, breathless.... "But there was no air to replace it," she shook her head, "With Life-Support on Emergency, there was no way to replace the sudden...Vacuum,"  
"Computer, Terminate Abandon Ship Order,"  
The Computer gave no reply.  
Janeway activated a communicator, and opened a channel,  
"All Hands, Break Out Portable Emergency Life Support Systems,"  
"Or Portable Respirators," Janeway announced, "Do Not Abandon Ship,"  
:: Yet :: she added, although only mentally. "Chakotay...." Janeway said, not knowing what to do.  
The Internal Sensor display showed Seven of Nine approaching his position.  
"We need to get off this deck," Janeway said, forcefully, "Something is happening in Sickbay," she said, with a venom as she thought of the only person who might have been able to restore the water to it's pipes, "Q,"  
Noting that Picard had already gotten rid of the Romulans,  
Janeway silently thanked him.... having Romulans running around was never a good feeling for a Captain, but during the current condition of the ship, Janeway was very happy they'd left. Voyager's Captain, equipped herself with a portable oxygen mask.  
:: I've been too quiet with Picard :: the Captain decided, :: Probably stubbornness from fear of losing Voyager :: she analysed, vowing to fix it when she could walk on the deck again..and not the wall.  
Janeway headed back to the conference room, and opened an auxiliary hatch, which she floated along, until a juncture.  
Diving headfirst, Janeway hoped Gravity would not engage, as she 'swam' down four decks until the access port for Deck Five, came up.  
The door, in typical Voyager style, was jammed.... although the other doors had been opening all the way down so far.  
Janeway couldn't get sufficient grip to open the doors....so bypassed it, ending up a few metres outside of Sickbay.  
Seven of Nine was approaching Janeway's position on, with a medkit, which had spilled from an emergency locker, but was rounding a corner...still not within sight of Chakotay.  
As her head stuck out of the hatch, Janeway felt something brush past her, moving toward Seven's direction, causing Janeway's hair to respond in the zero-G.

The Corridor seemed to be empty, except for a faint humming sound, and an odd refraction of light, as several...things, moved contentedly through down the corridor.  
"Seven, get down..." Janeway called, as the...things headed to intersect the former-drone's head.  
Seven responded, quickly, fortunately...and the refracting particles moved past.  
Janeway launched herself out of the tube, floating on inertia, faster than Seven was moving.  
Janeway ran the back of her hand across Chakotay's forehead, "Stay with us...Chakotay,"she whispered, looking back for Seven, who was still just out of eyeline of Chakotays position.

Deciding that there wasn't time to wait for a Medkit, Janeway started to lift Chakotay in the Zero-G, and tried to manoeuvre him to Sickbay, talking softly to him, as she floated him down the corridor.

Janeway entered Sickbay, Again, she had to force the doors open, before floating in.  
Taking stock...and noting the four Q's, Janeway floated to the centre of the room,  
"We need help," she managed, as she placed him on a biobed, and activated a restraining field, while Bashir, now wearing boots, which kept him securely on the deck started over. Janeway felt a flood of emotions.... she couldn't lose Chakotay, not after so many years, not after so many light-years travelled.... Q snorted in disgust, and clicked, giving Janeway some boots. She found herself on the deck.  
Bashir was helping the desperate Torres.... the EMH was nowhere to be seen.  
Janeway did the only thing she could...what Chakotay would have done for her.  
She started to breath for him.... knowing that, after so much time down... every second saved could make a difference.  
When Bashir finally came over.... Janeway moved off, and held one of Chakotays hands. Turning away, only to send someone to check for seven of nine.  
Looking to the Q entente, she grimaced, "What the h*ll is going on?"

(attachment)

Audio : Computer- *Continous klaxon* Warning, life support failure on all decks. Abandon ship...

******************************************** END WEEK TWENTY FIVE RECAP 07-02-01

()

.com/voyagerliveaction

WEEK TWENTY SIX RECAP 07-02-01

*  
From: "Samantha ." sdez90h...  
Date: Mon Jul 2, 2001 2:41 am Subject: Four Q too many

Q2 looked back and forth between his newly arrived mother and Quince. Things were going a little to fast for him. He stepped back as the conversation went on about him staying silent until a spark came up in him.

The Q family relaxed, then tensed at Quince's next words, "Speaking of rules.. quite a few have been broken here. As usual, the continuum's asked me to ..investigate.. snoop...sniff out.. exactly......why you've been playing on this particular human ship so often. I mean.. look around. It's not exactlya paradise....." Quince's face wrinkled in disgust, "Is anyone else smelling that stench around here? Smells like hamster stew..."and why did you ever..when I took away your powers that one time on Baldy's ship, when the Calamaraine were after you would have these puny humans protect you from me? Fat chance. Q?"

"Q was here to help Aunt Kathy find the Risha, the hybrid child. Of course, that was after the borg cubes showed up, then Picard destroyed one, and then the Romulans came, then the gravity and lights went out...but neither him or I caused anything here. Infact, we've been bettering the situation or keeping it from getting worse." at the beginning of his speech, the teenaged being was defiant but as he progressed the defiance tappered off.

"Wait, wait, hold up squirt. Go back for a second...AUNT Kathy? There is a connection here but I just can't place it. Care to explain?" Quince dared the other two males.

Q2 winced a bit at the nickname then looked at his quiet father and turned back to Quince, "Captain Janeway isn't my real aunt, more like a god-parent, but she's an...aunt." he didn't want to go on about his father's history with the Starfleet officer.

"That explains a small portion of my investigation. Care to give me more information kid-o?" his tone becoming that of a crook trying to steal candy from a baby.

"Kid-O?!" Q2 was taken aback by the sudden change in tone, but at the same time perturbed at the baby talk he was be spoken to with, "Let's get things straight. One, I'm not going to tell you ANYTHING! and two, do I look like a four year old with a lolli-pop?" he added sarcastically.

Quince took this as a small joke and soon Q2 was holding an oversized sucker in his hand, "There you go, is that better?"

Q2 just fumed at him, "That's it!" he throw the sucker behind him which somersaulted until coming to a stop (=-=mod addition-" inadvertantly"=-=)by Picard, who had his back to the Q as he walked away. The sucker thwapped the red and black clad man in the back of the head.

"I've had enough of your baby talk. I'm going to snap you into oblivion!" the angered Q2 raised his hand and took a step towards Quince. In that same instant his father stepped in and grabbed the upraised limb, preventing his son's threat from becoming reality. He quickly apologized to Quince and grabbed his son by the shoulders pulling back a few steps.

"Wise choice old friend." Quince's mood had darkened somewhat. "Now, back to the matter at hand. The continuum has been monitoring you, Q, since they agreed to let your mate bear that...child. They admit that you've been keeping to your committment of watching him, but you've troubled the cosmos far too much, along with the boy." he paused and let the information sink in.

"What have we done to bother the all mighty continuum?" Q2 had regained his composure. He looked the "Cop Q" in the eye, as if daring him to answer the question.

"As Lady Q said earlier, you two have been "gallivanting" across the universe far too much. I'm sure that the Traveller and the Crusher boy didn't appreciate the tidal wave." he informed them.

"They were on the water, tidal waves are common in water." retorted Q2.

"In a river? I don't think that is likely. As for the dying race, without their source of life," Quince eyed the boy, regarding the exstinguished comet, "and the other disgruntled beings, they'll have to be justified in some way. May a few millennia universal service..."

"A few millennia!" Q2 burst out once again. He was as surprised as his father was at the supposed punishment. At this time, it was Lady Q's turn to hold back both her mate and son.

"If you'll excuse me, I have an investigation to conduct." with that he raised his hand to flash away.

(attachments)

Image : A huge lcars display of a stellar cartography graph.

Image : Lightning at night over an Earth obsevatory.

Image : The 1969 Moon walk color photo with the Enterprise D flying over their heads.

*****************************************************

From: "Jeff Seltun"  
Subject: Conversion.. Date: Mon 2 July 2001 02:09:56 GMT

Janeway did the only thing she could...what Chakotay would have done for her.  
She started to breath for him.... knowing that, after so much time down... every second saved could make a difference.  
When Bashir finally came over.... Janeway moved off, and held one of Chakotay's hands.

Julian got to work. He put a hand on Chakotay's chest, baring it. "Is his airway entirely clear?"

The Voyager captain nodded, remembering the ease with which she got air into him."The water's gone."

"That's good." Bashir set a neurostimulator on his patient's temple and set the first of the cortical delivery jolts at 15 megajoules. "He should have sufficient gaseous exchange by now. Stand back."

Janeway did and watched as Julian gave Chakotay a hypo of cordrazine to prep his nervous system for revival. Then the doctor countershocked, trying to get Chakotay's heart going again.

There was no change. Picard drifted over, very somber. "Is it too late for him?"

"Not necessarily." Bashir said. "We still have time on our captain got him to me only three minutes after we first registered his bioflag alert. It will all depend on how damaged his lungs became when he aspirated the water before Q got it out. The fact that he ventilated at all is a good sign. Increase to 30. Now.."

The computer sent another impulse into the cortical link again. Chakotay jerked and this time, a lifesign fluted a steady tone to all in the room.

Chakotay's cardiac function had been restored.  
But the commander did nothing to try and breathe on his own even as his circulation returned full bloom. Bashir had to intubate him and have the computer biounit breathe for him to get good O2 readings in his blood.

Bashir left him on life support when consciousness didn't return even after a followup of triox.  
The two captains' expressionless looks made him add, "He's thinking about it. Drowning's a frightening thing.  
Sometimes the brain goes out to lunch until it's ready to face reality again. Don't worry. He's going to make it just fine."

Julian noticed that Janeway had taken his hand again. "Stay with him. Anything tactical or spoken might bring him around faster. His brain scan looks good. There wasn't any serious hypoxia there, thanks to the captain's quick actions."

---------------------------------------------

Data moved over to Picard's side. "I have found something, sir. To the captain's intruder alert."

"Oh?" Picard said, moving a bit away from Janeway to give her the time she wanted to spend at Chakotay's bedside.

"Boothby is functioning again. And he's spotted these on the latest vid scans."  
Data showed images of the motes forming and reforming as they paused,  
chewed through, and collapsed each security field along the corridor. At times,  
they were just triangular.. but significantly,  
they were becoming more and more like..

"That looks like..." Picard startled.

"Yes,.. Seven of Nine. These nanoprobes are mimicking her physionomy more and more closely as these images get more recent. " Data said.

"Where is she?" the Enterprise captain asked.

Janeway tossed her head towards the corridor outside sickbay.

Picard decided to find her.  
It was odd that she hadn't followed the captain into sickbay with the commander..

He left Chakotay's bedside and he and Data walked into the hall slowly.  
"Seven?"

It was still dark and it was hard to see.

A clanking like boots on the deck met their ears, walking for a bit.  
But then silenced..

Data drew out his phaser.

Picard called out, keeping flush with one wall, watching the ceiling as well as the corridor in the zero gee for any movement. "Seven,..Your commander is going to be fine. Why don't you come join us and see for yourself?"

At first, it seemed no one was there.  
But a scan showed Seven was there,  
standing still.

"Seven?" Picard said.

He and Data waited tensely. Something was not right.

-  
(attachments)

Image : Janeway at Chakotay's bedside in sickbay.

Image : A gallant Bashir med shot.

Audio : Bashir- Apparently, my healing touch is something of a legend around here.

*  
From: "Amiee Jo Fielder" GabbyJoJoh...  
Date: Mon Jul 2, 2001 2:57 pm Subject: A Womans Work is Never Done

"A few millennia!" Q2 burst out once again. He was as surprised as his father was at the supposed punishment. At this time, it was Lady Q's turn to hold back both her mate and son.

"If you'll excuse me, I have an investigation to conduct." with that he (Quince)raised his hand to flash away.

Lady Q took Quinces' leaving as opportunity to to talk to her "husband" and son in private, she flashed up an invisible barrier that prevented anyone else in sickbay from hearing what they said.

"Quince has been here observing you for that long? No wonder the Continuum sent me way out here to the slums of the galaxy. Leave it to a woman to do a mans job" she mumbled under her breath.

Q and Q2 both started to interject but Lady Q simply held up her hand to silence them.

"It has been deemed by the highest powers in the continuum that the two of you have exactly three days to get yourselves out of the running for "most likely to be sentenced to human form" ::Like they haven't tried that before:: she thought to herself. "I for one refuse to be known as the x-Q's wife and the mother of the x-Q, so I have come to make sure you start teaching your son the proper Q way, and" she turns to directly face her son "make sure you pay attention to your studies"

The Q family barely paid any attention to all the excitement that was going on in sickbay, except for Q who almost got a look of jealousy on his face when Janeway began to "breath" life back into Chakotay. Noticing this Lady Q got rather upset. She moved to stand between her mate and the commotion in the room behind her.

Which of these humans is in charge here? I wish to speak with them.

"If you must know who's in charge. It's Kathy..." Q said.

::The human exgirlfriend. I wonder if she still has that dirty earth canine infant in her "ready room". Ready . Ready for what? A dog show:  
Lady Q turned around to see Kathryn hovering near the bed of her fallen first officer. ::Maybe this isn't such a good time.... Oh, to h578l with it, I want some answers:: With that thought out of her way she removed the invisible shield and began to make her way over to where Janeway sat.

"Oh, Captain, might I have a word with you?" She said in her most cheerful voice, which was anything but pleasant.

-  
(attachments)

Image : Lady Q and Q in happier days.

Audio : Lady Q- What are you doing with that dog? I'm not talking about the puppy....

*  
From: "Clairissa Fox" Subject: Fix everything Queues!  
Date: Tue, 03 Jul 2001 04:25:17 -0000

I was mad. Mad at the Rommies for being snots and talking about their toy first and not Voyagers problems. I was glad that Captain Picard kicked their butts off Auntie Kathys ship.

But I made sure they went. I followed the guards to the transporter room and watched them leave. I stuck my tongue out too and made Vakiris turn blue.

Then I used my magnet booties to go to sickbay. I heard Chakoty's life alarm. That was bad. When I got there, Auntie Kathy was kissing him to make him breathe.

Chakoty! Chakoty! Wake up! I ran over and Doctor Basheer heard me. He came over to help Auntie Kathy.

But things didnt go so good. Chakoty didnt wake up. He needed a tube in his mouth. I knew what that was for, my grandmum had one when she had cancer and the Birdy needed to give her lungs air. I didnt like that, she couldnt talk to us.

But Doctor Basheer really knew his stuff! He said my big friend was going to be just fine and then I knew it was true because Auntie Kathy got mad at someone else right after. She shouted loud at the Queues!

I laughed. Auntie Kathy! Auntie Kathy! You tell em. Get them to fix us and Chakoty. Ill help you!

I put my hands on my hips. But I didnt get fooled by the lollipop hanging in the air. Captain Picard didnt fall for it. And neither would I.

Queue! Queue! All of you! Candy isnt going to make us less mad. You listen to the bobby. Help everybody you hurt! Quince said so and so do I! And I know how you can help Voyager. Get 7s bloodfriends back into their bag and Ill put it back into the scary locker! See? Here it is..

I bootied forward and took the empty bag Doctor Basheer had been looking at when Auntie Kathy flew in Chakoty. I waved it in the Queues faces. Look! This is where they all got out. Look at the hole. They bit through there and now they are in the pipes and are making it so dark and floaty in here. Cant you finger them somewhere else?

Or has the punishment Quince given you keeping you from making changes to another race of things like 7s bloodfriends? You dont have to listen to the prime directeve, you arent from earth!

Then I ran over to Bootby. Bootby! Bootby! Youre back! You see 7s bloodfriends, what are they doing?

Then I saw Data and Captain Picard go out there again to see for themselves.

I went back to Chakotys other hand and held it just like Auntie Kathy was doing with his other hand. I had to be there. I was the captains assistant. But I kept looking up at the door anyway.

But soon. I had to see 7. I had to see for me.

Then Doctor Basheer went back to Belanna. She was still baby hurting. I hoped shed wake up too, but I couldnt hold BOTH their hands.

-  
(attachment)

Image : Naomi close up looking confident near a bowl of pears.

*  
From: "Cory Anda" Subject: Indian summer and the movie man.  
Date: Wed, 04 Jul 2001 06:04:13 -0000

His eyes were not yet open, so he opened them. Bright sun in an azure sky told Chakotay that he was in the spirit guide realm again. ::I wonder if my spir--::

"Teeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrwwww...." an achingly familiar silohuette greeted him.

::Rahelon....:: Chakotay drew a hand over his face and just lay there in the prairie grass, resting. He looked up at his spirit guide soaring circles above him and chuckled softly. ::Must be nice having wings.:: he sent to him. ::Come down here and alight on my arm.:: he asked. ::I know that racing on all fours is out of the question. That was Matseyeho's forte'. She belongs to the other Chakotay now, on the other side.::

He didn't think he would ever forget the sacrifice his spirit wolf made going into the alternate dimension with the other Voyager crew. It had bought Voyager's freedom from the Nexus. But an ache still gripped him, somewhere right about the chest.

"Now that would be because we had to revive you from near drowning, commander. It's not because of some mystical soul angst..." said a voice.

Chakotay turned his head to find the EMH beside him. He, too, was on his back, dreamily studying the pure limitless sky as the red tailed hawk circled lower. "Doctor.... how did you?....."

"I have absolutely no idea.... So,.. this is where you go after chanting over animal skins and severed wings. Charming place although the means to get here is rather crude.. Sort of.....cavemanish."

Chakotay frowned but didn't deign to move, as the unreal sun soaked into his chest, slowly easing away the tightness that came with each breath. He sighed as deeply as he could. But it felt like he had a snake embedded in his throat.

"You do... well,.... a respirator airway is not exactly a rattlesnake.. but I guess it would feel like that if you were just waking up from full arrest."

Chakotay pulled a blade of sweet grass out from in between them and chewed on it, contendedly. "I'll do two days sickbay inventory if you tell me how you read my mind just now.." he said.

Both dream form men just watched the hawk sink lower in answer to Chakotay's summons. ##It is because your false man is suffering a false state of mind.## Rahelon interjected as he landed on Chakotay's knee gracefully. ##But Kathryn's guide says that this has never happened before.##

Chakotay rose up on an elbow and looked his spirit hawk right in his amber eyes, "Are you telling me that the EMH is here with me because he is crazy?"

##Yes.## said the bird of prey, who absently began to pick fish scales delicately out from in between its talons..

The EMH frowned, "Funny, I don't feel bonkers in the slightless. Last I remember, that annoying female Q was glaring at me with one of my own scalpels. And then I was bouncing off the safety barrier on the holodeck. I could have sworn I was just taking a look at Torres for something she needed done very badly."

##The tall one kept you from cutting the woman.## Rahelon admitted. ##I saw you coming here when you began to do that. Maybe you wanted things to stop.##

"Whatever for?" the EMH complained. "I am MEANT to treat patients, of all types and for all reasons. I am not programmed to harm ANYone."

"Until now...." Chakotay grinned to lighten his observation. "Don't worry about it. I'm sure there's a reason you've gone crazy."

The EMH frowned. "Well, I'm not exactly leaping up and down, scratching my armpits, and eating bananas in their skins.."

"No.. you're just bananas..." Chakotay couldn't resist. He laughed harder but his spirit world sympathetic throat felt the real world's respirator tube and rebelled. He began coughing uncomfortably, gasping.

The EMH set a firm hand on Chakotay's chest. "Here.." He thumped lightly there and something deep inside slid back into place.. "Quit moving around out there and your airway won't tickle your trachea.. You're not ready to go solo just yet."

Chakotay looked down at his own chest and felt it with his hands. "But nothing's there.. How can I be talking to you if I'm attached to life support?"

The EMH rolled his eyes.. "Ask Mr. Beak over there. Isn't he supposed to have answers for everything?"

Rahelon ruffled his feathers, not at all offended. ##The mind is the body, Chakotay. And the reverse.##

"Yeah, well how do you explain me? I HAVE no body.." the EMH scoffed lightly. "For that matter, you tell me I have no MIND either..."

##For you to be here is a new dreaming that has never been seen, movie man.##

"And stop calling me, movie man..." the doc added. waving away a butterfly that was attempting to alight on his nose. In irritation, he smacked it flat between his two cinemagraphic hands. Something mental gave a sharp cry and ended. The EMH flinched, grabbing his own chest the way Chakotay had thinking of his absent wolf friend. He felt a loss most acutely that he could not place right away.

Chakotay stroked his hawk's back reverently. "Congratulations, doctor.. You've succeeded where B'Elanna Torres failed and you've killed her. That monarch, was your own spirit guide.."

Not at all reverently, the EMH wiped the butterfly goo off of his hands in the grass. "Yeah, well this place isn't real.. I'm sure the next time I chant gibberish over rotten animal pelts and use a stuporifying piece of technology, she'll waltz right back and try to use my face for a landing strip again..."

##She is part of you when you are here. So, in essence. You've killed part of your mind for this experience. It just may make it harder for you to leave movie man.## the hawk remarked.

"Pllleeeaaseee, don't call me that.." the doc sighed.

##You have an alternate calling? What have Chakotay's kind named you?##

Chakotay chuckled.."He's got a point.. you ARE made of light and photons and you do turn on with the flick of a switch. Just don't kill any more animals while you're here and we just may both get out of here intact and in one piece, doctor."

"YOU may." the EMH interjected, "According to fluffy over there. I'm falling to pieces by leaps and bounds.." He flopped flat back on the grass of the vast plains that was Rahelon's place.

"Don't worry doc," Chakotay offered. "The second I spit out my breathing tube, I'll get Tuvok to mindmeld with me so the three of us can discuss getting you out of here. Deal?"

The EMH rolled his eyes and placed a sleeve over his eyes to nap. "Take your time.. I just may go nuts more often. This place feels like I'm on vacation.. Best of all, there is no OFF switch.." he said, with sarcasm. "But do try and see that Torres is getting the best of care. I'm worried about her."

"I'll do my best.." Chakotay said.

The hawk, movie man and Indian man dozed then in the warming middle dawn waiting for an injured body to heal itself and take its first breath on its own..

-  
(attachments)

Image : Chakotay at his medicine bundle.

Image : Rahelon, Red Tailed Hawk

Gif: Blue Indian bar

Audio : A hawk's cry..

Gif : A feather bundle and beads

Image : A sick EMH with a cloth on his head.

Gif: Blue Indian bar

*  
From: "Roxy Dee" Subject: SECBOT***Where were you on the night of the 42nd?~~ Date: Thu, 05 Jul 2001 06:37:24 -0000

Harry turned away from the comm after announcing the death of the young woman in engineering. He was sick. Sick of an emergency that shouldn't even be. Earth was a stone's throw away with the ship surrounded by the heart of the Federation Fleet at Utopia Planetia. ::It feels like we're thirty thousand light years away again. It's not fair. ::

Automatically Kim went through the motions of securing stations and rigging up temporary lights to push back the ship wide blackness.

Then Chakotay's bioflag alert went out. He rapidly went from critical to clinically dead. Harry was beside himself as he watched Seven's combadge get nearer and nearer the last known position of the first officer. Then, Kim saw Janeway's combadge tag overtake Seven's and then intersect where Chakotay's signal had faded into silence.

Kim whooped and jumped forgetting that he was wearing mag boots. He looked ridiculous looking like he was going to take off and then , of course, going nowhere, but he didn't care.

A short time after Janeway's trace got to sickbay, Chakotay's lifesigns once more began registering. Kim took in a huge sigh of relief and let it out slowly.

Another light came on his Ops board , a lone green one in a sea of red ones, and he noticed that all the loose liquid water on the ship was suddenly back where it should be.

Then came the awful announcement of life support failure shipwide from the vacuum resulting from where the water had been. Harry got mad again. He started running in his magnotreads to portable O2 tanks on the walls and began turning on their streams full volume.

Engineering didn't need to evacuate because the air stabilized back to normal with the added oxygen Harry and his team released. ::Helps to be in a room that seals off.:: But the rest of the ship was not so lucky. There were still areas of airlessness that would have to be flushed with fresh atmosphere before most of Voyager's crew could put their breathing masks away.

::Mixed blessing. Q obviously had a hand getting Janeway to Chakotay but with side effects...:: Kim grumbled.

The comm squealed. "Harry!! Harry! This is Geordi! Are you guys ok over there? The Enterprise just got your distress call you sent out. What the h&ll is going on? Sound like world war IV. On our sensors.. Nothing seems out of order.. So I repeat.. Talk to me."

Kim pushed a pad down. "Geordi. It's good to hear your voice. We've no lights and no gravity. The compensator for the null field for local gravity is off calibration.. Captain Janeway activated it and we suffered a surge of 7 Gees.. We ....lost a crewman and almost lost Chakotay too when the water mains ruptured."

"Oh my gosh,,,.." Kim heard Geordi say...."How are your computer systems? You've got to lower buffers right away or you're going to lose decks to floodi--"

"Already taken care of." Harry reassured the Lt. "Q did something right when it counted but the price was heavy. Where the water was that he transferred we have real space vacuum.. Needless to say we've got whole decks of no atmosphere.. Joy..."

"Huh,..." Geordi said through the comm link, thoughtful, "Sounds like Voyager's going to need to get outside somewhere and roll the windows down. "

At Kim's studied blank skeptical look, Geordi added, "Why not? The Borg Pyramid's matching your synchronous orbit perfectly holding the tunnel's line well. She's five centuries more advanced than we are.. I'd say she'd be able to tag along if you guys wanted to Blue land Voyager on Earth to emergency flush new atmosphere inside of her."

"You really think so?" Kim said, rubbing his tired face. He forgot that it was partially bloody from where he had bitten his tongue in the gravity spike. He accepted a dampened towel from a passing med tech and shook his head when the man nonverbally asked if he needed to be seen to.

Geordi's confident tone was healing to the ensign and he began to relax, "I know so, Harry. Could solve problems across the board. Circumstance isn't letting Voyager off easily for her trip home so why not set her deep inside the goal posts and be done with it? " Geordi shrugged. "No reason why you can't.. Nothing's wrong with your propulsion systems according to Boothby.. By the way.. We lost contact with you for about ten minutes when Boothby went offine. Did the malfunctions in your lighting and gravity grid have anything to do with that?"

Harry raised his eyebrows, finished cleaning off his soiled face. "I wouldn't know.. According to my logs. He never went out of program specs.. Just... froze for a bit."

"Another mystery.. We lost all visual and audio to Voyager just when Seven of Nine entered the tunnel." LaForge added.

"Seven went into the conduit without orders?" Kim asked.

"Well... yes.. didn't Captain Janeway order her to check it out?" Geordi asked.

"She couldn't have. She had her hands full with rescuing Chakotay from his folly. She couldn't leave him until Dr. Bashir got his vital signs back at least enough for life support to take over. I've got it all here,.. Boothby just uploaded the vid and audiologs to me ...just ...now......" he trailed off.

::That was efficient..:: Kim frowned. ::Just when I needed to know just that kind of information. Something's fishy here. It's like Boothby suddenly turned clairvoyant.::

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In the engineering bay on Enterprise D, echoed a booming reply that made LaForge jump. "Maybe he did..." said a voice.

Geordi swiveled in his stool in shock. "Who the h&ll are you?!"

"Ah..ah ah.. be nice warpcore boy. Don't tell me having no eyes gets you cranky. I was just helping out through my doppleganger front. You can go about your business.." Quince leaned forward confidentially.. "Pretend I'm..not....here." he whispered.

"How did you get through Enterprises's shields."

Quince looked at the Enterprise engineer ironically.."Would you believe I came in through the front door? Listen kid, I'm a Q, ok. I can do anything and right now I am here to interview you about... certain things about that ship over there...." he said pointing to Geordi's frustratingly normal display of Voyager's status. "and her crew on her.. I...have a few things I am being pressed to check out. Now that SHE'S distracted.. I don't have to worry about her cheating on the double cross spying going on.."

Geordi waved away the answering security guards who came at the Lt.'s shout. "Who's distracted..?"

"Q is ,, er I mean Lady Q.. Right now,..she's green in the face over Kathy's heroic rescuer attractiveness to Q. I have to make up for lost time. One jump ahead of the other competing agent, know what I mean...?"

"No.. I don't..." Geordi said levelly and cold. "And I'm not going to cooperate with you.." and he folded his arms.

"Awww come on, Geordi. Let's do this hombre a hombre, eh? Tell you what..I will tell you what is causing Voyager's problems if you answer me one question. In fact, I'll tell you in advance. Your ex Borg drone barbie over there's circulatory nanoprobes got out to do some wider circulating when the Iconian key thing got left on and shocked them into wanderlust...." Quince gesticated.

His wavy hand gestures almost hypnotized the exhausted engineer. "Ah,,, ok. I get it. Feedback from the artifact popped and it reanimated some blood nanos.. Got ya.. Should be an easy purge for B'Elanna and I to...wait a sec. I don't see B'Elanna here on the active roster.." Geordi said looking at the freshly Q delivered Boothby report.

"That's because, in true female style, she's chosen to bear her young at the most inconvenient time. Now.."

"How is she?!" Kim roared from the intercom. He had over heard the two Enterprise men talking through the link with Boothby that Quince had reestablished upon his arrival on the scene.

"Don't know.. Don't care. I don't like procreation.. It makes for a crowded universe.." Quince said to him.

"You seem to like your buddy Q a lot." Geordi snapped, remembering when Q had asked for asylum on Enterprise when he had lost his Q powers to the Calamarain incident. "And he's got a fully grown procreated son.." ::This character was down right egnoble for Q, and eventually gave Q back his powers.::

Quince winced. "That's different. I'm paid to tail him."

Harry's voice sounded coppery over the commline. "Oh, so money talks.."

"We don't use money.." Quince shrugged.

"So collatoral talks.."

"We don't need collatoral. We're omnipotent.."

Harry flared, "So what's in it for you...exactly..?"

"Satisfaction. A chance to see your Q head down the ol endless circular universal highway one more time when he's already been there and done that. There's no greater currency to lose as a Q than facing ultimate boredom." Quince said. "And the rest of the Continuum will enjoy watching him go from the desert truckstop. For a time, they will not be bored. What goes around comes around.. And if I can get a Q mom and a Q kid to go with him. That's three times the fun."

Kim didn't speak for two seconds. Then he added, "That's sick.. you know? That's that's really sick.. Causing another being's suffering.. Q's beginning to sound like a saint compared to you..."

"Oh really..." Quince said with a hard edge. "Now a deal's a deal. I've told you the problem your Enterprise sensors couldn't see with Voyager. So now it's my turn to get an answer back from you for my investigation... so now I'm a-s-k-i-n-g....." the spy Q took in an impossibly deep breath... "How many times did Q gload Picard face to face to face into getting furious, huh.. Inquiring minds really want to know..."

Geordi stared at Quince incredulously and just hissed out in disgust.. "Oh that's really rich.... coming from you.. That's petty.."

"Uh huh.."

"That's low...."

"I know that. Q 's the model bully. The one role model we all must AVOID in the continuum at all costs. Uh huh. Please proceed. Wouldn't want THAT kind of influence tainting the Continuum cake frosting, now would we?"

And Quince snapped a writing tablet into one hand and licked the point of his feather quill with his tongue, poising it over the paper.

It was Geordi's turn to take a deep breath. It showed just how many bruises he had taken in the past ten minutes, mental and physical. "I don't know.. Fifteen, maybe twenty..." Geordi realized how stupid he sounding talking about stupid things.."You are crazy.."

"No, the Voyager EMH is the crazy one right now. I am simply a mild mannered reporter." Quince said. "Thankyou for your answer.. You are very honorable in cooperating with me. Tah.."

And Quince flashed out back to where he was headed.

---------------------

Geordi and Harry both began to pound their heads against their own consoles in self beradement at the same time causing engineering members on both ships to throw odd looks at them while trying to walk on eggshells, some, on Voyager, in their clanking magboots.

Somewhere, in both places at once, Boothby who was not Boothby at times, chuckled.

-  
(Attachments)

Image: Harry getting encouraged by a relieved Janeway following Chakotay's rescue.

Image : Tom Paris in an envirosuit

*  
From: "Cassidy Meyers" Subject: Home Roost.  
Date: Fri, 06 Jul 2001 01:33:57 +0400

Deanna was in sickbay when Voyager's first officer was brought in. He didn't look like he was alive anymore. ::What happened?:: Deanna said, looking up from where she had rejoined Risha after she, Tom Paris, Picard and the party of guards had arrived. Tom was still changing.

And Captain Janeway's emotions were sky rocketting. Troi could feel the woman's anguish beneath the cool exterior as she began the long task of breathing for two until Naomi's shout got Bashir's attention. The doctor hastened over to revive him.

It was about two minutes after that when Deanna felt the warm gentleness of Chakotay's feeling touch her awareness. ::He's back. :: But then she frowned. ::Now why would the commander feel puzzled while unconscious?::

She looked up, "Excuse me, Risha. I have to check on a crewmate.. I'll be right back. If you need anything. Flag down Mr. Data or the Primary." The blue little female hybrid nodded and returned to her datapadd showing scans of the Borg Pyramid. The ship she would have to know and pilot before long back in her own time.

Deanna left the Child's side.

She came beside Chakotay's bed just as Dr. Bashir was reassuring Picard and Janeway of his coming complete recovery from his ordeal. Troi found a seat and moved some life support airway tubes out of her way. "Hello captains. I came over because the commander is feeling puzzled for some reason. Now I'm getting the distinct feeling that he's wanting to wake up."

Deanna placed a hand on his cheek and spoke, "I hear you, Commander. I know that something's different than usual where you are. I understand that now. We aren't going anywhere. We'll wait until you are ready."

Then Chakotay began shifting ever so slightly on his bed and gagging a bit on his endotrach tube. "Doctor..." Deanna said, looking up at Bashir.. "Is he waking up?"

Bashir hurried over and leaned over to listen over Chakotay's mouth where the tube was taped. "It's too soon. He's not really awake." Julian found the right place and tapped on his chest after listening for a bit there. Then he shifted Chakotay's torso a little onto his left side."Ahh.. the tube was crooked, stimulating that unconscious reflex. He should settle down now. Everything's straight again inside."

Deanna folded her hands in front of her, "When do you expect the commander to shake it off?"

"You noticed something?"

The dark eyed counselor smiled. "Yes. I did. He's reacting as if someone else were there with him in his mind."

"Not surprising.. If you had half a gallon of ice cold water that suddenly invaded your chest to the point of killing you, you be hallucinating a bit too." he quipped. "Don't worry. The computer's keeping tabs on his EEG. The second he even thinks about opening his eyes, that tube'll be withdrawn so he can breathe by himself."

He saw Janeway relax fractionally. To her credit the captain did not let her grip go on his palm. Deanna felt Janeway war over self consciousness over letting the crew see how his near death was just now effecting her and her natural command instincts to avoid looking vulnerable in front of her crew.

Deanna shrugged, showing the woman that the ambivalence was natural and normal. Janeway didn't look up.

Then the Voyager captain began talking, softly, so only she, Naomi and Chakotay could hear her.

She was trying to draw Chakotay out of his protective coma with stories... Ones that were filled with memories.

Deanna nodded to her. ::That's right. That is what he wants. A basis upon which to focus on which way he has to go. :  
"He's got something to tell us. Keep going with that."

------------------------------------------------------------

Seven of Nine heard Data and Picard come into the corridor after her even through her suit. But she didn't dare move.

She carefully studied the place that was shimmering a meter in front of her. Silver specks ribboned up and caressed her webbed hand through the glove from a vaguely humanoid shape. "These nanoprobes are mine... How did you get out?" she asked them through her cortical node.

##The nanos showed her a great flash of light through the metal walls of the locker that nearly melted their blood bag. Then the cutters reasserted themselves and freed the whole cluster into the crack in the locker and into the computer systems, seeking shelter from the energy that had awakened them. ##

She spoke again, "And then your programming took over. You were trying to find me.. No wonder my tactile implant is warm. It is reacting to your need." Seven lifted that arm and the nanos chimed, rising up to cloud around her gloved hand like bees to sugar. Seven saw that Picard and Data were approaching her in the near corridor distance.

She pulled off her glove, holding her breath at the airlessness around her. In a stream, the nanoprobes swept up her wrist assimilations nodules and back into her bloodstream. "You must all return then. Your search program is no longer required. "

She snicked her assimilation tubes into the wall in front of her. "Return..." The computer lights flickered as tardy nanos hastened to follow their companions back into Seven. Then the lights steadied. "Release Voyager." Seven told them.

Just like that, lights and gravity was restored as the last of the nanoprobes entered Seven's body..

She felt heady as their presence as blood elements almost became too efficient at drawing what little oxygen Q had left in the air.

Picard with a mask and Data without one arrived at her side.

Seven twisted off her helmet.

"No!!" Picard said, "You'll suffocate like Chakotay.."

"I am fine. The nanoprobes have things under control. I have adapted to this thin environment. I however, suggest you keep yours in place, captain, until we return back to sickbay. There's an off switch we must find on your Borg destroying artifact.."

"Huh?" Picard grunted.

Data turned right around without missing a stride like an eager student and headed right back down the now fully normal corridor. He wanted to see this object of curiosity for himself.

Seven watched environmental crews start identifying the more rarified air deck by deck to place caution indicators for crew to note for mask use while they got the ship back into one piece. ::I wonder if we are going to get air from Earth soon? It is the most efficient solution to our breathable air problem.::

-  
(attachments)

Image : Troi in her Risa picnic gown.

Image : Seven near an orange moon with a crewman with a tricorder in her hand.

Audio : Troi-- I've never felt anything like it.

*  
END WEEK TWENTY SIX RECAP 07-09-01

.com/voyagerliveaction WEEK TWENTY SEVEN RECAP 07-09-01

*  
From: Jeff Seltun Subject: Birds really did begin to sing... Date: Mon, 9 Jul 2001 22:37:41 -0700 (PDT)

Picard watched the odd scene in the corridor with mixed feelings. Seven calling in her blood nanites like bees to a keeper brought back a more than just a few shivering nightmarish memories of assimilation to Jean Luc.  
He had no desire to be Locutuslike again so he took an extra step backwards away from Seven without thinking when she buried her wrist assimilation tubes into the wall methodically.

"Release Voyager." Seven told them.

Just like that, lights and gravity was restored as the last of the nanoprobes entered Seven's body..

Then Picard shouted out his warning to the beautiful blond ex-drone on removing her own envirosuit helmet.

He was surprised when she did not faint from the airlessness. She had merely shrugged and went on with her line of thought.

"There's an off switch we must find on your Borg destroying artifact.."

"Huh?" Picard grunted. "Oh, the Iconian artifact the Romulans called their holy grail. Is this responsible for your nanoprobes unintentional medical release out of their IV bag into the computer systems?"

Seven nodded. "They will trouble Voyager no longer."

But Picard's face fell. "It's far too late for one young woman.. The Ops ensign in engineering is dead,  
she couldn't be revived apparently. I didn't see her there in sickbay when Captain Janeway brought in Commander Chakotay and started first aid on him."

Seven's face was unreadable, but Jean Luc had a feeling that it was a defensive reaction. He knew this woman was most profoundly the individual she had once been before her misfortunes with the Borg. However, Picard did not press the issue.  
"I think we should have a look at the artifact that did the deed, Seven."

Data turned right around without missing a stride like an eager student and headed right back down the now fully normal corridor. He wanted to see this object of curiosity for himself.

Captain Picard vaguely heard Seven follow him. He scratched an itch around his respirator mask as he followed Data a few doors down back to sickbay.  
He entered the main room through the protective containment field Bashir had erected to keep out the vacuum and pulled off his rebreather mask.

"Is Seven all right captain?" Julian asked, looking up from Commander Chakotay's bed. He had been shifting the unconscious man's position, adjusting something internally, Jean Luc guessed.

"Yes." he answered the young Arab doctor.  
"Our problems are solved. It seems Seven of Nine has absorbed the problem." he said,  
leaning on an empty bed, slipping off his no longer needed gravity boots.

"I figured that blood nanos were involved."  
Bashir commented, "Our littlest captain's assistant showed me this.." Bashir said, holding up a medical bag with a neat hole in it. "Nice detective work on her part."

Bashir recalled the restraints from Chakotay and Torres' beds since gravity would once again keep them where they lay.

"How are they?" Data asked the doctor.

"Doing well. Chakotay's out of the woods,  
been so every since we got a pulse back on him. Torres is stable. She's still in the protective mother/fetal trance while her placenta frees itself completely.  
Birth is not far away. I've only had a chance to see one other Klingon delivery so this opportunity is a rare treat.  
B'Elanna will awaken when it's time on her own. Shall I inform you?" Bashir queried.

"No.." Picard said, glancing over at Janeway, leaning over Chakotay,  
speaking softly for his benefit and Naomi and the counselor's. "Her captain's right here. I'll just be in the way." ::It sounds like Kathryn's sharing a story..:: Captain Picard was moved by the depth of her caring for her crew. ::Perhaps that explains how this captain got her crew home. Her bond with them and theirs with her probably made all the difference in the world.::

Picard and Data exchanged knowing looks. They, too, knew the bond of a tightly knit crew. He nodded subtly, telling Deanna to stay where she was and that things were under control once again.

"Very well. You might like to see to getting the EMH back to me. He's on the holodeck. Perhaps with these nanoprobes out of the computer's net, his schitzophrenia has lifted too. I could use his help monitoring the commander's vitals."  
Julian added and turned back to Torres, passing a scanner over her swollen belly underneath the silver sheet.

Picard turned. "Data. Would you see to that? You'll have an easier time travelling the airless decks than we would."

"Yes sir. I will attend to this immediately."  
Data mentioned and he left sickbay at once.

-------------------------------------

Picard walked into the side ward to where the Iconian device was at rest in its containment field. The two guards there snapped into attention at the sight of their captain but he said, "At ease.. the crisis is over."

A form shaped itself from the darkness.  
It was the Primary.

One of the guards spoke, "He came a few minutes ago when the gravity and lights first went out , sir. "

Picard nodded, "Primary?"

##I regret the troublings from the Key leader man. The tiny body things have made death visit too soon for your engine woman and almost, the marked one. It is my curious nosings that made I not turn off the device when it was brought to this place.##

"No one is to blame, Primary, for the computer faults which arose. Who could have known Federation technology of this century such as the containment field would catalyze with the Key's own emanations? The blood nanoprobes release was purely an accident."  
he said to the big 8472 before him.  
"And my people are quite used to surprises from alien technology.  
This death will hurt but we'll learn from it and honor her nonetheless.  
The price of knowing new things and the risks attached in the seeking of them is well known to all who live on our home ships, Primary." Picard said quietly. "Shall we proceed?"

##Yesss. I will take the Key to the vessel now bound. Risha, the Child must have this to fly its heart#  
he said telepathically.

Picard nodded to the guards to lower the field. Then the Primary gently picked up the Iconian artifact in a curious way,  
twisting parts of it until its inner glow ceased. "So this is the ignition key and combined car defense alarm of the Borg Pyramid.." the Enterprise officer guessed.

##Odd speakings but it is correct.##

Picard raised an eyebrow. ::With ray guns to repulse Borg Cubes and Romulan predators to boot. I accidently found one of those devices earlier.. I hope the Ferengi never learn of the Arm of Remus philosophy the Romulans have of this artifact. We'll never be free of their snooping out a possible scamming opportunity.::

--------------------------------------------------

Data entered the holodeck without preamble.  
He of course, placed a protective field around the arch doorway to keep the EMH inside the hologrid in case things weren't as Picard surmised.

"Doctor?" the android called out. The grid was in total darkness. But the yellow check squaring glowed faintly in ghostly pattern everywhere. Except a body shaped form in the very center of the floor that seems to be blocking out the yellow.

Data gave a computer command, =^= Data to ship's computer. Holoprogram full standard lighting on the grid. Implement now.=^=

The lights snapped on.

The EMH was lying on his back, eyes closed,  
fingers laced over his chest in relaxation.  
His jaws seemed to be chewing something that wasn't there and one arm seemed to be sticking out like a perch for something invisible.

"Doctor.." Data called out, walking near him cautiously ready to counter any attack like the one earlier over Torres.  
"Can you hear me?"

The EMH opened his eyes then sat up in shock. "I'm on the hologrid.."  
He bit his unreal lip. "What am I doing here? I WAS talking to Commander Chakotay and his charming red tailed hawk friend."

"That is quite impossible. There has been no power down here since 0800. When the intruder alert was called by Captain Janeway." Data mentioned.

"Are you sure? I even helped Chakotay when he started choking on his breathing tube."

It was Data's turn to be surprised. He remembered seeing such a thing at the Commander's bedside in sickbay but it had been Doctor Bashir who righted the choking incident when it had occurred. Not the EMH.  
"Dr. Bashir attended to that doctor.  
You have been on the holodeck since Lady Q put you here."

The EMH stood and brushed non existent dirt off of his simulated clothes.  
"Really? I have distinct memories of being in Chakotay's spirit realm. The hawk was named Rahelon, and I can still taste the Indian grass stalk I was chewing on..!" he said a little forcefully.

Data drew out his tricorder and began scanning the EMH's matrix.

The holodoc put up his hands defensely at the move.. "What?..What are you looking for..?"

"Some of Seven's nanoprobes. Her blood supply was breached by a power surge, resulting in a gravity malfunction and a lighting failure when they got out to carry out their program to find Seven to incorporate themselves back into her bloodstream."

"So that's how Chakotay got into trouble.  
I knew he was revived from drowning the second I laid eyes on him.. Oh, well if that's the only consequence of a nanoprobe infestation, we're doing well.." he said jovially.

Data spoke again. "That is not the case, doctor. The Ops ensign in Main Engineering had her neck broken in a fall. Unlike the commander, she could not be saved. Captain Janeway is inadvertantly responsible for her death.."

The EMH was shocked..."What?! I must see her.. This is horrible.. I have to .."

Data stopped him with a hand, still scanning the EMH carefully. A bleep of reassuring green accompanied the end of his thorough scan of the EMH. "You're clear.. Apparently, Seven's recall device is very efficient. There are no nano probes left in your holoimagining matrix, doctor."

"Good. Now let's go. I have to get to the captain.  
This incident's going to be very hard on her. You have no idea how she reacts when she loses someone on her crew. H*ll, Janeway once threw herself into a raging fire just to buy her ship a few more days time functioning in one particular nasty year in the Delta Quadrant."  
The EMH's eyes went out of focus.."Wait a minute.  
That particular time line didn't happen so why do I rememb--"

Data flashed out an arm and hit the doctor's holoemitter, deactivating him. "Perhaps the bird on your arm told you while you were eating grass.." He tipped his head ironically.

He'd take the emitter back to sickbay to have Geordi arrange a ship to ship diagnostic on every EMH circuit through Boothby the moment he got back there. This EMH was definitely confused about reality. ::Who ever heard about a spirit realm and talking hawks?::

---------------------------------------------------

Data got back to sickbay in three minutes.  
He showed Picard the emitter as he passed by the secondary ward where he and the Primary were speaking and went immediately to a console. "Data to Boothby.. Patch me through to the Enterprise. I must speak with Geordi LaForge."

Boothby came online, "No doubt to check out the holomed in detail.. All right.. Hang on.."

The link was established.

_  
(attachments)

Image : Data at a painting easel quoting.. "Love, Amour,  
Affection, Passion, Pleasure Companionship, A many splendored thing."

Image : Picard memory of being assimilated.  
A rod being drilled into his skull.

Audio : Janeway-- "It won't work.."

*  
From: "patti keiper" Subject: True Love's Lesson.  
Date: Tue, 10 Jul 2001 07:08:47 -0000

Q was feeling hot under the collar again. ::Yes.. I love my mate, sort of.. and Yes, I love my son because he's me.. That helps.. But why do I feel like I want to run fifty billion light years away everytime I hear one of them talk to me about how "the family" is?::

He listened to Lady Q's tirade, applauded when Q2's sucker impacted with Picard's head, opened his eyes a little wider when Jean Luck didn't react to that little sweet stunt. ::Huh. Must be on a diet..::

Then he noticed Janeway. Dear Sweet Kathy.. Doing her best to keep her Chuckles alive and in the land of the living. He sighed.. I remember when I had her in my clutches. I wasn't dying, like he is.. but.. visually, things were the same then. Lip to lip, all snugged up..

Then, Lady Q sealed off his sight of the dramatic resusitation going on in sickbay. Q didn't dare counter the move. He knew when he pushed his mate too far.

"Suzie Q, Dearest.." Q burbled. "I know when I've gone too far. So, why don't we sit right down here and discuss your Continuum ultimatum details now? We can worry about Quince later. One thing I know about him, is that he never goes too far away.."

With a sudden, sharp bit of Q power, Q flung a pointy feathered dart into the Boothby image watching them from the global monitor showing the link to the Enterprise. It stuck into his left eye with a hollow thud. Amazingly, there was no resultant computer sparks or electric arch from the impact.

"OWwww!!!!" Quince said, changing from the Boothby image to himself. He finger snapped himself free of the impaling dart. "Now cut that out. I know better than to voyeur where I'm not welcome. I just popped in from tattoo boy's fantasyscape after having a little fun with them. How was I to know you three are getting down to the nitty gritty.." He peered closely at the dart.. "Say,, this is a nice one, Looks like one Chief O'Brien usually loses by when he plays Bashir on Deep Space Nine.. Can I keep it?"

Q rolled his eyes.. "Oh why not? I'll be sure to use a bazooka next time you break the rules.. Now shoo!! Be a good citizen.. Privacy now!!"

Quince departed with his souvenir.

Q looked at Lady Q and took her hand and the hand of his progeny. "Look, Q. I know I've been a Rebel. A Fighter.. and and yes.. a one time failed lover.." Lady Q shot an angry look when Q tried to look over the curtain shield again at Janeway's rescue attempts. "But I swear to change.. By Jean Luck's hairless head.. I'll change. I promise.."

Lady Q snorted.

Q2 folded his arms.

Molly stopped wagging her tail.

"Oh.. ok. I'll stop crossing my toes.. Here..." And Q kicked off the Starfleet issue boots so they could see his fingers and his foot digits. Q made sure one of the boots flung off into another Boothby screen across the doctor's office. This time, a spectacular show of smoke and fire issued forth and the computer fired off an automatic fire suppression protocol to put it out.. Two guards rushed in at the fire alarm but saw it was out already so they returned to the sickbay ward near Picard and the Primary.

Q grinned sheepishly. "Sorry. Can't be too careful. Quince testing again." He took a deep breath, spread his fingers and toes wide apart and said, "I so solemnly swear as your one time mate and two time two bit father, to live up to at least sixty percent of your expectations as said sire...."

Lady Q and son both started to sputter..

Q shrugged, "Hey, I am the lion in this household. I must have some breathing room.. 40 % is LESS than half ok?" he said. ".......to be the duly and legally recognized function of a continuum ..." his lip twisted.."...yuppie.."

Lady Q and Son high fived each other, breaking snubbed character. They simultaneously shouted.. "It worked..!! We got him to say it..!!" They began to dance around the room.. "Yuppie... Yuppie !!"

Q's face turned red.. "You mean this whole fiasco of leaving me Lady Q , and your teen rebelness, Q son, for the last three hundred years was simply a stunt to get me to say that.. that ..that word??""

Both mom and son nodded vigorously and began to hoot and holler once again sweeping Molly up by the paws as they danced around in a jaunty Q jig.

Q smacked himself on the forehead.. "Aiee yaeee yaeeeii" "Have I been had.."

He zapped himself from the office to be near Janeway while she fought for Chakotay's life. He popped in so no one could see him. "That's it.. Once more.... " He watched Janeway set another seal over Chakotay's mouth. "Breathe out..." Q directed.. He knew she couldn't hear him. Helping out was against the rules. But it felt good to Q to pretend things anyway.." Naomi's almost here. Now. If anything can get Bashir's rear in gear, it's a whiny child. Lord knows I used to fall for that everytime.."

Sure enough. Julian came over and did his doctor thing, winning back time for Chuckles.. at one tiny little scream from the Wildman child.

"Good show..." Q said to all. But then he broke off when Janeway started to sit down and hold Chakotay's hand. Whispering a story of untold tenderness and caring.. It was something that Q never heard from any other Q. Not even Lady Q even right after they conceived Q2 on the firing squad line in the middle of a Q war right in front of Kathy.

He sat down numbly and just watched, mystified while Kathy spoke, thoroughly captivated by the tale. ::Humans do love better than Q. What was I thinking that night in Kathy's cabin sweeping her into a french dip? I think I need to learn a lesson here..:: Q thought softly.

He unconsciously pulled up a stool and sat, listening with the Counselor, Naomi and the comatose Chakotay to Janeway's heartfelt story about the day the Great Woman Warrior became his soulmate Seconah over bathwater and a wooden canoe.

In Captain Janeway's hand was a small dermal tatooing device where she had freed it from her pocket.

Q forgot even who he was when he realized what that meant. ::True love. Something I've been seeking ever since I can imagine.::

-  
(attachments)

Image : Q french dipping Janeway

Image : Janeway wrapped in a sheet, leaving the EMH behind near a massaging table.

Audio : Q- I never did anything like that for Jean Luc Picard.

*  
From: "Roxy Dee" Subject: Where You Last Left Off~~~ Date: Tue, 10 Jul 2001 16:49:05 -0000

Tuvok saw things proceed in sickbay. Chakotay's condition was stabilized, the gravity was returned to its previous glory and the lights were on. They showed the minor cosmetic damage of where pipes had ruptured through ceilings, flecks of paint whereever the nanoprobes left a computer interface and other minor wall damage.

Then there was the lack of atmosphere problem. This was something that the Vulcan could actually do something about. ::I have to admit. This has been the strangest home coming of my whole Starfleet career.::

He directed auxillary crew from both the Enterprise and Voyager to repair damage and provide a thorough check of all ship's systems and computer panels. He didn't yet trust the Boothby module to convey accurate information. He surmised he'd have to wait until Quince physically manifested again before he'd consider Boothby's data stream feeds.

Captain Janeway was as yet unreturned from sickbay. ::No doubt making sure of the Commander's full recovery.::

Then he got a curious feeling and turned. Tuvok saw Risha standing there, peering at the viewscreen. "Hello, Risha. I trust you are fully recovered from your cryogenic suspension."

##I am Mr. Tuvok. The young one in your crew family gave me nourishment. It is all I require for now. Thank you.## the blue girl said. She turned to the main viewer. ##I came to the bridge place to ask a favor. I need to see a ship actually getting pilotted before I go over to the Primary's vessel to guide her back to my time. We've already taken the genetic samples from the Relek I need for my physical template. Soon I will be complete to become the Borg Pyramid's heart. My treatment to incorporate the Romulan essence will begin soon. The Primary is on his way to take me there.##

Tuvok raised an eyebrow. ::No doubt the Primary and Risha took genetic samples from Vakiris and his crew undelicately. That would explain why the ship did not complain to the Romulan embassy about the Arm of Remus. And why they suddenly warped out of the system as fast as they had come. "Seven of Nine finds the tunnel conduit adequate and functional, Risha. You will be able to proceed. Our environmental difficulties of late has not damaged it."

##Thank you Mr. Tuvok. But, getting back to why I am in your ship heart..##

Tuvok sat straighter in his command chair. This tiny ambassador to the future reminded him a lot of his middle eldest daughter. Her resemblance, at least superficially, was uncanny. He indicated Commander Chakotay's chair. "You're in "luck", Risha. I am just about to remedy our environmental deficiencies."

Tuvok gave an order to the helm to break orbit from Utopia Planetia to a heading for Earth. He knew Boothby would give Enterprise enough warning so that she could trail behind and follow. "Helm. Alter course to 00 Mark 002. Prepare for atmospheric entry. Go to Blue Alert. Bring her about .25 sublight. Engage."

The ship's lights were cast in an azure glow on all of her decks. Then the impulse engines powered up and Voyager, still attached to the Borg Pyramid via the space tunnel, rotated to turn her prow towards Earth.

She was there in three minutes. Tuvok noticed that Risha was watching the helmsman and listening carefully to his orders. ::No doubt, learning how to "drive" as Tom Paris would no doubt say.::

Then Tuvok considered just where to set Voyager down. Then he knew. There could be only one place.

In the bright sunny sky, escort repair shuttles preceeded Voyager's thundering descent in the civilian sector of the United States. Starfleet had been informed of the starship's need for an emergency atmospheric flushing of all decks. Voyager's tanked oxygen was nearly depleted. Glinting white sunlight flashed off her hull and the landing struts engaged as Voyager descended lower and lower.

The first of the landing pad feet touched down.. in the middle of a corn field. A very special one.

Voyager's shadow fell over the Janeway farm as she settled down into full landing, then gushed as she uptook sweet Indiana air on board to fill the vacuum pockets remaining still on most of her decks.

Just for a bit, Tuvok imagined what his captain's face would be when she smelled the clover fields of her home for the first time in seven years, filling the air in sickbay. He almost wished he could give the conn to someone else just so he could see her face in person when that moment occurred. ::For you, captain. ::

Voyager's scanners registered a four footed lifeform running toward them and the Ops officer zeroed the viewscreen to its location. Barking filled the bridge and for once, Tuvok actually began to smile slightly around the corners.

Molly, the real one, was coming to greet her owner, who was home at last from the "fields."

Tuvok turned Vulcan once more as he acknowledged the hovering repair ships surrounding Voyager ,accepting offers of aid. He began standard disembarking protocols with Starfleet Headquarters.

Next to her, the tunnel connected Borg Pyramid sounded a mighty klaxon as if in celebration, scattering the unauthorized civilian craft trying to catch a glimpse of the famous lost ship, like chickens..

It was time for this wayward starship, to finally rest. Tuvok took her engines off line with precision just as the setting sun broke through the evening clouds to spray the ship in gold fire.

-------------------------------------------------------------

In sickbay, the air was heavy and thick, the emergency backups were running out of oxygen.

Data handed over the EMH's emitter to Boothby, connecting it back into its dome standby interface.

"You know I don't know much about this mobile emitter of the doctor's." LaForge admitted.

Data nodded, "But you DO know holotechnology."

"Yeah..." Geordi chuckled. "Barclay taught me a lot with my time at Project Pathfinder. Ok. I'll take a look." he studied the data coming to his terminal through Boothby. A minute later, he looked up. "There's nothing wrong here, Data."

Data thought. ::That's odd. The EMH spoke of talking birds and tasting plant material.:: His face must have shown his confusion for the engineer noticed.

"I'll run my diagnostic again..." Geordi said evenly. "Oh, by the way.. Heads up.. Looks like your acting captain's taking Voyager down on Earth. Glad my idea of taking in a piece of the sky got through. My readings show the air you still have is getting thin."

Data sniffed, in curiosity, not understanding.

"Oh,, that's right, You don't need air so you wouldn't feel the change." LaForge quipped. He studied another panel. "Hey, I'd like to shake your helmsman's hand. He didn't even make your hull ping landing in that corn field. Well, Data, that's all I can do for you so far, until my captain gives me something else to do. Enterprise is staying in synchronous orbit over Voyager to handle the local traffic who's no doubt going to show up in droves. The Press is already here. So my final word on the matter, your EMH is fine. Turn him back on, Data."

And the commlink through Boothby was closed.

Data tilted his head and held out a hand shoulder high while he fiddled with the EMH so he reformed around his holoemitter. "...ber that particular place in.. Hey.." and he noticed Chakotay and Torres on their beds.

The holodoc went to B'Elanna's side at once after scanning Chakotay briefly. "Nice work." he said to Bashir, noticing how few complications the first officer was experiencing pulmonary wise.

Then the two doctors got going over their next patient. The heavily expecting Torres.

Tom Paris was already pacing back and forth in his new uniform.

-  
(attachments)

Audio : Tuvok- *singing*

He travelled through the windswept hills And cross the barren fire plain.  
To find the silent monks of Kurd.

Still unfilled, he journeyed home,  
Told stories of lessons learned.  
And gained true wisdom by the giving...

Image: Geordi by Enterprise's Warp core.

*  
From: "Alex Delet"  
Date: Fri Jul 13, 2001 7:43 pm Subject: Closer to Home

Captain Kathryn Janeway knew at once where the ship had landed.  
The code blue announcement had made her wonder.... :: What the hll is Tuvok doing.... :: It was only due to Chakotay's now warming hand, that Janeway didn't bolt out of sickbay to her bridge.  
To Janeway, the subtle movements of Voyager were familliar, although there hadn't been a landing, of Voyager for a year or more... and the sequence was.......surprising.  
Janeway did, as most of the others in Sickbay were...and looked upward, as if by changing the position of her head, the situation would become clearer.

It wasn't that she didn't know what was happening... at least, after a few minutes, she knew...It was the feeling that somebody else was commanding her ship. A thought, that, considering the aroma of Indiana that now filled the ship, worried Janeway.  
:: Maybe it's a sign... :: she wondered.  
"Oh, Captain, might I have a word with you?" She said in her most cheerful voice, which was anything but pleasant.  
Janeway looked to the now revealed Q.... ignoring her as she stepped forward, "Computer," Janeway said, tersley, hand still held with her First officer, "Display the viewscreeen image," she called.  
The computer complied, showing the Janeway family farm.  
The Aroma made Janeway expect to see Earth, perhaps even Indiana.

But the Captain hadn't allowed herself...to dare to hope that she was really, finally home.  
The sight, of her family home...even Phoebe, and her Mother standing in front of the ship in awe... and another figure, Janeway refused to look at.  
Janeway didn't let go of Chakotay's hand, not when the aroma of Indiana was as strong as she remembered it, not when she saw Phoebe and her Mother...and the figure approach. She would have grinned, at the sight of Molly bolting toward the ship, had it not been for the situation.  
=/\= Bridge to Captain Janeway, Your Mother and Sister are requesting permission to board =/\= Janeway looked around, realising, that Tuvok had not mentioned the figure, who she'd deliberatley tried not to recognise.  
..Mark.  
Tuvok was obviously doing this to help her, to save her from dealing with it too quickly.  
=/\= I am extending the docking walkway,=/\= Tuvok confirmed.  
"Negative," Janeway said, loudly, and quickly, "Nobody else is to board this ship, without my orders," she said, turning back to Chakotay.  
The room had fallen silent, as everybody looked to Captain Janeway.  
This might be the last time the crew were togeather as a group.... as soon as the airlock's opened, everything could change.  
:: Could :: Janeway mused.:: We're going to do a proper homecoming :  
Janeway finished her story, to her silent First Officer. And five minutes after it was complete, she turned to the Lady Q, "You needed to speak with me?" she asked, not letting go.

"Janeway to the Crew," she said, after some time, talking with Lady Q. "Our famillies, have gathered outside of the ship," she said, biting her lip for a second, "Shortly, I'll be opening the airlock...and inviting them to board,"  
"Voyager is home," Janeway said, tears in her eyes, "It's been a long mission, and I know everything has been building up to the next few moments," Janeway paused, "It's been an honour to guide the journey," Janeway stopped herself from giving a full emotional speech, to bid farewell...to praise her crew.

::It's not over :: Kathryn told herself, :: We all need to see our famillies now :

Captain Kathryn Janeway proceeded alone to the Airlock, in Dress Uniform. She'd not wanted to leave Chakotay - but knew that every second she comforted her...friend, would mean a near eternity for the crew, who could see their families on sensors...but could not greet them.  
Yet.  
Janeway operated the airlock, and stepped downward, through the unfolding walkway. A Mass of faces greeted her, the family of each crewmember. Janeway took one step off of Voyager and onto Earth.  
And smiled.  
The Captain scanned each face, before turning and going up the walkway again.  
At the top, she turned, and looked out once more, nodding, she headed for the Mess Hall. Tuvok would handle the arrangements.  
As Janeway prepared to witness reunions, she couldn't help but feel, despite her happiness at the homecoming, at getting her crew home, and at the lives that would be restored.

She couldn't help but feel, like an era was ending.  
Not dwelling on it, Janeway returned to Sickbay - only to find herself being followed into the turbolift.  
By the way the dog greeted her, Janeway assumed that Holo-Molly was no longer with the Q entente.

Until she noticed a clover fall from the dogs paw.  
"Molly..." she smiled, overwhelmed. :: She shouldn't be able to remember me... :: Janeway thought, before ignoring the thought.

(attachments)

Image : Janeway looking very reflective.

*  
From: "Cory Anda" Subject: Homebase.  
Date: Sat, 14 Jul 2001 01:12:00 -0000

Chakotay felt a warm touch on his hand.  
Surprisingly, it was somehow familiar.

He tried to push something out of his throat but it was withdrawn before he was even aware of its restricting presence. He gasped,  
and then drew a strangely cool wavering breath,  
while someone held his head back.  
"That's it.. And again.."  
It sounded like Kathryn.

So he took another breath, deeper, around the scratchiness in his throat.  
Chakotay's grogginess receded, But not his confusion. A thought formed, unbidden.  
::What's that scent?.. Am I still with Rahelon on the plain of his homeland?::

Sweet clover interceded into Chakotay's nose and he opened his eyes expecting the yellow warming sun of the spirit realm. What he saw was bleary and definitely red and black with ginger above.  
"Captain?.. " he whispered. Then a realization why the touch was familiar, it was hers.

Then he coughed wetly when he tried to speak louder. He rolled over on his side and excess fluid was drained away from his mouth by the EMH.

"Easy commander. You were very deeply under." the hologram doctor cautioned,  
"Move slowly. Your stomach muscles may be weaker than normal. For a time, we had to have you on a respirator."

"How'd I get here..?" Chakotay whispered again. "The last I knew, I was in the corridor and my fingers slipped off the doorframe."

"You have the captain to thank for your rescue. She kept you ventilated adequately until we could get to you in here. You came this close to drowning out there." And he held up a miniscule pinch.

"I had to be resuscitated?" he blinked.  
Chakotay looked at Kathryn.. "Thanks."  
he said simply.

Janeway smiled, "Consider it a returned favor.." And she gripped his shoulder.  
"Last time, it was my turn.." and she laughed.

Chakotay couldn't. It seems the doctor had been right about a tired diaphram so he contented himself with raising a few eyebrows.. "That's right.. Only I didn't see a vulture-in-a-man's form entity trying to suck me into an anomaly. I saw only a hawk..in a wide blue sky.."

At Kathryn's frown, the EMH elaborated.  
"Remember when the commander's wolf had to buy our freedom out of the Nexus?  
Well another spirit guide has come to call on Chakotay here.. Charming specimen to say the least and I don't mean his plumage. Had me wondering over the nature of existence itself inside three minutes."

The counselor looked surprised, "You were in the spirit realm doctor?"

The EMH looked pleased as he scanned Chakotay's head and chest.. "I was.  
thanks to Seven's nanoprobes. For a while, I had the approximation of real neuropatterns.. Well crazy ones anyway."

A loud harrumph made all three look at him. It was followed by a clearing of a throat.

The doctor rolled his eyes.  
"Also, Q played a ...small part in saving your life, too, commander.." the doc grumbled..

"A big part!!" Q added. "If it weren't for me, wilderness boy here still would have had soggy sponges for lungs. Kathy wouldn't've gotten oxygen to his brain in time if I hadn't dried him out."

Chakotay angled his head in resignation.  
The he picked up his head and he held out his hand, the one Janeway wasn't holding onto, to Q.."Thank you,  
Q,, for saving my life..." Then he frowned.  
"Say.... aren't you Q prohibited from interfering with the natural order of simple bipeds like us?"

Q shushed the first officer and pointed toward Lady Q and Q2 still congratulating each other in the doctor's office over the elaborate joke they had pulled on Q.  
Then Q shrugged, as if it were trival thing to do over the gross violations his son had committed by comparison.

Chakotay tried to sit up and groaned..

"Careful Chakotay.. Are you hungry?"  
Naomi asked..

"Yes.. a little.. I guess my nap on the plain helped a bit in that department." he said as the little captain's assistant helped raise the head of the bed until it was high enough for Chakotay to rest on. "Some soup would be wonderful.."

He grinned a bit as the girl rushed off to the replicator to get him some.

The earthy odor had grown stronger,  
and the air was warmer.  
He sniffed again. "Do you smell that?"  
He asked everyone. "Smells like a sunny meadow.."

A shocked look came over Janeway when she realized what it was. ::Home?::

Then Boothby came online. "Tuvok's finished upstairs, captain.. Oh hello, Chakotay. Welcome back to the land of the living. " He turned to Janeway subjectively on his screen. "You might be interested to know that someone is waiting for you by one of the landing strut turbolifts, Captain. Making a huge fuss, doing it too.. Look.."

Another screen popped on and showed an eagerly impatient irish setter yapping at the crew starting to leave Voyager to stabilize her landing feet with jams. One of them had to push the happy dog out of the lift again.

Chakotay saw Janeway's face light up and then her eyes brighten with water.. He said,  
"Why don't you go down and see her. She's waited almost a lifetime for you, you know. And I'll just bet Phoebe is whipping up some real iced coffee right now on the front porch.." He pointed to the forward viewer. "At least I think it's the right front porch.  
I've seen your picture of home in your readyroom for years now."

Kathryn froze, like a rabbit who's been startled.  
::This can't be happening..::

Chakotay grinned again.."What do you say, doc.  
Am I cleared to take over the conn? " he threw emphasis in his voice in warning significance..

The EMH started to say something, thought better of it and then said. "After a hypo of triox, I guess I can live with just a cervical monitor on you... Eat first and then go.."

"But.."

"Ahh ahh.. "

"Deal. " Chakotay drained the soup bowl Naomi had fetched him in seconds.. "Bye.." he said, tossing the bowl back onto his sheets with a flourish.

"Wait!"  
"A deal's a deal doctor..." Chakotay reminded,  
holding up a chiding finger.

"All right.."  
The EMH had to chase him to set the biochip in place under his jaw. He injected him with the other hand on the other side of his neck.  
"Any sign of shortness of breath. I want you back here before you even cough, commander."

Chakotay nodded,"So noted."  
His voice trailed back as he headed to the turbolift "Better hurry, Captain. You don't want the EMH to treat Molly for a case of Canine laryngitis now would you? I'll have things going just fine on the bridge with Tuvok until you get back."

He left before Janeway could even react. He did that so the full implication of really being home could make its impact felt on Kathryn. It was a special moment he would not deny her no matter how battered he still was. It was worth a little pain to see her face when she finally opened the hatch to see her family farm and the loving pet who had waited so long to see her back there some day.

(=-=-=-=Mod addition- Little did he know that she already had=-=-=-=)

---------------------------------------------------------

Tom Paris was beside himself.. He nodded to Chakotay who passed by him and gave him a thumbs up. He thanked Chakotay when the big man wished him luck with B'Elanna's delivery. ::That's if it's ever going to happen. Seems like my wife's been in a coma for years..::

He let out a huge sigh, then finally took a stool near Torres's head while Bashir got things set for the big day on the other end. He saw Deanna Troi pick up on his anxiety and watched her angle over in his direction.  
"Great.. Now I'm going to be pyschoanalyzed for being a nervous father." Inside however, Tom was glad he'd have someone there to babble to during the rough parts.

He wasn't any good with other people's pain. "And she's going to have plenty of it before morning I suspect.."

Bashir looked up from his draping.. "If you're referring to any discomfort on the part of the mother, it isn't going to happen. This is the twenty fifth century lieutenant.."

::I guess I've been watching too many ancient episodes of A Baby's Story..:: Tom said smiling politely back trying to show bravado by being a male who's still control of it all when in actuality, nothing was in the slightest..

-  
(attachments)

Image : Janeway and Chakotay talking over a monitor in sickbay.

Audio : Chakotay- Looks like you got us home, Captain.

Janeway- Right place, wrong time.

********************************** From: "Cassidy Meyers" Subject: The Quick Fix and the Ultimate High.  
Date: Sat, 14 Jul 2001 10:28:50 +0400

"Commander.. You are well.." Seven of Nine said as Chakotay passed her going out of sickbay as she was entering.

"You seem surprised by that." he said without stopping.

"Not at all. Captain Janeway is most efficient in matters of medical emergencies. What surprises me that you are headed for the bridge before you've been fully healed."

She hadn't failed to see the way the commander was hunched over in gingerly cradled protection against his sore chest and sore breathing. He held up "go figure" hands and disappeared into the turbolift leading to the bridge. He seemed to be in a hurry to get there.

Seven regarded the EMH silently as if he sprouted a third eyeball.

The doctor felt pressured to explain things. "I was fanaggled into releasing him Seven. Feel free to stun him with some of your Borg nanoprobes so I can complete his lung regeneration treatment." he said dryly.. then he cracked a small smile that made him seem light years away.

Seven merely raised a cool eyebrow, and placed her hands crossed behind her back. "I fail to see the humor in this situation."

The EMH smiled, "It's a matter of a graceful retreat in the face of a pivotal moment, Seven. And Chakotay knew a moment like that has just come for the captain. She's just found out Tuvok's little surprise. Voyager has just landed in the Janeway backyard.

"That is against Starfleet regulations.." Seven said.

"Not if you're a ship that's survived a journey as long as ours has been." he quipped. "The crew on her is bound to be allowed to break a rule here and there.." he rocked back on his feet proudly.. "or ,,. " he said, thinking with inspiration, "for the EMH who kept most of them in one piece for that long.. Excuse me,, I've a commcall to make." And he started eagerly for his office.

Then he turned back, and linked her arm in a friendly hug. "How would you like to go to the Sydney Opera House? I am going to go pay the proprietor there a visit. No doubt he'll be thrusting free tickets in my hand for drawing so large a crowd, eager to see the miraculous Voyager EMH, into his humble music hall...."

Seven disengaged his arm. "Aren't you forgetting something?" And she looked significantly at Torres, covered in sterile sheets with Bashir waiting with gloved hands in the air like a surgeon for the baby to start making an appearance..

The change in the holodoc was miraculous. "Oh!.. " and he headed back over to his other patient, all thought of the still ailing commander, far from his mind.

Seven went over to where Tom Paris was trying not to engage the counselor in frivolous conversation. He was failing into a running streak of thoughts anyway.

Seven walked over and stood quietly by the counselor while they all still waited for the moment Torres would awaken to have her child.

Tom split the silence "How can you be so calm you two?" he said to the two ladies.

Deanna shrugged, "I've had a baby before. It's nothing to worry about."

Seven said, "Worrying is irrevelant."

Then Deanna and Seven exchanged looks each offering the other the speaking floor.

Deanna went first when she was the first to blink. ::Damned Borg stamina.. Seven should have first crack at calming Mr. Paris. It would be a good lesson for her to use her humanity to attempt such a thing for him..:: But Troi got down to business, leading Paris away from Torres nearish to where Janeway stood still in quiet speculation of what she had heard from Boothby. But the smile on the captain's face was growing by the minute as she finished up her report in sickbay regarding Chakotay's incident.

Deanna smiled in kind at the pure joy she felt blooming in the Voyager captain. It was refreshing after so much stress from the last half hour. Troi knew what she would do. It was only a matter of time before she'd find out what Kathryn would do being given that which she had sought for so long. ::If I were her, I'd try to make the moment stretch forever, too.::

::But it's back to business.:: Troi turned her empathetic radar onto Tom.

-----------------------------------------------

She placed a soft hand barely touching Tom in a gesture of comfort onto one shoulder of the finger chewing helmsman. He nearly vaulted to the ceiling..

"Easy Mr. Paris. I won't bite. " She looked at the comatose B'Elanna. "I think she's the only one who ever would.."

That eye opening remark got Tom's full attention and he actually looked at Deanna for longer than five seconds.

::Got him!:: she thought. "Lieutenant.. nothing's happening here that hasn't happened for millenia.."

Q chirped up by applauding..

Deanna gave an irritated look toward Q who was making subtly shooing towards the door gestures at the oblivious Janeway to hasten her reunion with family and pet.

Q noticed Troi's look of puzzlement at what he was doing to the reflective Janeway. "What?.. Who's to say which is Kathy's most favorite pet is? I'm just helping Kathy decide which one."

Deanna was shocked when her mind jumped to the conclusion that this second pet could also be wearing a tattoo on his forehead.

Mentally, she slapped herself.

"Q.... go be a father ....over there.." she said pointing to Lady Q and Q2. "And let Tom learn what it is to become one himself without interference.. Surely you remember what that felt like back then..to see your child born then. "

To her amazement. Q quiesced. He smiled in memory and left her side thoughtfully and mouthed the words.. "....yeaahhhh...." chuckling tenderly at Q2. He held out his arms to his family, inviting them into a kiss and make up Q hug.

Troi nearly kicked herself. "I should've charged for that quick fix session. I could've used a new manicure and couffeur.."

Deanna turned back to work before she became nauseated looking at the threesome embracing.

She looked at Tom wryly.. "uh..excuse me.. do you remember where we left off?"

---------------------------------------------------

Seven was the one to finally take the datapadd out of Captain Janeway's hands, breaking her euphoria. "Don't you think your sister's coffee might be getting cold?" she asked.

Janeway blinked a few times and said, ......

*wink* SEE SOUND BITE

-  
(attachments)

Image : Poster of Seven, Janeway and Chakotay with the title Hiatus by Jemima on a Voyagerscape.

Audio: Janeway- Coffee? You look like you could use some.

Seven- No..

Janeway- It's a human vise. Keeps you sharp.  
You might want to try it someday.  
Seven- One day.

Image: Deanna on a couch in Starfleet counseling unitard looking pissed.

*  
From: "Clairissa Fox" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Family is nice always Date: Sat, 14 Jul 2001 19:24:00 -0000

I was happy that I got Chakotay some food and made his bed better. It was funny when he ate it so fast to keep Auntie Kathy from worrying over him. I didn't like it either when my mom kissed my owies and made a fuss when I really wasnt hurt. Then I noticed the place outside where we were on Bootby. We were at Auntie Kathys house!! Her real one!

Goodie! Now I could meet Feebee, her sister I saw pictures of in the readyroom. And Mark, Auntie Kathys boyfriend.

Then I looked over to the door in sickbay 7 was there.

7! 7! Youre ok! Your blood friends let Voyager go. Now we are on Earth getting new wind inside so we can stop using these masks.

And guess what? We are Auntie K- I mean Captain Janeway's house! And everybodys family is outside right now. Some of them are even going to be coming into the messhall.  
At least the families of the bridge crew just as soon as Auntie Kathy says so. Isnt that great?

Then I remembered. 7 didnt have any family that knew her good and I felt sad. I know.  
We can get Bootby to find your family to ask them to come here to see you. Didnt you used to have another name? It cant be hard finding them that way.

I saw 7 talking with the EMH but then she looked at me. I could see she was thinking real hard.

Auntie Kathy was filling out a report and she was smiling like she knew something no one else did.

Then Molly came in the room. And boy, did she smell! How can Molly smell like dirt? There is none on Voyager. Then I picked up one of her paws. It was green on the bottom and smelled like the wind did now in sickbay.

Oh this is real grass juice! Oh! This is Molly!  
This is the real Molly! The one Auntie Kathy left behind to have puppies way before I was born.

Molly whined excitely and pushed me over to go sit by Auntie Kathy while she wrote a report. Molly was shaking so hard. So was Auntie Kathy. Molly didnt even take her eyes off Auntie Kathys no matter what. Then I saw Auntie Kathy put her hand down to rest on Mollys head and I saw that there were tears on the captains face. Wow.. They were real happy.

But then I thought of something. If the real Molly from Earth was right here in sickbay. Where was our Molly? The hollow one?

Then I saw Bootbys window screen and saw a Molly barking outside and playing with the families waiting outside in the meadow.

That was funny. Someone let our hollow Molly out when they went. Now she had plenty of people to play with!

I wonder who did.

"I did my dear." said a voice.

I turned and saw the blond Queue there eating corn from Auntie Kathys field.  
Why did you do that? I asked.

"So Captain Janeway could get that much closer to feeling like she's home for real, little girl. Shhh!! It's our secret.  
In actuality, Captain Janeway herself has ordered no one from Earth on the ship yet while Tuvok prepares things for the big party. I had to switch the Mollys around in order to have fun." Quince said with a twinkle in his eye. "So don't tell anyone I broke the rules."

ok! I wont. That was a nice thing to do Queue. You are nice. Ill go get some dog kibbles for Molly and water. Shes real so shes going to need them.

Boy have I been busy today. I fed Risha and Chakoty and now Molly. Maybe I should feed all the families too when they come to the messhall for the party.

Molly was so cute. She was pushing her face up into Auntie Kathys hand and crying cause she was so happy. Then I saw that the real Molly was old. She had gray fur on her nose.

Wow, she had to wait a long time for us to come back. I wonder who told her that we were lost and coming home some day? Then I knew. It was Mark. I saw a log once of Auntie Kathy telling Mark to take care of Molly while she was away and to not forgot the doggy bed from her house. Mark had said that he already got it.

That was when Voyager first got lost.

But now they were home and it was before it was too late for the real Molly to see them be back. I was happy.

Then I remembered. Hey, my real dad might be on Earth. He did spend a lot of time with my mother. Maybe he was still teaching at the school at Starfleet. Then I knew I had to be with my mom soon so I could see my dad for the first time that wasnt a picture

I had to see. I had to see for me.

But I was still the captains assistant and I liked it that way. On Earth I would just be Naomi Wildman and I wouldnt be so important any more.

I knew my mom wouldnt mind me staying on Voyager to help out with everyone like Auntie Kathy and Risha and the Primeery.

Even Belanna still needed me! She was going to have a baby and she might get hungry later. Who would bring her soup?

I would. So I sat down on a chair next to everybody and just watched things go on.

I watched Auntie Kathy write into her report when she really was petting Molly and saw the pretty lady Troi talk to Mr. Pairs about being a father and I saw the Queues in doctor's office in a hug.

I felt like hugging too so I went over to the hollow doctor while he was pushing a cart of medical stuff over to Dr Basheer and gave him a great big one.

I am so happy. Everybody is home now.  
You should be too. There are a lot of opera houses on Earth. You and 7 and me can go to one when Belanna is done having her baby.

"Well, what brought this on?" the holophysician said. "Yes, I am glad Voyager's back where she started. How would you like to see a baby coming into this world? Naomi, you were the first baby born on Voyager in space.  
This new little one's going to be the first Voyager baby born on Earth. Now isn't that nice?"

Oh yes. I want to be there to help you.  
Just tell me what to do and Ill do it.

I sat down next to Dr. Basheer and put on a mask and gloves too and I held the baby blanket Belannas baby would need to get the water off when she finally got out here.

-  
(attachments)

Image : Picture of Mark on a desk datapadd.

Image : Molly in close up

Image : Out of Character pic of Scarlet Pommers and Kate Mulgrew in their Janeway and Naomi wardrobes.

*  
From : Samatha Paris Subject: Welcome to Earth, Third Rock from the Sun Date: Sun, 15 Jul 2001 01:55:16 -0000

Admiral Paris sighed in a quiet relief as Voyager came to a stand still amidst the clover fields of the Janeway farm. That having been his first starship landing, Owen found himself in better shape then what he had expected. Shaking most and hiding the rest of his apprehension, Paris decided to head up to the bridge and get a better grip on the hidden story which had been eluding him for some time. That and the presence of so many Q had become very disconcerting for the high ranking brass.

Seeing Commander Chakotay leaving the medical bay, he fell into step beside the ex-Maquis officer. The Admiral noticed a slight fatigue in the Commander. He broke the silence which tension was building upon.

"It's good to see officers like yourself in Starfleet, Commander. A strong will can go a long way in the promotion process these days. " the Admiral saw a sense of curiosity and confusion flash across Voyager's first officer's face, but it was short lived. The Admiral looked straight ahead and continued to speak.

"I know what you may be thinking, that the Maquis are still out-laws to the Federation. Well, over the past few years that has changed. Once I...I mean Starfleet, was able to comminicate with Captain Janeway we found that there were no long two different crews stranded years away, but one crew, a Starfleet crew." Admiral Paris stops and puts a hand on Chakotay's shoulder.

"Welcome Home, Commander." having said his share, Admiral Paris entered the turbolift and headed to the bridge to contact Starfleet Headquarters.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Q2 rolled his eyes as his father and mother embraced him and each other. In a quick flashed he replaced himself with an inflated persona. ::That should give me a good head start:: he thought to himself as he wandered over to Janeway and the little Wildman child. At first he didn't want to interfere with the moment, thinking that he would just become a nuisance. ::No, I practically spent most of my life on this ship...well sorta:: a blank expression crossed his youthful Q face, thus followed by one of determination.

Q2 started out at a rather steady pace towards the intrepid Captain, but soon slowed at the mere thought of approaching her. Seeing the tear in her eye gave Q2 a misty glimpse into another life that somehow existed inside the hard-as-nails Captain he grew up to know...and respect.

Mustering all the courage that he could, well, muster, Q2 stood by her side and gently tapped her on the shoulder. After quickly wiping her moist eyes, Janeway turned to look at the omnipoten off-spring. Somehow, Q2 could sense that she too saw a change in him.

Not making eye contact with her, Q2 found himself wringing his hands in a nervous state. While his sight wandered the medical bay, he was startled when he felt a warm sensation flow through his body. Looking up he noticed that Janeway had gently rested her hand on his shoulder, in what he thought was an almost loving way. The look she gave him told the Q being to go ahead with what he wished to say, without her saying anything at all.

"Ca...I mean, Aunt Kathy. I was wondering if I could...just maybe...that you would..." he felt her squeeze his shoulder gently, "Can I come with you...to meet your family? I've never really seen Earth for myself. I know I could have, but it never crossed my mind before." he looked down at his toes the entire time but lifted them now with a look of pure innocence on his face,"Please?"

With a smile, certainly one that this woman saved for those she really cared for, Janeway wrapped and arm around her god-child and nodded approvingly. Q2 smiled widely and thought to himself in a now humerous mood ::Welcome to Earth Q, third rock from the sun:

(attachments)

Image : Earth on Voyager's main viewer

Audio : Tuvok ordering a blue alert..

Combadge warble.  
"This is Lieutentant Tuvok to all decks.  
We are preparing to land the ship.  
Go to blue alert and report to Code Blue stations.."

Image : Janeway and Q2 facing each other in sickbay.

*  
From: "Alex Delet" Subject: Part of Coming Home Date: Sun, 15 Jul 2001 13:37:46 +0100 With a smile, certainly one that this woman saved for those she really cared for, Janeway wrapped and arm around her god-child and nodded approvingly.  
"Of Course," she told him warmly. "Why don't you go now Aunt Kathy?" Q2 asked, when she released her embrace.  
Janeway looked at him, turning to see the now Vacant Biobed, then faced him again,"I'm still responsible for my crew," she gestured around them, "There's more to coming home, than landing," she smiled, "I'll see you in the Mess Hall," she told him, gripping his shoulder for another second before heading for B'Elanna's bed.  
The Doctor accosted her, "Captain," he flustered, stepping around Molly, "This is a sickbay, not a reception centre," he looked pointedly at Janeways's dog, "Or a Kennel,"  
Janeway nodded her head, "Of Course," she said.  
Nodding, and smiling to B'Ellanna and those around her, Janeway remembered the blanket she'd been making for the Torres-Paris infant, as it had been with Naomi Wildman, it was only missing an initial.  
Captain Janeway wondered if Naomi still had the blanket, she'd given her the day she was born.  
Janeway turned to see her Captain's Assistant coming back from the replicator.  
Janeway smiled, satisfied her show of being there was complete.  
Kathryn left Sickbay, and walked along the corridor. The Doctor, had, thankfully been too busy to give a great deal of thought to his next situation, but Kathryn was sure, like her, like everyone on board Voyager, he had given it some thought.  
Janeway could picture herself, continuing to serve as Captain of Voyager - she could, if Starfleet's message traffic had been anything to go by, apply for a teaching position, or Starfleet might try to promote her.  
Janeway didn't want to hang up the four pips yet, she didn't want to feel, as if her life had ended, that bringing Voyager home was the pinnacle, the end of her career.  
But she knew, a great deal of her crew would see their homes, see their families, and would never want to leave them again.  
Chakotay had considered a teaching position, Janeway knew, and like all the other Maquis crewmembers, he was a Provisional Ranked officer. Provision couldn't last for ever... and some Maquis would throw uniforms away.  
Voyager wasn't just the Intrepid Class Starship, she stood on, it was the crew, the unique melding of minds, talents, abilities.  
Kathryn kept her thoughts to herself, this was a happy day - reuniting people with families, with homes... Consequences, and changes would wait for another day.  
The Turbolift arrived, Janeway dutifully entered the Bridge, as her destination.

Stepping across the bridge, smiling and greeting the crewmembers she passed, Janeway reached Tuvok. "Our Mission has been a success," Tuvok told her.  
"Yes it has," Janeway smiled, stepping forward and hugging her old friend.

Then, Kathryn found her First officer, renewed and alive, it was good - after seeing him on a Sickbay bed, dying, as she'd seen herself, in the encounter with the Alien Angel of Death.  
"Chakotay..." she smiled.

=/\= All Hands =/\= Janeway tapped her now restored Comm-Badge, =/\= We'll be meeting our families and friends in the Mess Hall, they'll be boarding the ship around about now =/\= Janeway stepped across to her ready room, and opened a drawer... a storage unit she hadn't touched since the beginning of the journey.  
Inside, was her holo of Mark.  
He'd found someone else.... :: Can I blame him? :: Janeway asked herself, :: Just as I got on with my life with Michael.. :: she cringed, remembering.  
:: To everyone here...We had gone...and we weren't coming back.. :  
Mark could be married, could have Children.  
They hadn't spoken on the communication link, or exchanged letters, since Mark wrote to tell her, he'd got a new love.  
Janeway spent a scant minute staring at the picture, before she turned to the replicator, stoking her self up with Coffee, Black. Then, she headed out, (-=-=-mod addition-"to start" -=-=-=)  
to walk to the Mess Hall, to take in every detail, to meet with every Crewmember.

The family of the dead Ensign, hadn't yet been notified.  
Janeway would tell them herself, would explain.  
And then, she would meet everybody's families, would walk with them, and would show them where the crewmember they'd come to see was.

Before she went to her family, before she dealt with the open wounds.

-  
(attachments)

Image : Janeway , thoughtful close up.

Image : Janeway with Molly, hugging her.

Gif : Starfleet symbol.

****************************************

END WEEK TWENTY SEVEN RECAP 07-17-01

.com/voyagerliveaction

WEEK TWENTY EIGHT RECAP 07-17-01

************************************

From: Fran Catrair Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Awakenings Date: Sun, 15 Jul 2001 22:50:59 -0700 (PDT)

The first sensation to hit her senses was the smell. It smelled of sweat and blood and death. She smelled the odor of Klingons dead from battle. ::What's going on?:: she thought to herself. ::Am I dead?::

Slowly, she opened her eyes and lifted her head. She was on the barge of the dead, with Kotar staring at her, a loathing sneer on his face. Then, as she blinked, she was standing at the Gates of Sto-Vo-Kor, and appearing before her was her mother, looking sternly at her. "Mother? What am I doing here? I'm not dead, am I?" an uncertain tone in her voice.

Miral looked at her daughter. "No, daughter, you are not dead. I arranged this transport for you. Let's just say Kotar owed me a favor." she finished, glancing back at the stern man, who was glaring at both of them. Turning back from him, Miral continued on. "I am very disappointed in you, daughter. Just when I thought you had begun to understand everything. I thought you had changed. Sadly, it appears you have not." she concluded, a disappointed look on her face. "I don't understand what you mean, mother. I now embrace my Klingon heritage. We have already decided to raise her with an understanding of her Klingon heritage. We're even naming her after you!" she finished, a touch of defiance in her voice.

"Do you think it changes things just because you name her after me? That is not what this conversation is about. This is about how you are still hiding behind Starfleet, behind the walls of engineering. That woman was attacking you, your family, your friends, and all you could do was just give in and let her beat you!", Miral hissed, with anger flashing in her eyes.

(-=-=-=mod addition- Miral said of Shelby's less than friendly interrogation of her daughter in the hallway.-=-=-=-=)

B'Elanna took a step back, confustion and pain in her eyes. "I can't do it, mother. There's just too much to overcome. I was a Maquis. Starfleet will never let me forget that. They will drag me down, drag Tom down, drag our daughter down, and quite possibly, Tom's father. I couldn't forgive myself for that." she stated, a resigned look on her face.

Miral took a step forward and her gaze softened. "You are a fine person, 'Lanna. I was against your marriage to the human in the beginning. But I have seen how much he loves you and is willing to protect you and that child. I saw what he done to those Klingons lost in the Delta Quadrant, who thought your child was the next Kahless." B'Elanna was so surprised to hear her mother's old nickname for her, that she almost missed the reference to the Delta Quadrant.

"Y-y-you SAW me? In the Delta Quadrant?" she asked her, at a loss for words.

"Of course, child. Love's bond's transcend distance, transcend warp speed, transcend time. Surely, as an engineer, you would know that." she stated, a small smile on her face, one B'Elanna had never seen before.

"What's happened to you, mother? You seem to have changed." B'Elanna asked her.

"I have, my child. Someday, you will understand. Take care of yourself, 'Lanna. And, watch over that husband of yours and my grandchild." she said, turning slowly and disappearing into the Gates of Sto-Vo-Kor.

B'Elanna felt at a loss. She turned back to the Barge, but before she could move, a blinding flash of light assailed her, and she slipped back into unconsciousness.

When she next awakened, she was in a beautiful, dreamscape state. It was all blue, with little clouds floating around by her, birds singing in the distance. ::All right, now I KNOW I'm dead:  
she thought to herself.

Suddenly, she heard a sweet voice fill her being. She couldn't hear it in the sense of her ears. "You're not dead, mother. Grandmother already told you that." the voice said to her.

"Miral?"  
she asked, a tone of wonderment in her voice.

"Yes, mother. I'm waiting for you. Father is waiting for you. All you need to do is just wake up." she pleaded, a sorrowful tone in her voice.

"I don't know where to begin. There's so much we have to face." B'Elanna told her softly.

"We will face them together, mother; the three of us." she finished, a joyful tone in her voice.

As she said this, a vision appeared before B'Elanna. It was sickbay. She could see all the activity around. There was definitely something going on. The vision began to narrow, and she saw Tom sitting beside the holobed, a worried look on his face, whispering lovingly to her. It was this vision that moved an old spirit inside of B'Elanna. A gleam appeared in her eyes, one familiar to those who knew her.

"Yes, that's it, mother. Go. I will see you soon. I love you." she (Miral, B'Elanna's daughter) said.

Now, B'Elanna felt herself spinning, spinning back down to her body, into her conscious self. She became awake, with a sharp intake of breath and a fluttering of her eyes. Turning her head, she looked at Tom. "Hi." she said hoarsely. "Have I missed something?"

She noticed Tom , who smiled broadly, but before he could reply, a wave of pain hit her and reminded her of why they were here. "Are you ready, 'dad'? Our daughter's anxious to come out and see us." she said, finally. Looking up with a smile at Tom.

(attachements)

Image : B'Elanna close on biobed out cold.

Image : The EMH leaning over B'Elanna's bedside.

Image : B'Elanna threatening Tom with a Bat'leth.

*

From: "Roxy Dee" Subject: Home Soil~~ Date: Tue, 17 Jul 2001 10:28:44 -0000

Harry Kim stood at his station in engineering for a a full minute, just staring. It was strangely captivating. The high, towering warp core, was dark and silent and seemed smaller than it had been when it had been fully powered. Tuvok had just ordered the powering down order moments before.

::We did it. We're actually back.:: An idiot's grin burst over the ensign's face and he whooped and hollered into a cheer that was echoed by those nearest him. Harry kissed a passing female lieutenant full on the lips and spun her around. "I ,.. am going to the messhall. I may not have family out there waiting with flowers and flags but I've every reason to be there for everyone else's. I can link up folks to their sisters, brothers,..husbands.. Who's out there are yours, lieutenant?" he grabbed up a datapadd and began entering a database frame initiation there.

"uh,," she grinned happily. She told him.

"Great! " Harry said. "I'll get them into the line in the messhall first. They can take the Harry Kim slot. I know Tuvok's got the mess reserved for Deck One through Deck Five's families. I'll call you the second they report in lieutenant."

"Thankyou Harry.." she beamed and kissed him back full on the cheek. The feeling in engineering was infectious while everyone finished shutting down primary flight systems and started to drift to their cabins for the beginning of the reunion reception preparations. She left out the main doors and Harry glanced back over his shoulder. ::She kissed me back? What did I miss here.?:: And he checked his datafiles.

He clicked his fingers when he found out the pretty lieutenant had a fiance waiting for her in New Port, Maine province. ::Oh well.. Maybe I can swing a date with somebody's sister.::

Harry coordinated with Boothby on a special link. "Hey, Boothby. I'm showing Molly, the holoconstruct, is outside the ship. How'd she get there?"

"Haven't a clue, Ensign. Want me to recall her?"

"No...no no.. I can use her out there to find people's families and deliver the boarding schedule Tuvok provided for them through her."

Boothby smiled broadly, "Molly's tracker program and her voice modulator capabilities?"

Kim grinned like an imp. "Yep." He figured an irish setter suddenly speaking in the computer's voice to folks would certainly get their attention out there. Things would run that much more smoothly.

"Done. She's uploaded with Lt. Tuvok's roster and location guides. Captain Janeway's just authorized boarding to begin."

Harry smiled. "I know. I heard her." Then he frowned, "That's funny. She didn't call me back to the bridge to man Ops."

"That's because I can track the civilian craft and coordinate shut down procedures just as well as you can Mr. Kim.." Boothby sighed. "This is your time now to just be Harry Kim.. So enjoy it while it lasts." And he winked out.

Harry sat back in his chair and stretched, loosening his overly tight collar. He turned one computer screen silver to use as a mirror and straightened out his hair with some fingertips. He rubbed signs of his high gravity scrapes off on his pants. The blood flaked away in moments. Then he slaved his datapadd into Boothby and the holoMolly and got to work while he returned to his quarters.

Once in the hallway. He smiled.. "What's that?" A lush, sun warmed straw smell that was spicy filled the air outside in the corridor. He knew full well what it was and he took a deep breath of the wonderful Earthy Indiana aroma in pleasure. "Why Tuvok, you sentimental ol Vulcan.. I'll just bet you have Captain Janeway's front porch two meters from the down ramp, too."

A short minute later, while Harry was toweling off in his quarters,  
Molly barked through his combadge. She had located his first set of parents and that young lieutenant's fiance near the back of the field. =^=Nice work, Molly. Show them to the front of the line. They're getting my slot.=^=

He heard the computer speak through Molly. ##Family Stiles? Please report for boarding. Assignment is to the main mess, ten nine. Follow this module please..## Kim could almost see the young lieutenant's family jump out of their skins when an apparent farm dog spoke words and their resultant smile when they realized they've been advanced to the front of the group to board. He made Molly's tail wag a little harder just for fun and made Molly react in a happy cartwheel for their benefit as she led them to Voyager's on ramp.

Once they were safely aboard. Harry knew what he had to do next and which family he was letting on next in Tom's family slot. ::He won't mind. His family's already on board.::

Harry grew serious and respectful when he had Molly find the folks of the Ops ensign who had died of a broken neck in front of him. No doubt, the captain would want to see them first personally in the mess before anyone else arrived there.

He tapped his combadge. =^=Ensign Kim to Captain Janeway. I've...located her family and they're reporting to the messhall. No one's told them yet.=^=

It was a little sour to see them so happy at Voyager's return. And Kim shut off the visual screen attuned to Molly's eyes sadly.

They did not yet know that their daughter was really in the morgue.

He made sure the guards along the way didn't confront them as they arrived, about their out of turn presence on the ship.

He released the lock on the ensign's quarters in case Captain Janeway wanted to accompany them there once they knew. It was only right.

Harry felt ninety years old when, at last, he could direct Molly onto the next task.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Geordi La Forge was enjoying the show. Captain Picard would soon be returning to the Enterprise while Voyager was wrapped up in her reunions. He knew the official celebration would begin much later, after all her crew had time to rest and relax. He was surprised Starfleet had not yet released their debriefing orders that was standard for any mission completed by a Starship.

::Huh.:: he smiled. ::I guess a starship finally did a superhuman feat big enough to cow the big brass. About time..::

The civilian craft were still dancing around the coordinates Enterprise was giving them for landing in the town where the Janeway farm originated. The farm itself had no transporter padd. Site to sites were the preferred method used by them as a rule he learned. ::Good thing. Or else everyone would want to use it to get there for the reunion.::

Geordi routed the info to the bridge which craft were legitimate ones and which ones were simply gawkers come to celebrate or watch the joyful spectacle in the cornfield. He careful repulsed the nonfamily craft away from town with a tractor beam when they didn't cooperate with Enterprise verbally. ::Feels like Ragstock down there.:: he chuckled.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

The Primary moved to the bridge to be near his charge. He greeted Risha, standing by the leader woman and the dark eared one gently. ##Leaderwoman. It is a good day for your people, is it not? I feel the bonds of home in all here.##

It straightened and swept one huge claw in front of Janeway's face as she stood by the Vulcan. ##Before you dance for them in homecoming speakings, we must act for the Pyramid. You have not moved for it or us yet.##

The Primary saw Captain Janeway pause and realize that it was true. She had not spoken directly or dealt with anything concerning her alien guests since they had arrived.

The Primary went on holding Risha in front of it. ##I have the Key safely stowed. It is time for a soul join for Risha. We have the green ones cell stories for the Child in readiness. She needs the joining before we can take leave of this world. Shall we all go to the Pyramid as we must? It is your duty now. Your homeship has landed.##

The Primary rose to its full height and waited for the red hair human captain to respond. If need be, it would take her anyway to the First Duty event. Trangressions were not allowed with leaderpeople.

Risha spoke, "Yes, captain. It is tradition. You and your second, the Marked One must be present to honor us. We have waited long enough in respect. Now it is our time for your duty. Come, walk in kinship way as we know you will do."

-  
(attachments)

Image : Harry and Tuvok in meeting chairs.

Image : The Enterprise over the Earth.

*  
Date: Tue, 17 Jul 2001 04:29:56 -0700 (PDT) From: Jeff Seltun Subject: A Reason for Everything--

Captain Picard straightened up with satisfaction.  
Voyager's engineer was awake, and eager to get on with the ugly business of labor in order to win her daughter's arrival into the world. So he let the doctors get on with things with her and retreated into the other room respectfully.

Captain Janeway had left sickbay, too. Almost right after Chakotay had been patched together. He was amused by the first officer convincing a hologram to let him out of the sickbay "shackles" before he was even ready. He should try that one on Beverly next time he ever logged biobed time.

He saw the Deep Space Nine doctor throw on a monitor which showed Chakotay's cervical monitor vital signs before the young Egyptian turned back to his patient.  
::Clever of the EMH to do at least that, when caught up in his promise honoring programming loophole:  
thought Picard.

He contacted Geordi LaForge. =^= Mr. LaForge. I'll be beaming back to the Enterprise before too long. Have the acting officer of the day in the conn expect my return. But keep him running civilian traffic detail. .. " he drew in a huge sigh just for the engineer's benefit... "...it's a captain's duty I'd rather not perform.."

Geordi chuckled. "I'm on it, captain. Have fun over there for me. Looks like it's going to be one h&ll of a party."

"That it is Mr. LaForge." Jean Luc said. "I'll let you know when I am finished here."

Captain Picard rounded up Data, who had returned to sickbay right after he sent the EMH back there before him from the holodeck.

He had one more order of business to attend to before he went to Voyager's bridge to coordinate with their conn officer about current situation reports. The Borg Pyramid and her two unusual liaisons were the primary mission still.. Even over homecomings. He hoped the Voyager crew would remember that and stay focused.

Picard went into the EMH's office. Where Lady Q, Q2 and Q had ended up once more. Jean Luc had overheard the younger son's actually really genuine request to Janeway.

"She's very magnanimous I hope you know, Q." he said to Q2. "I wouldn't trust my family to close proximity to an underaged Q if you paid me to do it."

Q senior scoffed, "Oh, Jean Luck. You are only saying that because of the tacky things I've done to you in the past. You don't yet know my son.."

Picard nodded, "That's true. Sorry Q." he said holding out his hand to Q2. "I passed judgement based on a preconceived prejudice. Forgive my,..." he glanced at Q dangerously, .."caution.. When preyed upon frequently, one tends to be very self preserved."

Q merely grinned. Lady Q shot a what's this glance at her mate.

Picard didn't miss the exchange and sighed. "You'll know where to find me if there's anything you're going to do next. Only, please leave the Enterprise and Voyager crews alone. Let us ants be ants in our anthill for once. Maybe that would be the best entertainment yet if you've never given that kind of thing a try before." He said, sweeping his hands wide.  
"Come on, Mr. Data. We should head where Janeway was headed.. ' He shouted, "Computer.. Where is Kathryn Janeway?"

##Captain Janeway is on the bridge.##

"Let's go." he said to his commander. "I feel like I am always chasing down Voyager's captain." he chuckled.

"Perhaps it's because she has a lot to think about."  
Data said innocently.

Picard laughed.

--------------------------------------------------

Picard entered the bridge and saw Admiral Paris there,  
newly arrived. He was at the comm station, in current touch with Starfleet Command by the look of the retina scan that just completed.

Janeway was downdeck, near Tuvok. And the odd 8472 Primary and his tiny blue skinned Risha were there in front of her.

Chakotay sat in his chair nearby,  
fingering the cortical monitor itching his neck. He still looked a bit battered with some pain left yet.  
He was folding his arms over his chest to get comfortable.

Picard chuckled "Serves you right, Commander. Pulling the wool over your EMH's eyes. Next time, listen to him and your medical problems won't come back to plague you.."

Chakotay grinned sheepishly, "I had my reasons, sir.  
Kathryn's farm as Voyager's landing pad was too sweet a moment to deny her."

Picard nodded. He and Data moved next to Tuvok,  
Janeway and the alien ambassadors to the Pyramid.  
"Captain. " he addressed Janeway. "By regulation, I cannot leave your ship without finishing our current mission with the Primary and the Hybrid Child.  
Starfleet will no doubt want to know why a Borg Ship is on Earth and what it's all about. It's up to us to tell them.. Frankly, it's up to you. The Primary chose you and your crew to appear to long before Enterprise ever came on the scene."

He left her side while she thought that over.::Don't think too long, captain. This is future 8472 and future Borg who are attached to your ship.::

He moved off and called up a picture from Voyager's archives of exactly how big, the Primary really was.  
He found a picture of him next to the EMH on the holodeck from when they first met. ::If I had something like that on the Enterprise. I'd have all sensors on line, captain..:: he mentally advised Janeway. ::He may be peaceful now, but the slightest offense may be our undoing. All it takes is a single misunderstanding of a custom or a wrong gesture.  
Tread softly, Kathryn.::

Data meanwhile, had the Q's on one of Boothby's monitors. He spoke with Admiral Paris while the man waited for his call to Command to be punched through the comm traffic buzzing outside Voyager.  
"Admiral.. What do you think the real reason for Q and his family to be here really is? " the android asked.  
"On all his other visits to Captain Picard he had always had a hidden agenda.. Only this time, that agenda is not very apparent."

Data went on. "So far,.. I've learned through Boothby,  
that Q's simply observed Voyager from a hammock on the bridge, reanimated Dax and Yar, rekilled Yar, secretly aided in saving Chakotay.. and now is hanging around a simple EMH's doctor's office. To what end is he working?"

Admiral Paris raised his eyebrows and said.

-  
(attachments)

Audio : Worf - Captain, I was told you could not attend...

Picard - I wouldn't miss this for the world.

Image : The EMH with the Speaker 8472 on the holodeck.

Image : Promo-- Data with stars and blue background close up.

*  
From: "Cory Anda" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Cause and effect Date: Tue, 17 Jul 2001 18:18:03 -0000

She noticed Tom , who smiled broadly, but before he could reply, a wave of pain hit her and reminded her of why they were here. "Are you ready, 'dad'? Our daughter's anxious to come out and see us."

"Hey Doc... I thought you said you can do something about that pain.... you said something about this being the twenty fifth century..." Paris said half smiling, half being worried for B'Elanna after she tensed up in another labor pain . He almost squeezed her hand harder than she was his.

"It's the last one she will feel Lieutenant. I had to wait until she was fully conscious to do this..." Bashir said instantly.

He placed a temple inhibiter on her forehead after reprogramming it. He told Torres. "This is the electronic equivalent of an epidural. It won't effect your labor just its side effects, such as blinding pain.." Julian smiled. "Unless you have some...Klingon tradition that calls for you to feel childbirthing in its entirety.  
I know Worf has this thing about...pain sticks."

"No no no.." Tom stopped Bashir's hand from removing the inhibiter. "This is fine.. this is good.  
Not only for B'Elanna but for me.. I don't like to see ANY kind of pain. And there's no barbaric custom like that we care to observe." He said of his wife and himself.

B'Elanna relaxed as the tight vise grip lessened into only pressure. She looked up at Tom, "You'll never guess who I met on my way back to consciousness."

Tom didn't even have trouble. "Your mother.., but you weren't killing yourself to see her. What did she want to talk about?"

B'Elanna pointed to her draped belly as the two doctors worked below, comparing medical notes about her body's progress with delivery. But then she started smiling as she remembered how regal the vision of her daughter had been. ::Miral's going to look very striking. With that reddish hair. She'll be taller than me.::

Tom's guessing began again. "Oh no.... you didn't.."

Torres nodded again, rubbing her belly.

"Ok, s-so you "met" our baby too. Don't tell me some fever dream or something.." Paris stabbed a finger in the air. "Lady Q! If you did this to mess around with our minds I'll kindly ask you to stop.. I didn't put ideas in your head when you gave birth to Q2, now did I?"

Torres just laughed, and concentrated on the building pressure in her womb, shaking her head in amusement.

The EMH looked up from putting on a medical mask,  
"Did I miss something here? Usually I know when Q's done something to the crew."

"You didn't miss a thing." Julian grinned, "Now.  
How long do you think before the baby begins to turn and present?"

The EMH shrugged. "Maybe in another ten minutes.  
Her forehead ridges have to compress before she can pass over the pelvic bone."

"But she's more than half human.." Bashir said.

"Exactly... I'm.... guessing here. There hasn't been too many Human/Klingon babies born in my programming archives. Only two others, K'Ehleyr and Worf. And their births weren't recorded in any Starfleet records." the holodoc said. "I've had the computer project what Miral would look like before for Tom and B'Elanna. Her facial ridges aren't as pronounced as theirs."  
He looked down to B'Elanna's stomach and put a hand there. "That's three..." Then he grinned at B'Elanna and Tom.. "About one minute apart.  
Perhaps I've been mistaken about when your baby will arrive. At this rate, she could be born any minute."

Naomi, next to Bashir, giggled happily. She got out another warmed steamed Sterile towel and handed it to Bashir so he could drape it under B'Elanna's body. The little girl said, "It's ok, B'Elanna, we're set here.  
All the blankets are ready. " She was very calm,  
unlike Tom.

Deanna noticed this. "Lieutenant,.." she said.  
"Everything's going fine. Or do you need a tranquilizer?"

Paris shook his head fractionally.. "I- I'm fine.. It's just that I don't think I'm going to be any good at this until everything's over. I'm best with cradling infants.. not cutting their cords."

"We can do that, if you prefer, lieutenant.." Julian said.

Tom nodded. "Please do.. " he mumbled under his breath, "....huh... I can fly through tornadic maelstroms,  
survive prison, get turned into a salamander and conceive young with a superior officer, but I can't handle picking up a single pair of surgical scissors.. Far cry from a monkey wrench.. And B'Elanna's no car's engine or a Delta Flier wiring port."

B'Elanna just patted Tom's hand and gave him an "I love you anyway" look.

Torres lay her head back down and let her body work.  
It was heaven not feeling discomfort.

Then Tom rallied, as his wife relaxed, his sense of humor returned. "Hey, you're not all gungho about going to engineering for once. We should deliver children more often..." and he kissed her.

::A threesome into something more? Now that's a thought.  
But first things first. I'm owed a mother's first joy right now. The moment we see Miral in front of our eyes:  
Torres mused in thought. ::And she opens them to see us.::

She could hardly wait to give Tom his daughter.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Chakotay saw that Janeway was almost out the door to the turbolift to go to the messhall when the Primary appeared next to Risha.

A minute later the future time Child added,  
Risha spoke, "Yes, captain. It is tradition. You and your second, the Marked One must be present to honor us. We have waited long enough in respect. Now it is our time for your duty. Come, walk in kinship way as we know you will do."

Chakotay got to his feet stiffly, mindful of his aches. "And we plan to honor those traditions. It usually takes a fair bit of time for our people to adjust to any huge change in circumstance.  
And getting home after being lost for so long is a big one.  
Give me five more minutes with the captain, and the two of us will go with you. Please.."

The Primary and Risha exchanged looks. "Very well."  
the Child said. "My rite won't take a long passing of time to complete. Merely an hour of your time units. Then we shall have our farewells and leave your time and planet to its own history."

Chakotay nodded.

He took Kathryn's elbow turning her away from the turbolift.  
speaking softly.. "I feel just as eager to be in that messhall for our crew. But we can learn something from Tuvok here about patience. He hasn't even contacted his family yet at all, even though he wants to."

Janeway sighed, leaning on the upper rail, "This all feels like a dream Chakotay.."

"I know it does.. But reality's intruding. Especially from the Starfleet quarter.." he said.

That got Janeway's full attention. She met Chakotay's eyes.

Chakotay lowered his voice, waved Tuvok over to the two of them and spoke, glancing up where Admiral Paris was working. "I had an interesting conversation from the admiral on my way here. He was subtle, remarking about Maquis Federation tolerance.. And made vague references to me gaining a promotion.. Quite an about face from a few days ago, wouldn't you agree?"

Tuvok frowned. "That is unlike the actions of your typical superior officer. I wonder if the admiral's emotions concerning his own family on board Voyager is effecting his behavior. It would not be the first time such a thing has happened. Look how Admiral Kirk once stole a starship to find his own son and first officer."

Chakotay was thoughtful. He sat on the rail gingerly favoring his side. "I thought of that. But this feels different. He was very matter of fact. And Shelby's on board. I wonder if these two are in cohoots with each other over undermining our crew's strong feelings of bond and duty. It wasn't just because I was a Maquis. I couldn't help but feel a little anomosity from the admiral as well while he was talking about my "provisional" rank and future. Just thought I'd share my view, lieutenant, Captain. I trust you far more than I do Starfleet right now.."

All three officers felt a brush of Q presence and realized that they had been overheard yet again from the Q quarter.  
But the demigod family was as yet unseen.

Kathryn debated the issue silently, looking to the admiral where he was talking on the comm and back at the turbo doors where she most wanted to head, and then yet again toward the Primary and the Hybrid Child standing in front of her chair. ::So many decisions. Most of all, ones that may effect the lives of my crew on a more permanent basis here on Earth. But first..::

Chakotay watched as his captain picked a direction to go from the three she was considering. "Whatever you decide,  
captain. I'll go with you." he said after her.

Tuvok nodded in agreement as well.

His heart began to pound and his monitor, unfortunately,  
sent the signal to sickbay.

Bashir looked up, comming the first officer, after seeing a yellow light and hearing a tone behind him.  
=^=Commander.. what's going on up there. You should be taking it easy.=^= he said, not looking up from his vigil over B'Elanna.

"It's nothing.." Chakotay replied. "Just a few flies in the soup.  
I'm fine. Chakotay out."

Julian rolled his eyes and Tom said, "He gets that way sometimes.  
Especially when people start picking on his reputation. Someone must be doing that right now."

From his station, Admiral Paris noticed Janeway, Tuvok and Chakotay had discussed him. ::So much the better.:: he thought.

Then Chakotay tapped his combadge again, =^=Chakotay to Ensign Kim.  
We need you on the bridge. There's a delicate matter upcoming and a further away mission to the Borg Pyramid about to begin. Report immediately.."

Chakotay did not look away from Admiral Paris's eyes.

-  
(attachments)

Image : Chakotay and Janeway by the upper bridge rail.  
Janeway with an "let's get on with it" expression.

Audio : Janeway- I thought about having children. But I must say I never considered having them with you.

Tom- *embarrassed sigh*Captain, I'm sorry. I- I don't know what to say.  
Except I don't remember very much about...uh.  
You know..

Janeway- What makes you think it was your idea...?

Image : Tom Paris looking at B'Elanna in close up.

*  
From: "Cassidy Meyers" Subject: A Family Affair. Date: Thu, 19 Jul 2001 03:08:59 +0400

In sickbay, Seven looked up to the station where she was checking exactly where Tuvok landed the ship. Suppressed memories of the site of the field and farmhouse became sharp, and a strange wave of shame gripped the exBorg. ::Indiana... The captain showed me this place once before. When I was dying from a failing cranial implant. I was not kind to her then.. calling her dreams irrelevant and shallow. I...questioned her purpose in individualizing me.::

That time in Stellar Cartography, secondarily, had also made Seven wonder why Janeway had smiled, seeing her home. ::Is it because she originated there?:: she thought. ::I have no home to feel "fond" of. :: Seven also hoped that her captain did not also have stimulated memories concerning these live images of Indiana, when Seven had been insulting and rude to her most inconsiderately. ::She's one of the only individuals I would wish to maintain contact with following Voyager's disembarkment orders. Naomi Wildman is another I do not wish to lose contact with. I would.... miss her.::

Then she had a thought. Seven tapped her combadge. =^=Seven of Nine to Naomi Wildman.=^=

A high pitched call came Seven's way.. "I'm over here, Seven,.. with Dr. Bashir, helping out.. What do you need? The captain?" Naomi answered live, without activating her own combadge in return.

Seven turned in mild surprise. Things had changed around her while she was lost in deep thought. Chakotay and Janeway were no longer in sickbay and B'Elanna was now awake and getting on with her biological offspring splitting process.

::Am I that emotionally effected by being on Earth?:: Seven wondered to herself. ::If so,.. I don't think I like being this way. It is inefficient. I must stay focused on what work needs doing..:: Seven smiled. "No. I do not require the captain's assistance. I...was wondering if you still had that infant's bed covering that Captain Janeway gave you when you were born."

Naomi frowned, clearly not understanding.

Seven cleared her throat uncomfortably. "Where's your...."blanky" ?"

Naomi's face lit up and she pointed over to a sickbay countertop where she had holoMolly leave it before she had found out that that wasn't the kind of blanket Dr. Bashir needed for the baby when she needed drying off.

Seven looked vaguely put aback but she asked, "May I see it?"

Naomi nodded and turned back to what Bashir was softly telling her about what he was doing with B'Elanna.

The girl was listening well and doing what he asked to hold medical tools and tricorders for various moments in between labor contractions. Seven saw it was Naomi's job to monitor the baby's heartbeat and to record her sonogram visual record while she was moving from her birthbed to the outside. Seven saw the child was healthy in her rainbow computer generated hues there on the display. The baby had still a way to go before meeting them all.

Seven stood next to Naomi and zoomed in on the baby's face. A technicolor smile greeted her and Seven felt something twist inside.. Something that softened her emotions inexplicably.

Seven unconsciously reached out to the screen.

Deanna Troi lifted her head with a look of mild surprise on her face. She excused herself from Tom and B'Elanna and went over to Seven's side. "Seven?" She had felt a feeling inside the woman. One very deep and new.

Immediately, Seven lowered her hand and fingered her hand webbing self consciously. She picked up Naomi's blanket. "I was just.....wondering.. " Seven turned the blanket over and showed Deanna the carefully hand embroidered initials on the soft yellow blanket to the counselor. "What is the meaning of this decorative lettering? I know it's Naomi Wildman's designation. I don't know the purpose behind it."

Deanna sat down without touching Seven and made sure her face was neutral. Now she was reading uncertainty and a little embarrassement. She had not missed Seven caressing the computer screen of the baby's face. ::Seven's like a teenager, first discovering her mothering instincts. Another landmark. Captain Janeway would no doubt be very happy seeing this.::

"Well,.. some human families have traditions where an object with sentimental value is recreated for every new arriving family member to carry out continuity of that tradition. It's purpose is to tighten bonds of older family members with the newly arrived one. One of the most common objects to use is a baby blanket. These objects are called heirlooms."

"Heirlooms? As in heirs of inheritances?"Seven frowned.

"Yes.." Troi took the blanket from Seven's hand and traced the sparkling gold and blue lettering there thoughtfully. She smiled and stroked its soft material against her cheek. "Naomi Wildman told me that Captain Janeway gave her this two hours after she was born. It was only a shipwide crisis involving an alternate Voyager collision that kept her from being there when Naomi was born. Kathryn chose well. This cashmir is heavenly." She placed the sunflower yellow blanket back into Seven's hands.

Seven looked up looking very lost. It shocked Deanna. "Captain Janeway has not given me an heirloom. Does that mean I am not a member of her family?" Seven whispered, again thinking of the thoughtless things she had said to her captain when she had been terminally defective. ::Only Icheb has given me anything. A book of his about quantum singularities. And he's now gone.:: Seven didn't even know a tear was filling an eye.

"Oh Seven,.." Deanna said, placing a hand on her arm.

Seven was sitting ramrod straight.

Deanna relaxed her own posture to help Seven's. "Not at all. There are many kinds of families. The kind you have on Voyager, as crewmates, the kind one has, like Tom and B'Elanna, in marriage with having children, the kind we have in the Federation among our Federated Worlds like Vulcan is to Earth and Alpha Ceturi. The captain's priorities of late has been helping you gain your humanity and getting the rest of your ship family back to Earth so they could join their heritage ones. Just because you haven't receive material objects doesn't mean that Captain Janeway isn't like family to you. In fact, she's more of a mother to you than you yet realize. From what I've seen, you are very much like a daughter to her. I've only felt a stronger bond in the captain for her sister Phoebe, father Edward, and mother, Gretchen.. The one I sense in her for you is a very close fourth.. "

Seven regarded Deanna skeptically.

"I got my basis of comparison when Kathryn saw two people's images on Boothby's monitor screen just before she headed outside to check how big a crowd she had to plan for."

Deanna rose to her feet, with a twinkle in her eye. "So if you feel something strange and protective for the Torres baby. You're on the right track. Maybe you could be a godmother to her and make her an heirloom of your own. Captain Janeway's already got the "blanky" department covered."

Troi left Seven and sat by Tom once more.

A few minutes later, Naomi's blanket back with her owner, Seven appeared silently behind Tom and stuck something long and pungently fragrant and made of organic plant material in his mouth. "Light this when your offspring is born."

Tom took the replicated Cuban cigar out of his mouth. "What's this for Seven?" he said, amused.

B'Elanna looked at hers as if it were a dirty sock. She smiled just to be civil, burying it under her pillow slyly when no one was looking.

Seven spoke as she gave cigars to everyone in the room. She set the EMH's, Bashir's and the sugar candy one for Naomi on tabletops near them. "I am perpetuating an Earth custom I've just read about in Voyager's database."

"Seven...! Incendiary smoke is horrible for newborn lungs!" the EMH snapped. "I've only just gotten rid of canine dander from the setter raining clovers all over my carpetting. How am I going to keep sickbay's air clean with these here?"

"You'll figure out something and adapt." Seven said simply.

Julian chuckled, staying out of things. "Not too long now B'Elanna, She's started moving again." His eyes narrowed as he smiled even bigger, "Say, Seven.. You got one a tinier one in that box? Miral's berefit her own cigar.."

Seven held out one. The EMH fried it out of the air with a laser probe like a holographic Annie Oakley. "Oh no you don't!!"

Seven, to her credit, didn't even flinch when the cigar vaporized from between her fingers. She arched an eyebrow, and said, "Got you.." and exited sickbay neatly.

Deanna and Tom nearly fell off their stools and sickbay filled with laughter.. B'Elanna joined in until another pressure wave silenced her into concentrating again.

Amid the noise.. the EMH heard his simu-combadge activate under cover of the mirthful din around him. It was Seven. "Your offer for an evening at the Opera House is on. I believe I've appropriate attire for the occasion. Let me know when to attend."

The EMH grinned like an old uncle. "It'll be my next task to find out exactly when we can leave to go there." He turned back to the impending birth. "Now for the big moment... We've only five minutes left til zero Hour Mr. Paris.."

Tom promptly fainted.

Bashir snapped out a command rapid fire, smiling. ##Computer. Commit site to site. Program Alpha C.##

The transporter caught Tom before he even hit the floor and transported the senseless helmsman to the next biobed over. He reappeared, on his back, snoring, and spreadeagle.

B'Elanna cried out, half with mortification.

Bashir chuckled, "Don't worry.. We'll revive him with a hypo before Miral even waves so much as a hand in the air... Thanks counselor, for predicting that.."

Deanna sighed. "My pleasure. I've seen a lot of new fathers in my day. Profiles like his usually take this nap in the home stretch of delivery. He's right on schedule matching that kind exactly." she leaned in, studying the helmsman's face.. "...Still sleeping like a baby..."

Torres quipped, "I don't think either one of us will be sleeping like a baby except for Miral after today.."

Deanna sighed, "You'll just have to hire a babysitter, then.."

Torres smiled even bigger.. ::Heh. Uncle Harry will fit that bill like a Klingon glove..::

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Seven wanted to find out what was happening on the bridge.

A few minutes later, she did. She caught not only the Primary's growing ire but the tense feel coming from Tuvok, Janeway and Chakotay seemingly about Admiral Paris.

She ignored the latter and addressed the more important situation at hand. "Chakotay. I've been in the Borg tunnel and it's safe. Even more so surrounded by atmosphere and not outer space. There's an airlock on the far side about three kilometers distance from Voyager's. Shall I accompany you and Captain Janeway in the party going to the Borg Pyramid? Perhaps my previous knowledge may better aid us in understanding the vessel for our records."

The Primary spoke up. ##That scanning seeing is not to be. We, as you, cannot let the future trail and homes be captured on scans for other peoples here in the past. Only true eyes must come. Those of the body. No technology.##

Seven speculated, "You, too, have a Temporal Prime Directive?"

##That is a close speakings. Yes.##

"I will honor it." Seven said, setting her away mission pack aside. "Chakotay, Captain Janeway, may I accompany you aboard Risha's Pyramid?"

-  
(attachments)

Image : Seven, in a charming close up.

Image: Deanna in a Greek gown.

*  
From : "Clairissa Fox" Subject : Nothing better than birthdays Date : Thu, 19 Jul 2001 17:20:52 +0000 I looked at my computer at the baby. She was smiling at me! 7 must have seen it too because she was touching the telly. Then I saw the pretty lady come over to talk with 7 about something and I got back to helping Belanna.

Dr Basheer! Dr Basheer! Is it really the babys birthday today? Its taking forever! But I can help you and the hollow doctor real good. What do you want me to do?

"There's not much we can do at the moment, Naomi. " Julian said kindly. "It's up to B'Elanna right now to finish the job. You can keep watching the fetal monitor if you'd like for her heartbeat and progress along the way."

ok ok Dr Basheer. I can do that. Can I hold her when shes here?

"She will be too big for you to handle, I'm afraid, She'll be hard to hold because she'll be wet and slippery, like all new babies are when they are born. But once the Torres's see her and she's been bathed, I don't see why you couldn't visit with her while she's resting on B'Elanna's stomach. By then those blankets you've brought us will be wrapped around her so she won't catch a chill." Bashir suggested. "I think you'll be surprised by how strong her grip will be if you give Miral your pinky finger then. She's already almost as strong as you are, Naomi, on these scans."

Wow. Is it because shes a Klingon, like Belanna? I looked at Belanna. How can you take her kicks then? I can kick real hard. Is Miral hurting you? I was worried. People are soft in the belly. And if a baby inside there was doing that as strong as I could it had to be really bad.

"She's not feeling any pain, Naomi. See that inhibiter chip on her forehead?" the holographic physician asked. "Everything is just pressure now. A lot of pushing for Mrs. Torres. That's the first thing we dealt with when she woke up from her faint."

oh. Thats better. I didnt like the idea of my friend hurting just to have a birthday start up for a baby. Or Id be just like Mr Pairs flat out on my bed not liking the idea at all. Doctor Ill be right back. I went to Mr Pairs and sat by him.

Hey youre going to miss the birthday if you stay like this. I tapped his arm. But he stayed napping. So I turned on his heart screen and got back to my seat by Dr Basheer and the hollow doctor.

The hologram leaned over to his little helper, "We can help him, too, Naomi. It's best sometimes to let faints resolve themselves. But, if he's tardy in the slightest, one hypo will get him up in moments."

Why did Mr Pairs do that?

"I guess it's because he could imagine the discomfort B'Elanna was feeling earlier before we ended it, a little too well. Even though he really couldn't feel any of it himself. Its called empathizing. He cares a lot about B'Elanna and the baby so he did a little too much empathizing. Some people do what he did and decide to faint away." Bashir said, making his eyes really big in fun. "Scares some people when that happens but it's a harmless reaction."

I laughed. Yes. As long as there is tranzporter to catch him before he hits his head. How did you know Mr Pairs was going to faint from caring Deana Troy?

But the pretty lady didnt answer. She was still talking to 7 about something.

The EMH chuckled. "She's seen a lot of expectant fathers and can guess who's sensitive like Tom is to deliveries."

Thats silly. Everybody likes birthdays. Then you can get a new brother or sister in your house. I just wish it didnt take so long.

Then I had a thought. Why wasnt Auntie Kathy here for the babys birthday? Maybe something was happening on the bridge that needed her. It must be hard being a captain, much harder than being a captains assistant like I was.

Being a captain sure makes you miss a lot of birthdays I said to Belanna. Dont worry Ill be here instead. I want to know how strong your baby can really grab my pinky.

I had to see. I had to see for me.

Belanna was sweating so I put a water cloth on her forehead and gave her some water from a cup. There. I can get you some soup later when youre hungry. ok? Can you see your babys smile on the telly over there? 7 filmed it a minute ago to see her face and I still have it on.

Then I saw 7 leave to go somewhere. Now where is she going? Shes going to miss everything too! Theres nothing better than a new birthday baby.

Grownups are so weird.

-  
(attachments)

Image : Naomi with her toy Flotter.

Image: Naomi with a holocamera, grinning.

*

From: "Samantha Rose"  
Subject : Rockin it from the Delta Quad to the UFP! Date : Sat, 21 Jul 2001 22:40:19 +0000

Picard nodded, "That's true. Sorry Q." he said holding out his hand to Q2. "I passed judgement based on a preconceived prejudice. Forgive my,..." he glanced at Q dangerously, .."caution.. When preyed upon frequently, one tends to be very self preserved."

Q2 just stared at the Enterprise's Captain. Q2, the first offspring of the Continuum, not trustworthy to see Aunt Kathy's family? Petosh! Picard knew nothing of his personality, only what he observed himself. Putting on a Vulcan air, the teenaged Q approached Picard.

"I must say that your form of judgement is illogical, Captain. You are looking at me through my father, but I must insist that you see past his meanderings about your vessel and set them aside. I wish for you to look at me if you wish to judge." his serious Vulcan attitude was replaced by a wide toothy grin.  
After a quick remark and the statement that Q "knew where to find him",Picard and Data left the medical bay from the family three. Q2 spun around on the swivel chair that he had taken over and looked at his father and mother.

They were in a "heated discussion" about the recent antics of Picard, implying their son.

Looking around, he saw a tiny little light flicker on, on a nearby monitor.

His curiousity spiked, Q2 wandered over and tapped a few buttons. He soon found that the monitor was being accessed from the Bridge and the technician was Picards android.

"Is that you in there Tin Man? I must admit, you've managed to surprise me! I never knew that a piece of metal could move that fast. Rather interesting don't you think? Well, your little game is over.  
Weren't you ever told not to go meddling in other beings business?" with that he used his Q power to shut down the monitor and make sure that it wasn't reactivated.

Not wanting to stay around and see the fire works, Q2 flashed out to go and explore Aunt Kathy's ship some more before he had to meet her in the Mess Hall. He soon came to the most isolated part of the ship and began his journey up.

Data meanwhile, had the Q's on one of Boothby's monitors. He spoke with Admiral Paris while the man waited for his call to Command to be punched through the comm traffic buzzing outside Voyager.  
"Admiral.. What do you think the real reason for Q and his family to be here really is? " the android asked.  
"On all his other visits to Captain Picard had always had a hidden agenda.. Only this time, that agenda is not very apparent."

Owen looked over at the android and pondered the question. That was a question for the books, and he didn't know the true answer. Looking at Data he saw the look of childish curiousity.

"I do not know the answer to that, Commander Data. I have read to reports of Q's visits to your Captain. In part Q is responsable for this future Borg vessel being here, when he threw the Enterprise two years away to meet these...cyborgs. This could be his way of making sure things don't get out of hand." he put a finality to his voice, satisfied with the answer he gave.

He then watched as the three Voyager officers converse at the Tactical station on the bridge. Turning back to the console before him, his wait soon ended when the face of Admiral Komach filled the screen.

"Owen, an unexpected surprise." came the sharp unemotional greeting from the aged man. His mouth was set in a straight thin line, which suggested annoyance in the sudden call.

"I assure you that this is a matter of some urgency, Admiral. Starfleet Command has to reconsider the actions that they are going to take with the Maquis crew on Voyager." he looked down at the screen with a pleading look.

"The emotional attachments that you have to the crew of the Voyager have clouded your judgement. I believe that you should let someone else take over the Voyager situation. I'm sure Commander Shelby will be a suitable replacement." off screen he had begun to issue orders.

"Dammit, Komach! No!" he whispered hoarsly, "My son may be on this ship, but I'm thinking more clearly then ever now. Don't think that I haven't caught on to your little scheme. I must commend you on your secretive ways, although you should have sent a more inconspicutive spy." a warning tone came out in his voice. The pleading look disapeared with one of mild anger.

"Like I said before, Admiral. Commander Shelby is perfectly capable of taking over for you. Now, I suggest you do your duty and debrief the crew of the Voyager quickly or I may be forced to replace you and move the decomission of the ship up." with a stern look on his face he cut the link between the two ends.

Owen hit the console, catching the attention of the crew around him. Rubbing his hand he nodded to the officers. ::I've learned too much of and from this crew:: Accessing the Main Computer with his command codes, Admiral Paris found out how many ex-Maquis crewmembers there were on Voyager, including his own son.

::From now on, I'm taking matters into my own hands, Starfleet Command be damned:: Downloading the data into a data PADD he began to cross reference the files of those officers with any commendations or reports listed for them. There was still a chance that a strong case could be made to help them.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Having been to the most remote part of the ship and back, Q2 found himself on the bridge of his godmother's ship. In one corner, weighing in at a combined 575 lbs, Janeway, Chakotay, and the much debated Vulcan Tuvok. In the other corner, his weight unbeknownst to the universe, Admiral Paris!

Noticing the questioning looks being shot nonchalantly across the "ring", Q2 decided to do his aunty a little favor. In a flash he disapeared only to reappear inside the tiny screen of the data PADD Owen was holding. With a smile Q2 waved up at him from the tiny square. Surprised, Owen uncerimoniously dropped the PADD to the floor.

In another briliant flash of white light, the son of Q was back in "normal" form and handing over the data PADD to the disgruntled Admiral. Hopping up onto the console he snapped in a large lamp and diliberelty shown it in Owen's face.

"Why are you really here? And whats with hinting to Aunt Kathy's boy toy about a promotion?" the look on his face was stern, yet menacing in a childish way.

"Get that thing out of my face! I have no time for you childish antics." he waved away the lamp which was promptly discard by the Q youth, "Wait, how do you know about that?" he said meaning the talk with Chakotay.

"The walls, they have ears my boy! You must beware, because as soon as you turn your back on them...POW!" in that time frame he had flashed a very large pair of musical cymbols which clashed on the last word. This made everyone on the bridge jump.

"I asure you, my intentions were justified." Paris said trying to stop the ringing in his ears. Q2 just looked at him, no change in the accusing look.

"What makes you think you have the audacity to come here and terrorize this hard working family?" Q2 leaned closer so that he was nose to nose with the Admiral.

"That's it." he grabs up a few more PADDs and turned back to the little Q, "I underestimated you, Q." patting Q2 on the shoulder, Admiral Paris moved from his current position to one of more privacy.

Shrugging his shoulders, Q2 blinked out off the bridge leaving the bi-pedals to do what they do best, be...bi-pedalish. He quickly flashed into the Mess Hall to see what was going on and saw that the family of the deceased Ensign waiting. Falling back on lessons learned, he let be the sorrowful scene and went back to Sickbay.

"It's time to rock it from the Delta Quad to the UFP!" Q2 entered the medical bay in a happy mood. Wrapping his arms around both his Ma and Pop, Q2 smiled a big toothy smile. Looking at his father the smile only got bigger.

"We made you say "Yuppie"." with a "we got you" look, both Q2 and Lady Q went into another fit of giggles over the now time aged joke. Q just looked at his family and shook his head.

-  
(attachments)  
Image : HeavenAndEarth seeming clouds.

Image : United Federation of Planets Logo Image : TNG EnterpriseArt painting. Very cool!

*********************************************

From: "alex delet"  
Subject: What goes up.  
Date: Sun, 22 Jul 2001 12:13:19 +0100

TANDEM post between ' Alex Delet' and 'Patti Keiper' via Hotmail Messenger Window. and Quince's ending quip by "Samantha Paris" ..

MAIN Characters Involved:

Janeway Q

FREE characters Involved:

Risha Primary Tuvok Quince

Picard nodded, "That's true. Sorry Q." he said holding out his hand to Q2. "I passed judgement based on a preconceived prejudice. Forgive my,..." he glanced at Q dangerously, .."caution.. When preyed upon frequently, one tends to be very self preserved."

"Come on, Mr. Data. We should head where Janeway was headed.. "

Q watched, stupified, as his favorite human left him. ::I haven't teased him all that much...:: he thought, trying to justify what he was seeing, ::But I'll admit, I was over the line when I sent Enterprise to the Borg that one time. Even Guinan was livid.:: Q rubbed his hand in memory where the bar hostess had stabbed him with a fork in retaliation for his "upsetting" her shipmates in that way.

::Oh well. I guess I am going to have to find something else to amuse me, and we..::he said smiling to his family in the EMH's office. "Follow me!" he said to them.

Q appeared suddenly next to Chakotay, Janeway and Tuvok. He elbowed the admiral aside, "Excuse me, Big Brass, but this is for family." Q eyed Janeway, and Seven's discarded pack, "So you're going on a field trip. Goodie! I can always give my son more lessons that Lady Q says I must. Shall we go, Kathy? I'm ready... and I don't have anything up my sleeves.. so we fit the Primary's no technology requirement..."

Kathryn looked at Q for a second, throwing him an unreadable look as he pushed her superior officer aside, she looked to Seven, "Suit Up," she said, "Join the team, Seven.."

Janeway looked to Q, "I don't suppose that my answer will have any effect?" she said.

"On what Mon capitan? I don't understand.. Where's that lost captain but I'm going to change my destiny anyway confidence?" Q asked, genuinely puzzled.

"On Whether you join us," Janeway said, rolling her eyes, "It's the Indiana Air," she looked away for a minute, "Come On," she addressed the Away Team, as they headed to the side of the bridge.

Seven nodded her acknowledgement to the order, throwing a sideways glance at Q and at the admiral. She followed Janeway..

Q did too.. "Uh,, Kathy? What about him?" he said pointing to the red faced admiral, rebuffed for being physically touched by Q. "Chuckles did have some valid points about odd behavior from his end."

Chakotay started to say something about hushing down but Janeway silenced him before she spoke, Janeway remembered that the Admiral was in earshot, "Not here," she said tersely, "It's in regulations, that Flag Officers do not lead away teams to unsecured locations,"

Janeway took a deep breath, much as it pained her to, she nodded to the Admiral, "You have the Bridge, Sir,"

Q grinned as they moved towards the Primary and Risha.. "Very slick... Tell me Kathy, do you like passing the buck when in hot water or are you just worried about more Starfleet brass getting in here to disassemble your toy ship? Having Odd Owen here is simply grand. At least, his ties to Tommy boy will keep him in check.. Nice move."

Tuvok moved off to take Chakotay's place next to Owen as the Admiral nodded and sat in the captain's seat. He threw a later for you glance at Kathryn and Chakotay. He was not pleased.

Janeway led the group down the corridor, off of the bridge, "It's still my ship Q," she revealed, "I don't intend to let anyone 'disassemble' her," Janeway cast a glance back, "Or the crew," Janeway cringed inwardly, Owen's rank had never been the reason she'd worried about pleasing him... he was influential in alot of things, Janeway composed herself, before she looked Risha and Primary in the eye, "I appreciate how long I ended up ignoring this," Kathryn said. ""But you must excuse me," Kathryn dipped her head, "One of my crew lost her life today.... I have to...to inform her family," Janeway said, remembering... "I will join you in a few moments."

"Perhaps that could be delayed until later," Risha attempted.

The Primary shuffled, "You should come now."

Q leaned in on Kathy, "Must take the bitter with the sweet? eh?" He straightened."Our towering dehydrated dino here is a little impatient.."

Janeway recalled the Primary suggesting that it wasn't a free choice, but she stood in front of him, making it a sign that she would not budge, "I appreciate your wishes, but I have made my choice, I will not come until I have performed that duty, in informing the Ensigns family,"

"It is not wise to cause a confrontation," the Primary decided.

Risha looked skeptical, "You may attend to your duty, but remember us as soon as it is possible,"

A following Ensign lead the way, as the Primary and Risha waited in the hallway while Janeway walked quickly to the Turbolift.

Q grumbled, "Spoil sport.. And I was looking for you three to duke it out mano a mano. Could have been quite a velocity game there, eh? Seven Borg, Chakotay Native and Janeway Rambette Buff. Oh, well,, I guess I'll have to find my jollies another way and just tag along..." he shouted after Janeway.

Janeway stopped, "Tag along where?" she demanded.

"To come with you to break the bad news..." He snapped his fingers.. A box of Kleenix appeared there. "See? I can help you." He thrust the things into her hand.

"It's a private thing Q," she suddenly had a dangerous thought :: No! :: she demanded of herself :: I cannot ask Q to interfere again...it would be wrong ::

'I am not a sadomasichist. In spite of what you believe.. I do not like seeing others pain. Even in humans." he said with a serious note. "I am going to be there for you simply as a friend. Because you can't show your pain to anyone else on this crew easily.. "

"Q, Why did you bring Tasha Yar, and Jadzia Dax, here?" she asked, "You can come...." Janeway accepted, :: I hate it when he is right ::

"I had a feeling that Quince was lurking around here. What better way to raise a zit than to apply a little heat?" Q chuckled. "I got him good with a dart a little while ago. He was snooping in on me and my family... Imagine that..."

Janeway could just. She wondered if Q even realized he always did that to her and her crew..

"I had to off Yar to prove a point,, and it undid half of the illegal I am currently in trouble for outside of being a failed father to the Continuum.." Q burbled.. "Oh,, We're here..."

They all entered the messhall.

A security guard escort and a single family was standing there amid tables of waiting food and balloons. They were the only ones yet arrived to the hall.

An older man looked up expectantly , "Captain.. This is an honor.. Thank you for letting us on ahead of the others.. Tell me, where is she? Is she coming here first after her shift?"

Janeway nodded subtly aside, sending the guard away.

Janeway couldn't speak, as she headed towards them, and gestured to a table.

They all sat down, a young girl glanced at Q, before sitting next to the man.

"Captain?" said a fair haired woman, she seemed about fifty years old. In a shawl. They sat, as Janeway had indicated.

Janeway looked at each of them, making eye contact, finally with the fair haired woman, "As you know... Voyager had some problems, while we orbited Earth, at Utopia Planitia,"

Q conjured up a teddy bear secretly and handed it to the little girl..

She giggled and nestled next to her father, as yet unaware of the seriousness entering the room. The blond woman shushed her.

"I am so sorry," Janeway said, "Your daughter was in Engineering," Janeway said, referencing the dead ensign for the first time, she knew these were her parents, from a briefing PADD. "When Gravity was reactivated, after it had failed.... When I reactivated it," Janeway said, needing to make some sort of pennance, "It came on too strongly - and for whatever reason, your daughter fell awkwardly,.... She died," Janeway said, letting Silence hold for a second.

Q grew very still. He had never seen Kathryn this tortured. This, vulnerable before. And it made something inside him twist. He moved a little closer to be nearer to her even though he knew she had to stand alone from his support.

"Where...is she...?" the blond woman asked, as the man froze....his hand beginning to shake.

A stunned silence wiped the smiles off the the rest of the Ensign's family... Even the girl's .The rest of them had only now understood what Janeway had said to the mother.

"She's in Sickbay," Janeway asked, "We were hoping to hold a service for her...on Voyager,"

"How could you let this happen, captain? She was home!! By God, you.. you all made it back... We saw her name on the roster on the news vid..." the father cried out... He then collapsed in his chair, comforted by the blond mother.

The little girl began to cry.. Q picked her up and showed her to the stars outside the window to speak quietly about what was to come.. He even used a little Q power to make her emotions dulled a bit from the chaos and agony coming from the adults around her. Kathryn was grateful Q even did just that.

Janeway didn't let herself feel that the attack on her was unjustified, she didn't try to defend herself, she spoke calmly, "She did her duty until the end," Janeway said, "We had lost some people over our journey... and I wish that our journey had ended as soon as we had entered the system," Janeway spoke to the parents, as she watched Q, "There was nothing we could do.."

Janeway stopped herself, hoping they would shout....hoping they could blame her, hoping it would make them feel better.

"Pretty words captain..." the man said in anger.. "That won't bring us our daughter back.. I want to know who was responsible for her death...!"

Q flinched.. ::Uh oh..:: "Now, Kathy.. Don't.." Q started to say.. but it was already far too late.

Janeway looked him directly in the eye, pausing for a second, "I am," she said, explaining, "As Captain, I am responsible for everyone on this ship," she said, "More so, in this case... I activated the gravity, which, in malfunctioning, was directly responsible for your daughters death,"

The Woman spoke, calming her husband, "Blaming someone won't bring her back either..." , but the man did not, or could not listen..

Kathryn braced herself, not regretting her previous speech.

Q stopped time. Everyone froze except for him and Janeway. "Kathy... I.... I can end this... I-It doesn't have to be this way.."

"End What, Q?" Janeway demanded, "End me facing up to what happened?"

But then Kathryn realized the cost to Q. To what he was actually offering for her. His being an Ex- Q immediately following any aid of his.....ressurrecting the dead.

Janeway softened, "Nothing can keep a Starfleet Captain from her mission," she said, softer, "A Starfleet Captain always faces up to the consequences of her actions.."

"Are you sure?" Q asked gently, cradling the little girl with the toy he had given her in his arms.

Janeway wouldn't let Q give up who he was, to right this wrong. It was against the principles by which she defined her very being. "I can't accept your offer...." Janeway looked at Q without any hostility, a genuine thanks.

Q studied Kathryn's face and gently wiped the tears off of it with his hand. "I knew you were the perfect role model for my future son then. And now,as his current god mother.. So be it.."

He gestured and Janeway was left in the room alone with the ensign's family to cry, mourn, and talk for a time.

Time continued forward.

------------------------------------

A half an hour later.. the Primary stirred from its stance in the corridor outside the messhall as Janeway emerged, "You are ready to come now, leader woman?"

Janeway nodded, "Yes," she said.

Risha saw a strange look of sadness that was yet a subtle joy that she didn't understand on the captain's face. "Are you well enough to continue?"

Janeway nodded, "Of Course," she said, "My First duty...is done," Kathryn nodded, "And better things lie ahead," she spared a thought for the Ensigns family.

Risha smiled,.. "Yes, there's that child coming into the world in sickbay...to your engineering woman. New life is always a better thing."

"It is," Janeway smiled at the thought of Paris and Torres :: I wonder how things are going?:: , "I hope to welcome that child aboard, as I will welcome the families of my crew aboard, later."

Chakotay smiled and he and Seven were satisfied that Captain Janeway was indeed ready to move on. Chakotay asked, "Shall we go?"

"Yes," Janeway glanced around for Q, she gestured to the corridor, and they left for the end of the tunnel, on Voyager.

---------------------------------------------------------

The group entered the tunnel quickly, not savouring the experiance...strange as it was. Janeway looked around the interior....

Q silently rejoined them.. peering about.. "What a cheese grater!"  
He was met with irritated stares.. "Well, admit it, the inside of any Borg vessel does look like one.. "

The Primary shrugged, "The image does seem similar.. Come.. Risha must be prepared for her Joining. The Romulan essences are ready for implanting.."

Q shivered.. "Eeeoow, I see that five centuries hasn't done away with the need for assimilation now has it?" Janeway poked Q in the ribs..

Q followed the Primary through the black and green and a new future appearing lilac fog to what was obviously a sickbay. He watched as the tiny blue skinned Child relaxed onto a bed.

The Primary advanced on Risha with the Key, the Iconian artifact it had on a table and turned it on. The Romulan icon glowed.. Janeway startled.. .. as instantly, an ear splitting scream filled the Pyramid. The scream originated from the artefact.  
"What the H*ll is that?" Janeway demanded, leaning forward,  
her hands clasped over her ears.  
Risha and the Primary looked at them strangely.  
Instantly, the screaming stopped... it hadn't built up to a level of volume, or climbed down from it... Janeway got the impression they'd heard only part of a long cry for help-

"Hold up!" a small morphed hand flew out of the artifact and searched around for a grip. Having found it, the rest of a body appeared. With a mighty tug to his ankle, Quince emerged fully from the artifact. "I've got to stop hiding in small places." he rotates his neck in which a few animated cracks originate.

Q grumbled even louder.. "Oh great.. I thought we ditched rubber man here at the pass.."

---------------------------------------------------------------------- (attachments)

Image : Kate and John, as Janeway and Q in a promo shot,  
Holding hands.

Image : Janeway with an ice background.

Image : Rotating dull bronze Borg Cube.

*  
END WEEK TWENTY EIGHT RECAP 07-23-01

()

.com/voyagerliveaction

WEEK TWENTY NINE RECAP 07-24-01 ************************************

From : "Roxy Dee" Subject : Don't worry, it's not green, for some~~ Date : Tue, 24 Jul 2001 18:12:48 +0000

Harry looked up at his summons in had been hoping all official business had ended.

Then Chakotay tapped his combadge again, =^=Chakotay to Ensign Kim. We need you on the bridge. There's a delicate matter upcoming and a further away mission to the Borg Pyramid about to begin. Report immediately.."

Kim left his quarters to report when Boothby came online on one of the hallway monitors to his left. "Mr. Kim. There's been a delay to the Pyramid on Captain Janeway's orders. She is informing the Ensign's family about their daughter's passing right now. Chakotay, and Seven of Nine are working on sensor readings of the craft while they wait for her. I can beam you to the away team once they arrive at their final destination inside the Borg vessel..."

Kim regarded the simulated caretaker seriously. He still saw the Ensign's body, with its horrific maimed neck in his mind's eye and shuttered. "I... ok. Let me know when you're going to transfer me. I'm set. "

"You should know one more thing ensign.. That tricorder won't be allowed on board at all. It's the Primary's wishes. No seeing or recording technology comes with the away team..."

Kim nodded, "Don't tell me, a Borg Temporal Prime Directive."

"Time's universal, ensign. And constant for everybody. There are bound to be parallel societal laws cropping up no matter the species of people." Boothby grinned toothily.

Kim angled his head.. "yeah.. Thanks, Boothby.."

"Don't mention it." And the holoimage disappeared off the corridor vid.

Harry turned back to his quarters anticipating all sorts of things to come on the away mission Chakotay gave him a first class order to attend.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Geordi LaForge was back on Enterprise's bridge. He saw Picard on Voyager's and knew that things were soon wrapping up for his commander for he hadn't followed Janeway and her away team leaving to go to the Primary's ship. He instead, moved over to Admiral Paris sitting in Voyager's command seat and shared words with him.

Geordi turned away from Boothby's monitoring screen over his station. ::Yep. Not long now.:: " No doubt we'll be leaving soon."

The engineer felt regret at that. He had grown fond of Voyager and the people on her even though he hadn't set one boot aboard her through the entire two days since Voyager miraculously warped back into Earth's solar system.

"Not if I ha'e anythin ta say ta that, Ensign."

Geordi turned in surprise. It was a vision out of his wildest fantasies. Come to life. His hero. "Commander S-Scott.. Montgomery...Scott?..Wh--?"

"Easy, lad. I've full clearance. I'm the one who's goin ta be pokin in Voyager's wee bairns to see what damage the dears have taken'n her long sojourn back here. I.." he patted his immense uniformed belly, "pulled a few favors from Komach him'self now.. Put it here, lad, one engineer to another.." He mock spit into his palm and held it out in warm enthusiasm and welcome.

Geordi moved in a dream and slowly clasped hands with his mentor from a multitude of books. "W-Welcome a board the Enterprise, sir... Sir t- this is an honor.. A Huge one.. ah.." He glanced over at the lieutenant sitting in the command chair, "But Captain Picard isn't here yet."

"Aye, I know. I see him o'er there on the B Module."

"B Module?"

Scotty's eyes twinkled, "Ha'ent ya been readin yer technical manuals, Lt.? B Module, the official term for the holoBoothby consultation program.."

Geordi felt like an %ss. "Yeah.. I knew that. I...wow, you're really here.."

Scotty looked at Geordi as if he suddenly lost a few marbles. "...eh... right. Now,, a where'in's Voyager's engineer lass? I need to coordinate a few diagnostics Starfleet wants for..."

"Uh.. you can't.." Geordi blinked, still dazzled by Scotty's presence.. "She's...uh,, having a baby right now.."

"Torres? A baby? When did she find time to do that? It could'nt'a been a picnic a keepin Voyager's bairns in one fair piece now.. Aye,, I'll wait.. happen to have a stogie right here in me pocket." he tapped his rust and ivory dress jacket. "All right, lad. How about we lift a wee glass or two ta the lass and her wee one when the moment comes. I can have Boothby snap us a slide of the little one as soon as she's wrapped up and snug in her mum's arms.. heh heh.."

Geordi grinned.. "Uh, sure... I go off duty in about two minutes.. "

"Then let's go, laddie.. I'm parched.. Delta Shuttles Air needs a smoother impulse capaciter design for her cruising thrusters. I feel ma innards have been scrambled like so many bleedin eggs."

The two engineers left arm and arm into Enterprise's turbo to go to Ten Forward. Geordi thought, ::I sure wish Guinan were here. She'd have kittens over Mr. Scott sitting at her bar.::

Geordi leaned in to Commander Scott's ear, "I have a few bottles of something Cadet Ballard whipped up. Caught him last month with a still hidden in Engineering's back store bay, trying to keep it for himself for he and his buddies poker nights." Geordi patted Scott's arm, "Don't worry,..none of it's green..." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Harry Kim heard a call bleep. He looked up from the datapadd he was reading on the Pyramid.

"Ensign.. They're in place.." Boothby announced audibly.. "Are you set for transport?"

"Engage.." Harry said, standing and throwing his padd onto a couch to empty his hands.

Kim felt a tingle and then he was.... ::In a purple, blackish gray fog?...::

A scream pierced through it and Harry crouched, reaching for a phaser he didn't have.

"Hold up!" a small morphed hand flew out of the artifact and searched around for a grip. Having found it, the rest of a body appeared. With a mighty tug to his ankle, Quince emerged fully from the artifact. "I've got to stop hiding in small places." he rotates his neck in which a few animated cracks originate.

Q grumbled even louder.. "Oh great.. I thought we ditched rubber man here at the pass.."

The fog lifted and Harry's thudding heart began to sink back into his chest when he saw Janeway, Chakotay and Seven of Nine calmly regarding the two Q in their midst.

"Welcome aboard, Ensign.. " Chakotay said, giving him a hand up, not grinning. "We've only just arrived as well."

Quince grinned, "Sorry for making you jump out of your skin, Ensign. But I'm a bit claustrophobic and that thing.." he said shooing away the Iconian artifact in the Primary's talons, ".It's..got an entity repellent built right into its circuitry.. gave me a jolt to the backside it did."

Janeway crossed her arms, "Ensign, you're just in time for...Risha's er...Romulan DNA grafting."

Seven added more, "We surmise, afterwards, she'll be able to pilot this craft back to her own time."

Harry wiped nonexistent dirt off his pants, "Great." he said, rubbing his hands together in mock amusement, "I'd say I in the right mood folks, I am properly feeling like I'm on a Borg/8472 ship. Shaking in every limb with cotton wad for a tongue with the best of them." He glared at Quince.

Q crossed his arms exactly like Janeway's. She pulled hers to her side in irritation.

"What do we have to do?" Harry asked, looking at Risha stretched out on the medical lab table in front of them.

The Primary spoke. ##Nothing. Your presence is enough to show us honor. Your people are the ones who delivered Risha back to us. And, as tradition stands, you are serving your final purpose by witnessing her come uppance. Observe..##

The Primary passed the Iconian artifact over Risha's sleeping body and pressed the Romulan Icon on its hilt. Two Borg assimilation tubes lanced out and pierced the tiny blue childs temple and stomach. All of the Starfleet officers flinched, except Seven and the Q's.

Risha's blue skin adopted a third hue to go along with the silver Borg and the purple 8472 hues her scales were already shining, Romulan green... She sighed.. "I am complete.. at last.."

The Primary threw back its head in celebration and all the Borg and 8472 on the entire Pyramid echoed his joyful cry.. ##Our pilot... is born...##

-  
(attachments)

Image : Harry and Seven working.

Image : LaForge promo-- Tiny

Image : FREEUSE character Montgomery Scott.

********************************************

From : "patti keiper" Subject : Time Snow in June! Date : Wed, 25 Jul 2001 23:18:40 +0000 Q kept looking back down the tunnel connecting the Pyramid to Voyager from over Risha's bed. ::What's keeping them?:: he wondered. :: My mate and son are MISSING a new thing even I've never seen before.::

To cover his ill at ease, Q expounded, "Now isn't that special. She's earned her wings at last." And he finger clicked an ancient Earth airline pin onto her neck covering. Gold NW Airline wings. He patted the now three races Hybrid Child on the head absently. "Congratulations, kid. How soon will you be taking off back for the future?"

Risha regarded the strange pin on her person and smiled. "Not long.. A few of your minutes, entity Q." She looked at Quince. "You should know better than to stoleaway onto other's vessels.."

Quince was still rubbing his violated backside. "Well, I- I..I only wanted to see where you all were headed..." he said, looking at Janeway, Chakotay, Seven and Harry.. he tried to change the subject quickly, "You know, Q. You ARE right. I believe no Q has ever seen this ship before. I think this is one that slipped through the Continuum's time zone mapping Project of minus 20,000 eons period."

Q mumbled, still looking for his absent wife and son. "I guess.." He didn't see them coming by fingersnap, so he kept his eyes on the tunnel's mouth, which opened into the medical lab where they all were currently.

The Primary nodded its insectoid head, ##Come, Risha. We must depart. Our work in this century is complete. We must lure the Borg Ancestors we've attracted away from this human homeworld. The two whom the leaderman Picard destroyed with your Key has sent out a warning we must intercept..Their timeline must proceed without unnatural interference, Risha.##

"I understand, teacher." the Child said, smiling. "I am ready to Pilot us home.."

The 8472 ambassador bowed, ##I thank you, leader woman ,## he said of Janeway.. ##And your others for your presence at Risha's pilot birthing.. I have restored your Grand Canyon of the past back to its original condition. No sign of Risha's cave exists any longer. And, we taken liberties to cover up the fact that a Borg attack crater is the real cause of the Canyon. We've changed the course of your Colorado River to wear away all signs of it by the time your people discover the canyon. Your geologists will think the river created it. That crater was simply a final attack the Ancestors attempted upon Risha when she went to Nest in her Pod until I with you all, could recover her. My endless gratitude... for your aid. We go now.. Farewell....##

Janeway and the others took that as a sign to retreat back into the tunnel from which they had entered.. The alien airlock closed, leaving them inside, looking at the cornfield and the Janeway homestead through the transparent walls of Geordi's tunnel.

They all watched as the Great Pyramid gently disengaged from its side of the tunnel and rose, neatly avoiding the civilian craft still landing families around it, growing into a bright silvery dot in the night sky.

Even Q and Quince pushed their noses against the transparent tube, looking up, to see the craft even they didn't know, leave them behind.

Quince turned to Q, "We should follow them, you know.. That Pyramid is a rare Q Unknown territory..." he said, eyes lighting up.

Q shook his head, again looking down the tunnel for his tardy family, "I can't go, Q buddy.. Heh.. I've got a ball and chain holding me here." he said, jerking a thumb towards Voyager.. he frowned, "Better make that two of them..." he added, talking about Lady Q and his son. "Have fun.." he said gloomily..

Quince nodded his eager head,, "Oh,, I will.. I'll pop back just as soon as I've had a quick look see at how Risha grows up in her society.. I'll be back on Voyager by morning.."

With that Quince dove through the tunnel wall like jelly and swam vigorously into one of the departing Borg Pyramid's tailpipes, and disappeared inside..

Two seconds later.. The Pyramid popped into another dimension, one not warp, to preserve Earth's physical integrity.. A shower of glowing sand like material rained on the tunnel and over the distant fields and its automatic shields rose, lighting the new blue night, into sudden day. A dull klaxon sounded.

Janeway tapped her combadge..=^=Voyager! Report!=^=

Chakotay was equally alarmed.. "We've got to get those families out there covered up!!"

Q just rolled his eyes while he leaned on the tunnel wall, reaching through its material to grab a handful of the stuff.. "Relax, you two. This is ice.. well, ice and a little tetryon particle powder.. Harmless. Do you really think the Primary is allowed to change any history such as contaminating planet natives with ship exhaust? Think again. You know how time travel always emits telltale tachyons.. Geesh..."

Seven of Nine was not happy, she had had a tricorder beamed out to her from the ship in seconds.. "Q is right. This new tachyon snow will melt and the tachyon energy field it leaves behind will dissipate in two days."

Q nodded, agreeing.." Umm hmmm.. If anything.. Your corn cob sizes will break state fair records this year, Kathy, with that kind of energy boost. You should send a thankyou note to Risha and her scaley friend. They've left you a present..." he chuckled. "And that St. Elmo's fire effect is very classy.. Show's off Voyager's outline really well for all those news cameras at your property line."

Janeway's heart began to settle back into her chest.::The News is here? So much for a quiet homecoming..::

Harry wasn't so forgiving of the surprise parting gift the Pyramid had left behind. "Let's get back to Voyager.. We're finished here." he said, shielding his eyes to the bright glare.

Q zapped himself to Kim's side, "Yep, we sure are.. Now.. where shall we go? Back to Tommy Boy to take bets on whether or not he can stay on his feet through his whole daughter's birthing process?"

Kim shrugged off Q's arm irritably.

Q suddenly staggered.

Kim thought. ::Hey. I didn't push him that hard..::

"Something's happening with ..with my family picnic.." Q said. "And it happened just as that time snow energy field reached Voyager. What?" Then he began screaming.. "NO!! Lady Q.. don't do it.. You surf this wave and wipe out, you won't be able to get back out of the Continuum!!"

Everyone in the tunnel looked at each other quizzically. ::Surfing? As in surfboard? :: They watched the glowing tachyon field bubble spreading from the snow circle rising into the sky.. They could vaguely see Lady Q on a neon technicolor surfboard, rising with it at the top of its wave crest, yelling like a banshee in sheer excitement.

Suddenly, the female Q slipped off and tumbled into it.

Q instantly zapped himself there but missed catching her. He shouted into the hole she fell through.. "Honey!! I told you not to..." he sobbed. "Grab a temporal coralhead and hang on!! This tachyon ocean will be gone in two human days.. Oh, don't slip off, bumpkins.. Or the Continuum will ground you forever..!!" he shouted.. keeping well back from the tachyon field bubble slowly spreading into the summer sky above the farm..

But he was convinced his mate had a good grip on a prominence inside of the tachyon whirlpool she slipped into. He could see her disappointed look that Q seemed to know already about her risky hobby. "I love you but I hope you learned your lesson. You KNOW I can't reach in and pull you out of there. No Q's allowed to. You've got a good hold. Now wait it out.."

Q then returned to the tunnel.. glowering at all the humans around him. "I knew I should have gotten her interested in bungee jumping from black holes instead. This time travel wave surfing's too dangerous. Thank God, my son hates tachyon fields, or he'd be doing it too. They make him break out."

-  
(attachments)

Image : Q sitting in a Voyager chair looking impish.

Image : Q and Quince in a blue alien room.

*****************************************

From : Jeff Seltun Subject : [voyagerliveaction] If I Only had a heart..... Date : Wed, 25 Jul 2001 16:39:09 -0700 (PDT)

Captain Picard missed her yet again.

He and Data made Voyager's bridge but Captain Janeway had already moved off into the messhall with a confidential do not disturb sign placed over her combadge signal on his locating map he called up on Boothby's screen.  
::Merde..::

"I guess, we'll have to wait to conclude our business here, Mr. Data." he said.  
He noticed Admiral Paris sitting in Voyager's commanding seat.

"Now that's surprising.." he said, making his way down to the command deck.

"What is, sir..?" Data asked.

Picard motioned him silent as he approached the Admiral watching the main viewer showing the ship families activities in the night field below Voyager...

"Admiral.. I see Kathryn's handed over the keys.  
Why didn't you pull rank and go with her? No doubt she'll be headed over to the Pyramid to see off the Primary and Risha soon." Picard said neutrally.

Admiral Paris shrugged, not at all bothered, "I have my reasons, captain."

Data nodded, echoing Picard's nod. "Regulation 39.8. Whenever a ship's originating commander relegates the conn to a higher ranking officer. That officer must accept the transfer on p--"

Picard held up a hand. "Admiral Paris is well versed on regulation Mr. Data. Why don't you help Voyager's Ops officer gather sensor scans of the Pyramid before she leaves. We may not ever see her again.."

The baited carrot sufficiently grabbed hold of the android and he moved off to a science panel station to do just that. "I will sir, I was doing that earlier.. But something cut off my connection. Most likely one of the Q's. He shut off my monitoring them in the EMH's office.  
I will reinterface only Voyager's sensors to the outside away from the they wanted privacy..."

"I'm sure of it , Mr. Data." The Enterprise captain grinned, "Please proceed."

Captain Picard stood by Tuvok, who was in Commander Chakotay's seat, in between Owen and the tall Vulcan about whom he heard so much in Kathryn's logs. He grinned to himself. ::Here I am between two of the most intriguing individuals in Starfleet in recent weeks and I don't know what to say..::

"Boring watch, eh?" he said at last. An old joke.

The Admiral chuckled.

Picard rubbed his chin. "Maybe not this time out.  
One of our starships has found her way home.  
Hundreds of families reunited.." he said, watching the happy throng waiting under Voyager for permission to board. He could just see Molly,  
the holodog, lining up people into their places like a true "sheep" herder. "And then there's that.." he said, pointing to the looming future Borg Pyramid over their heads. It filled most of the screen on one side. "I still can't believe we were actually in the Grand Canyon of one million years ago to retrieve that craft's young pilot.."

Tuvok spoke, "It did happen, captain. Do you need me to call up Boothby's records of the event to dispell your uncertainty?"

Picard smiled, "I was speaking metamorphically,  
Lt. Tuvok. I was referring to the ease with which we transcended time boundaries to get there. The Primary and Risha are only five centuries into our future, with an excellent grasp on Iconian technology.  
Perhaps, by then, Starfleet will be able to travel to time destinations just as easily ourselves."

"The evidence is hopeful.." Tuvok admitted.

The three officers passed the next half hour well enough in conversation until a change on the main viewer drew their attention. The away team was inside the tunnel on the main viewer.

Everyone on Voyager's bridge could see them.

"There they go.." Picard said, making Tuvok and Owen look up from the datapadds they were writing upon for the logs. "I wonder what they are going to see over there."

He could easily make out the great bulk of the Primary guiding the team to its airlock and beyond. The tunnel was soon empty.

Mr. Data looked up from his sensors, "I regret I am not going to be there to see Risha's ceremony."

"Me too," Picard said.

---------------------------------------------------

Ten minutes later, Voyager's screen bleeped, drawing everyone's attention once more.

The entire away team had reemerged back into the transparent tunnel and were standing facing the closed airlock.

Admiral Paris, Picard, Data and Tuvok all stood as the Borg Pyramid disengaged from the tunnel and slowly rose into the starry sky..

A look of wonder crossed over Data's face. Then the Pyramid time jumped and Data's expression changed to one of warning.."Captain!! " he shouted to Picard.  
"Raw tachyons.. get under...--"

The spreading beautiful glowing snow nimbus grew to envelop Voyager. The Bridge began to glow eerily..from the main viewer spreading back towards the turbo lift, advancing inwards at about half a meter a second. A gentle wall of light.

Picard verbalized to the computer. =^=Computer,  
erect a level ten containment field around me..immediately.. Security Code Alpha Nine Sig--=^= But then the common place energy touched the computer's energy fuzz, snuffing it out before it erected.

::Captain Picard's frightened:  
Owen was confused. Tachyons were harmless. A byproduct of time travel that all ships were crafted to withstand. The only thing they did was temporarily deactivate transporters for an hour or so and made water and ice glow. People were immune to this kind of energy, or so he thought. The inside of ships glowed with St. Elmo's fire for that whole time but it did nothing else that he knew of.

Picard back up into the rail. "Tuvok.. I'm in ..d-"  
Then the glow touched him. He suddenly pitched forward over a console and was still.

Admiral Paris and Tuvok got to him quickly. Data helped them lower Picard to the deck. "We have to get him to the medical bay, quickly.."  
the android said.

Admiral Paris was confused. Already, Picard's face and lips were blue.

Tuvok got out a tricorder and a med kit. "He has lost all cardiac function.. Odd. His circulatory system seems to be intact and healthy. Perhaps we can start resusc-"

"No, not by standard means."the android said.  
"Captain Picard has an artificial heart. And any tachyon beam at a high enough concentration will stop its functioning.  
That is what has happened now. Standard drugs and treatments will not work. " Data thought hard,  
"I have an idea..I think I can restore the AH at least temporarily until we can get him to another containment field.."

Then, to the shock of everyone kneeling around Data.  
The android bit off his own finger tip, exposing a long wire that was part of his positronic net. He centered his hand over Picard's chest and bent his index pushed down, burying the digit's long wire deep beneath the skin, carefully guiding its course.

Admiral Paris grimaced in distaste.

Tuvok saw an indicator turn red, "Hypoxia is growing in Captain Picard's tissues.  
60 %.... 75%"

Data said, "I've established a link with the atrial node complex.. Working.."  
Then his probing wire's advance halted.  
Data tilted his head.. "I am starting a signal to the unit now.." And he blinked.

A heartbeat started bleeping on Tuvok's tricorder.  
Captain Picard started pinking up once more and a careful repositioning of his head made his breathing begin again easily.

Jean Luc gasped, coming awake, a little startled by those ringing around him. Admiral Paris held him down. Tuvok, however, deftly applied a pain killing hypo to where Data had buried his finger's probe into his chest.. "Easy, Captain.  
Don't move yet for thirty seconds until this anesthetizing agent has had a chance to work."  
the Vulcan cautioned.

"Whaa?"  
Then Captain Picard realized he was still inside a fatal glow of tachyon energy.  
"Get me out of here.. My heart..." he said muzzily..

"Is fine, sir.." Data said. "I have things under control.." he said, still concentrating.  
"Your heart's node is stabilized."  
Data nodded to his helpers. "We should leave immediately for sickbay."

He helped Picard to sit up and then slowly stand with Admiral Paris and Tuvok grabbing either arm, supporting him.

But Data did not remove his hand. Jean Luc looked down. "Mr. Data. I am not that weak.  
Why are you still holding me too?"

Mr. Data grinned ironically. "I am afraid that I am going to be acting as your own personal pace maker for a while until the tachyon field disperses."

"Pace maker..?" Then he looked down and saw the drop of blood beading up around Data's bitten off finger right over his heart and the thick wire protruding there.  
"Oh. uh.. Walking slow is good. Yes. Very good."

"Sir," Data added. "We can still out walk the pace of the tachyon field's penetration into Voyager.  
We'll have you inside one of sickbay's containment fields soon. Then I can release my link to you as soon as the doctors wash off the tachyons clinging to your body."

::Oh no. I have to wash with Data clinging to me like a bat? So much for the dull comm watch.::

--------------------------------------------------------

But he did manage to give a jaunty wave and thumbs up to Owen sitting back into Voyager's command chair. The Admiral was comming ahead to sickbay to expect Picard, Tuvok and Data's imminent arrival there. Owen waved back shaking his head in disbelief at Picard's easy reaction to his own near miss.

Q flashed an appearance in the turbolift as they were on their way to Deck five.  
"OOo,, Jeany.. I just saw you avoid another halo."  
He peered closely at Data's pace maker lance buried inside his favorite human. "Yuck... Doesn't that smart? Clever of Pinnochio here to be your own personal defibrillator though."

Picard glowered. "I'm fine Q! " Then he began to relax as his crewmates took his weight. "Hypos fix anything I guess.." and chuckled.

He noticed all the skeptical looks of those ringed around him. Then he glanced down the front of himself again. "Well, almost everything.."

He tried not to think of the foot long wire embedded into his chest like a vampire's stake.

------------------------------------

Tuvok, Data, Q and Picard arrived in sickbay a minute later .

Everyone glanced up in shock.

Even Torres stopped her panting when she saw Picard's problem. "And I thought having a baby was bad..."

-  
(attachments)

Audio : A complete sound wave of a hypo injection.

Image : Data with a tricorder in deep concentration.

Image : Picard playing a flute.

*  
From : "Samantha Rose" Subject : [voyagerliveaction] A Change of Heart Date : Thu, 26 Jul 2001 05:23:37 +0000

Admiral Paris watched in astonishment as Captain Picard slowly made his way off the bridge and towards the medical bay with the help of Data. Sitting down he sighed in relief that the Flagship's Commanding Officer would be fine. There was no doubt that if need be, Commander Riker could take over command of the Enterprise. Yet, things were going well for Picard and the possability of the Captain being unable to command was low.

"Lieutenant, I've noticed the apprehension of your Captain since I arrived on Voyager. I hope that I am not the cause." Owen changed the subject from his point of view.

"Your presence here has somewhat...annoyed her. She is not keen to losing Command of Voyager." the YOUNG GUARD replied with the signature raised eyebrow of the Vulcan race. Owen only midly laughed at his logic.

"I don't intend letting Starfleet take that lifeline from her. I'm on your side." he gave the Vulcan a smile and returned to his research. No doubt there was some confusion in what he said, but the YOUNG GUARD did not let it show, as was always with that species.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Q2 propped his feet up on the Doctor's desk and leaned back into the chair. His parents had been missing for some time and this teenaged entity was becoming rather bored. Q had left with Aunt Kathy to see the Hybrid Child's ceremony thing, and Lady Q had left soon after, to who knows where.

This was the first time that Q2 had been left to himself, to do anything he wanted to, and he didn't have a thing to do. Folding an arm over the other, Q2 used his head to think of an entertaining way to pass the time. Nothing.

Removing his Starfleet issue boots from the desk top, Q2 stood and walked out into the main part of Sickbay. There he had to step back as Data helped an ailing Picard into the room. The Enterprise Captain didn't even give the being a passing glance. Q2 scoffed at him and proceeded over to Torres' bio bed.

He was prevented from going any further due to the bustling of multiple doctors around the half-Klingon. He could see the sweat poring down her face and felt a pang of sympathy for the woman. Over on the other bio-bed, Q2 saw little Naomi Wildman wielding a hypo spray waiting to revive the slumbering pilot. He gave her a smile and waved, she waved back returning the smile.

As he was heading towards the young girl and Lt., an arm reached out of the central console in Sickbay and pulled the teen into it. His yell of surprise was surpressed by the tritanium wall. Opening his eyes, Q2 found himself on board the Borg Pyramid.

"What the!? Where am I!?" he whirled around and looked about him, taking in his surroundings. A hand grabbed him roughly by the shoulder and turned him around. A look of astonishment came over Q2's face, then replaced my anger. "What do you want now?"

Quince unrolled an exaggerated replica of old parchment and read aloud the contents in which it held, "Q, son of Q and Q, you are hereby charged with the crime of consorting with humans in an intimate way..."

"Intimate? I asked Captain Janeway if I could meet her family!"

"...thus the Q Continuum has sentenced you to mortality in human form for the remainder of a human life span." he finished with a devious smile on his face and in rolling up the parchment, snapped it away.

"Sorry kid, but the law is the law." Snapping his fingers, Q2's mock Captain pips disapeared and Quince pushed him through the wall of the Borg Pyramid. Instead of falling into the space vacuum, Q2 landed hard against the console in Sickbay from which he was taken through. The impact eminated a large and sickening thud as Q2's head hit the panel. After a few moments of trying to get up, he slumped to the floor. This caught the attention of the EMH, who was passing on the other side from one bio bed to the other. He leaned down, curious, and saw a trickle of blood fall from Q2's forehead.

"NURSE, some help!" The holographic Doctor moved over to the pained mortalized Q. the NURSE saw the EMH's predicament and moved over after initializing a field around Picard. Grabbing his feet, and the Doctor Q2's shoulders, NURSE helped heave the teen onto and empty bio bed.

"That's odd, I didn't know the Q could bleed. Obviously something has happened." the Doctor called over the waiting Naomi and instructed her quickly in the use of a dermal regenerator. Seeing all was right with Q2, the EMH went back to his task and headed back to the laboring Torres.

_  
(attachments)

*animated gif* A blooming rose bud.

Image : Small Picard promo

Image: The EMH promo.

Image: Q2, (Q's son) from Paramount's files.

*  
From : "Cassidy Meyers" Subject : [voyagerliveaction] Fairy Fire and Lavender.. Date : Fri, 27 Jul 2001 02:27:44 +0400

Seven of Nine regarded the tachyon phenomena of glowing snow in the fields outside the tunnel.  
"I believe our task is finished here. If I may,  
captain, I need to regenerate in my alcove for a while before the festivities this evening."

Janeway smiled gently and nodded, a deep part of her already beginning to relax at the sight of her home glistening in the St. Elmo's fire left behind by the Primary's departing Pyramid. She could just make out two figures on her front porch, calmly seated in two painted rockers, waiting.

Then the EMH came online, shattering the momentary peace. =^=EMH to Captain Janeway. Well, it never rains but it pours.  
I've two new patients in my ward. One,  
a decidedly demoted teenager, the other,  
a skewered captain. Whom do you wish to visit first?=^=

Janeway mouthed the words, "Skewered captain?" Then shook her head and tapped her combadge. "Both, I guess."

The doctor's harrumph over the combadge painted a ridiculous picture in the captain's mind, "And you're just in time for Lt. Torres's big moment. She'll deliver momentarily if you'd like to bring that blanket of yours.  
Add the initial "M" for her first name.  
Lord knows these two have been arguing fever dreams and staying power, but "Miral" has been the common denominator.  
Doctor out."

Janeway placed her forehead against the clear wall of the tunnel, running a boot toe through the glowing water left behind from Q's handful of demo snow. She was tired.

"Captain," Seven asked, "I can attend to these details if you wish and fill out incident reports.  
Boothby's showing Tuvok is in sickbay as well.  
He and I could finish them together for you."

Janeway nodded a silent thanks, staring at the two figures calmly waiting on her front porch.  
She didn't even hear Seven leave the tunnel.

Harry silently joined Janeway, just watching the crowd below.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Seven stepped into sickbay and into mayhem.  
The counselor had her hands full. Between hysterical Q teen and fainty Tom Paris and concern over Captain Picard, who seemed to be indeed skewered by a lead coming from the android inside a containment field.

She almost didn't know where to begin. She started with Tuvok. "Lieutenant.. I take everyone's condition is stable."

"It is. Torres's delivery is progressing. Q's son is now seemingly mortal and his head wound from a fall has been healed, Mr. Paris is "holding up" and Captain Picard's artificial heart is being supported by Commander Data."

Seven's eye rose, "What happened to him?"

"The tachyon fallout from the Pyramid's departure disrupted the captain's artificial heart's functioning.  
Data inserted a link and is serving as a pace maker until the doctors can decontaminate the area inside the containment field where they are free of tachyons. Then Mr. Data can free himself from his cardiac tie in.. The crisis will be over."

"I can fulfill that task. No doubt being a father,  
you'll have better communications skills with Q2 over there than I." Seven left Tuvok's side to walk over to Data and Picard, both sitting on a biobed, inside their bioforcefield. She said, "I am here to remove your clothing for decontamination." she said to both of them.

Picard sputtered. "Y- You?"

"Yes. Is there a problem? You can't do it by yourself with a lead buried a foot into your chest. You each have the use of only one of your hands."

Data said, "She has a point."

Captain Picard looked very uncomfortable with the idea.

Seven sighed, "If you'd like. I can opaque the field and shrink it down so only my arms go inside with you. No one will see in and I don't need my ocular implant nor my human eye to undress you. I am very agile."

Picard rolled his eyes to the suggestion. Data copied him.

Seven complied, whiting out the field.

There was a tearing sound as she tore free the uniforms off the android and human through the field as she worked, blind.

Seven activated the decontam shower over both of them inside and beamed out the tachyons with the water manually.  
Then she put new robes on Data and Picard before making the field go transparent once more. "Doctor.. the space inside the captain's containment field has been purified."

Dr. Bashir excused himself from Torres and moved over to the biobed. He manipulated the field qualities on his terminal enough to allow his gloved hands to go through it.

Just then, the tachyon field energy reached sickbay and the walls began to glow while he scanned Picard's cardiac state.  
Jean Luc flinched a bit. "Relax captain.  
Tachyon glow is rather pretty, I think."

Q, who was watching from his son's bedside,  
"Not if its fatal to your robotic innards.."  
Bashir regarded the senior Q closely. Q did not seem very happy. But he added encouragement anyway. "Don't worry Q,  
that knock on the head on your son is entirely gone. Naomi's seen to it. Though I want to know how he became mortal once he wakes up. Might clue me in as to how "new" mortal he is.. ie: Q's immunity.  
digestive state.. that sort of thing.. It wouldn't do to have him catch every nasty bug in this Indiana air, now would it..?" and he smiled..

In haste, Q flicked a switch on a bio containment field around his son and himself to keep out the germs Julian had teased him about and crossed his arms in irritation.

Bashir was glad to note that Q knew Q was third in priority in sickbay. His Enterprise captain was first.

"Well,, your EKG looks fine.. Whatever Commander Data rigged up through that lead is perfectly calibrated to your atrial complex node...I think he can withdraw his assistance.. Here.."  
Julian raised the head of the bed so Captain Picard was sitting almost straight up. "I'll set this external pace maker just in case something else is wrong with your AH.."

Dr. Bashir set a red and blue, diamond shaped device over the area where Data's hand was resting. "There.. All right Mr. Data.. Let's reverse that wire.. Nice and easy.."  
He sterilized the site with a stazer beam.  
"Hold your breath, captain.. I don't want him to hurt you when he removes the wire."

Picard turned his head, closing his eyes and did so.

Data withdrew his digit link catheter slowly.

"There..." Bashir said, sealing up the tiny puncture left behind with a protoplaser.  
"Excellent job, Data. That improvisation most likely saved his life up there on the bridge. Normal cardiac countermeasures wouldn't have worked at all because of the AH being there instead of a real heart."

Data looked pleased.

Julian tapped Picard on the shoulder.  
"uh.. you can stop holding your breath,  
sir.. We're done.."

Picard cracked one eye open, looking at his chest. Then he blew out his air in relief and relaxed against the pillow.

Seven didn't understand his reaction,  
"I have always had intrusive biomechanical parts inserted from time to time into into my biological form as a drone. Yet I have never been apprehensive about any of those procedures."

Julian injected a sedative at the base of the captain's neck, putting him under for a minute so he could deeply scan the AH without having any involuntary movements blurring the reading.

Julian grunted, "Yes, well, the captain here's been made into a particular Borg while he was awake.. Memories of becoming Locutus is still fresh in his mind. Bound to cause some distasteful reactions."

Julian got his AH reading. "Good, there's no component damage from the tachyons. They just short circuited the electrical signal to the rest of the unit temporarily.. As long as no tachyons reach it again. He'll be right as rain.."

He smiled as Picard blinked out of his short sedation. "You're fine, sir. Rest a while and I'll check back on you.  
I'll release you to your own quarters after a standard observation period."

Bashir moved off to return back to Torres's bedside.

Deanna Troi moved over to Picard's bedside,  
her hand flashed as it was decontamed and allowed through the containment field inside.  
"Glad to see you over that particular crisis."  
she beamed, grabbing Jean Luc's arm and squeezing it.

The android was already repairing his own index finger tip with a sealer after he had cleaned the wire and soddered it back into place inside of its housing there.  
He looked at his finished work up against a tachyon glowing wall, blew on it, and pretend holstered it into an imaginary gun clip at his side. Deanna laughed at the sight.  
"Thanks, Data. I'll watch him for you."

Data nodded eagerly and moved off to another part of sickbay.

Seven bid Troi farewell, too.  
"I have finished my report for Captain Janeway.. " she said, closing a window on her datapadd. "I should "rest" as well.  
If you will excuse me... counselor.."

Seven departed sickbay. Troi waved to her retreating back.

Deanna smiled, and turned her chair to be facing both her dozing captain and the two Q's on the bed next to Picard's. She studied Q for a short time,  
then sighed deeply,, "OK, Q.. my couch is open if you'd like to talk about this you two.. Believe me.. I am a GOOD listener.  
What ever happened here won't surprise me in the least, and believe me, I've heard some tall tales in my day.."

----------------------------------------------

Seven of Nine entered her cargobay two alcove, pausing only briefly to extinguish the lights in the bay. The St. Elmo's glow of the tachyon field on the walls, floor and ceiling ebbed and flowed around her as she stepped into her niche.

A small part of her felt a certain innocent magic at the sight of it, but most still analyzed dry facts and statistics through her cognitive subroutines.

Seven placed her hands onto their port rests and relinguished control of her consciousness to her regeneration program, slipping into slumber.

Seven of Nine dreamed almost immediately.

"Annika....." A gray haired granny smelling of sweet lavendar said, hugging the tiny yellow haired child closely. "I've missed you.  
Welcome home.."

It was her Aunty Vanessa, a warm memory from childhood.

Seven smiled even through her regeneration cycle stasis rictor. Soon, Seven would meet this woman,  
in person. For on one of Boothby's monitors next to Seven's head, that name was flashing in amber, as one of the people checked in to board from the cornfield outside Voyager.

-  
(attachments)

Image : Seven with softened hairstyle.. as Annika

Image: A little Annika running into her grandfather's arms.

*  
From : "Fran Catrair" Subject : [voyagerliveaction] A Special Delivery Date : Fri, 27 Jul 2001 07:21:18 +0000

Torres regarded the scene around her with varying degrees of emotion. She was amused at Seven's practical joke on the EMH. She couldn't believe the changes in Seven over the last few years. Seven showing humor.  
and showing emotion. She had noticed the tearing up of Seven's eyes when noticing the baby's image. It would be more for her to think about; later...at a more appropriate time.

She was not in pain. Bashir's device on her forehead saw to that. ::If my mother was here to see this,  
she wouldn't let me hear the end of it!:: she mused to herself. ::A Klingon; allowing herself to have a pain inhibitor.:: shaking her head very slightly, she mentally passed on the 'blame' to Tom. After all, he had insisted Bashir place the inhibitor on her. ::He's such a softie!:: she thought fondly, glancing over at her shaken husband.

She was glad Naomi had taken it upon herself to waken Tom. With all the madness currently going on in sickbay,  
she was afraid someone would have forgotten to waken him, and she knew he would not have forgiven himself if he had missed the delivery. She mentally remembered to thank Naomi later.

The EMH said something causing her to come out of her musings with a start. "B'Elanna, she's almost ready.  
I need YOU to be ready too! Now, stop this, what do humans call it, DAYDREAMING and pay attention!" he ordered. B'Elanna's eyes sparked at his rebuke, but she realized he was right. He continued. "I see the last of the ridges have cleared. We should be able to complete the delivery now." She noticed Tom start to go woozy once again, but Naomi had the smelling salts ready, and his eyes cleared. "Tom, this is it. I need you to stay with me!" B'Elanna said to him, pleading gently. She noticed his expression set, and a look of familiar determination cross his face. "That's it,  
flyboy. Stay with me now."

She noticed that everything was to her liking. The doctors were ready...Tom was stabilized and Naomi was there, to provide any assistance needed...but there was just one more thing before she would be ready to have Miral come into the world.

She had noticed all the comings and goings into sickbay.  
She might have been in discomfort while awaiting the ridges to come through, but she had noticed everything,  
none the less. There was just too many people. She had not planned on having an audience when she was to deliver. "Doctors, I want a privacy field erected around this biobed. Now!" she ordered. She was becoming agitated. She had been in labor long enough. She had things to do. She knew things were probably a mess in engineering. No, she would bring Miral into the world.  
Into the Alpha Quadrant. A symbol of her and Tom's new life together. But she would NOT do it in front of an audience, dmn it!

Bashir glanced up at her. "A privacy field? I didn't think Klingons had a problem with modesty." he commented.  
"First thing, doctor, I am HALF Klingon. Secondly,  
just how many Klingon birthings have you been to?" she finished, raising an eyebrow questioningly at him.  
Giving in, Bashir nodded to the EMH. "And who all do you wish to be included in this privacy field, B'Elanna?"  
the EMH asked her. "Just who is around this biobed now."  
she finished irritated. #Computer, erect a level one forcefield around this biobed.# the doctor ordered.  
B'Elanna sighed in relief when the privacy field surrounded them. She felt relaxed. She even felt Tom relax beside her. Finally, she felt Miral kick slightly, and at that moment, she hunkered down and pushed. It just felt like the right time to do it.  
"Almost there, Lieutenant. Just one more." Bashir urged her. Glaring at him, she snapped, "Just ONE more?"  
"Please?" Bashir added softly. Once again, she felt movement, and with an exhausted, loud cry, she pushed,  
and felt the last of the birthing give way. "Excellent,  
B'Elanna! She's here!" Bashir exclaimed. With a sigh,  
B'Elanna slumped back onto the biobed in relief.  
Suddenly, with no apparent reason, she let out a sustained, low pitched howl, shocking everyone in sickbay into stillness. Tom looked at her. "Are you all right?" he tenderly asked her. He had grabbed a nearby tricorder, and quickly began to run it over her.  
Chuckling softly, she looked around at the startled faces inside the privacy field and grabbed Tom's hand,  
stilling it. He let go of the tricorder and held her hand. "Sorry about that. I should have warned you.  
Just as we howl when those have left us, we howl to welcome them into the world." At Tom's expression,  
she added, "Hey...you DID agree we would raise her with BOTH customs you know!" Relief came over him, and he reached down to gently hug her and kissed her.

They heard the Holodoc's loud "Ahem" and broke apart reluctantly, grinning sheepishly. "If you two don't mind, I think you might want to meet your new daughter.  
and my goddaughter!" he added proudly. They looked over and he brought Miral over to them. She was dressed in a blanket Naomi had given them. B'Elanna gently took the bundle, afraid a firmer grip would hurt the baby. "It's quite all right, Lieutenant. She's a sturdy, healthy baby!" the EMH said proudly. Glancing down, he noticed he was right. Miral was beautiful.  
She couldn't get over it; this was THEIR child. B'Elanna felt her emotions give, and she was crying. Then, she realized she didn't care. Glancing over at Tom, who was kneeling next to them, to get a look at Miral's face, she noticed he was crying, too. Looking at those around her,  
she said, "Thank you everyone, for helping make this the most special day of our lives." She noticed tears in their eyes as well. Glancing over at Naomi and nodding in silent consent to Tom, she continued, "I think this baby needs a godmother, too, don't you think, Tom?" Tom realized what she was saying and quickly agreed. "I can't think of anyone better." he said. Naomi grinned from ear to ear, tears running down her face. The emotion of the moment seemed to have gotten to all of them.

It was at this moment that the tachyon emissions hit sickbay, and the glow passed through the walls of the privacy field, settling strangely around the closely huddled new family, causing Bashir to clear his throat and in a hoarse whisper, conclude, "A special delivery...indeed!"

-  
(attachments)

Image : The EMH encouraging B'Elanna to concentrate

Image : Tom, B'Elanna and the holodoc in sickbay.

Image: A nice B and W montage of Paris and Torres with a comet. Original artwork.

*  
From : "patti keiper" FOR "Clairissa Fox"  
Subject : Breakfast and foot washing! Date : Sat, 28 Jul 2001 17:40:52 +0000

I was so happy. She was here! Just like Doctor Basheer said she would be.

Hi Miral!

Its me, Naomi Wildman. I was the first baby on Voyager. Now you can be the second one. I saw the doctors give Belanna a bath so she could be clean and then covered her up like they did Miral.

Belanna! Belanna! You did it! Now you dont have to work so much. Whats a god mum? Is it being family? I thought we already are. Anyway, can I see her?

I held out my hand and Miral looked so funny. She was crying real loud because she had had too long a trip. I know how that feels. Dont worry Miral. You can drink milk soon and then sleep. A nap always makes me feel better.

Belanna, do you want some soup like I gave Chakoty when he was getting better?

I turned to the hollow doctor.

Doctor! Doctor! Is Miral ok to touch?  
I dont want to make her mad.

The hologram blinked in surprise while he put tools and sterile drapes away.  
"There is no possible way we can avoid that, Naomi. People who are Klingons,  
even in part, are angry all the time to some degree. Babies, especially so, until they understand that the world isn't out to get them. Miral should settle down after she nurses, so dont worry about getting soup for her." he said with a twinkle.  
"Only B'Elanna can eat that right now."

Dr. Bashir laughed. "A klingon stomach to go along with the instinctive defiant emotional undercurrent. Yes, Naomi. The EMH's is absolutely right about that. "

I saw Mr Pairs look worried about Miral being angry all the time. But then Belanna went kissy face and he forgot about it.

I leaned down and looked at Mirals face while she was nursing. She did stop crying! Hi Miral.  
Im right here. Do you want to hold onto my finger? Then you know you wont fall off your mum's stomach.

Miral took it! She was strong. I wonder how fast Miral would grow to be a little girl like me. I knew Klingons grew faster than I did because I was two people and not just human.

How long will it be before Miral gets my age?

The EMH regarded Naomi in amusement. "To be eleven years old? Eleven years. But I think you mean physionomically." he said.  
"I've heard some accounts in Commander Worf's early records that he was talking at six weeks and walking at three months. But Miral's childhood as a little girl once she gets there may be longer. She will seem six or seven years old for about five years."

What? She wont have a birthday for that long?

"No. Time will still be passing. It's just that her body will have two sets of organs to grow during that time. Two stomachs. Two sets of kidneys,  
two livers.. That takes time." Bashir added.

Oh ! I understand now. More to grow inside.

I smiled and looked at Mirals hair. It was light brown, like Aunty Kathys. I laughed.

I wondered if Captain Janeway would be coming down here to see her new crew baby. But I knew how much she was missing her Earth family. We were so close! We were on a farm where they were!

I gave Miral a hug, got Belanna her spicy soup, and went to find her.

Bye Miral! Grow up fast so we can play!

I said to Captain Picard. Get better fast. The partys starting for us really soon!

-----------------------------------------------------

I didnt know where Aunty Kathy was so I talked to Bootby.

Bootby! Bootby! Where is Aunty Kathy? She missed seeing Miral get born.

"Hello, young lady. Captain Janeway's just seen the Borg Pyramid lift off. " the wizened caretaker image said on a monitor.

Oh! I missed saying good bye to Risha and to the Primeery. Did she do ok at her special sleep?

"You mean the DNA resequencing ceremony? She did just fine. She is now Romulan, 8472 and Borg.  
A full pilot in their society. She's the one who flew their vessel back to their own time." he said.

She did? I havent been Voyagers pilot. Im too little. Hey why are all the walls glowing? I saw that in sickbay. Captain Picard didnt like seeing it. Is it bad?

"Not at all. He just has to keep the tachyon fog out of his insides is all. This is "steam" from the Pyramid's engines. It just snowed outside on the field and now, that energy is washing through Voyager. It won't hurt anybody. If anything. We wont have to use the lights for two days. We can save power and let the tachyon glow light everywhere for us."  
Boothby grinned.

Save energy? But were on Earth, Bootby. We dont have to worry any more.

"Yes, but the petrol station is in orbit, around the moon.  
Voyager's going to have to lift off and fly there herself once the festivities and reunions are over."

Oh! I hadnt thought of that yet. Then I remembered why I was talking. Bootby, where is Aunty Kathy?

Boothby consulted his combadge map. "Hm. She's in the tunnel still with Ensign Kim. But you're going to have to walk there. Transporter use is for emergency use only."

Is Voyager that low on batteries?

"Not at all, Naomi." Boothby said. "It's a rule on Earth when so many other transporters are functioning in the same area outside the hull. Did you see how many families are waiting in that crop field down there?"

No! I havent looked yet.. Bootby where is Molly?

I mean the real Molly? I know the hollow doctor made Aunty Kathy make her go out of sickbay because she had green feet.

"Hmm. I am getting a canine signature in the ready room." Boothby said, focusing inward.

Ok. I'll go get her and bring her to Aunty Kathy. Do you have a lead? I'll need it to walk Molly because she isnt a hollow Molly and may not come with a stranger.

"Sound reasoning. There's an engineering kit in the wall behind you, Miss Wildman." Boothby suggested. "In there is some conduit rope. You can borrow the spool until Janeway takes her back to the farmhouse."

Ok, I will. I got the lead and went to the ready room. Hi Molly? Want to see Aunty Kathy? I see you ate the food and drank the water she left for you. Come on. Were going to find her right now.

Molly whined but I realized something first. Wait a minute Molly. We have to wash your feet first. I said seeing the green leaves and dirt on the rug. I got a bowl of water from the replicator and some soap and I washed them off! Molly stood real still. This must happened all the time with her being on an Earth farm.  
Theres lot of grass and dirt there.

Then we were ready. Come Molly! We can go.

Me and Molly on her lead walked to the cargo bay where my tricorder was showing Harry Kim and Aunty Kathy. They were a long way into the tunnel! It said three kilometters!

I started walking and Molly was pulling so hard on the lead that I got there really fast!

Hi Harry! Hi Aunty Kathy! Mirals here! I just saw her.  
Shes having breakfast right now so she wont be angry any more today. Shes been through enough!

I saw Janeway turn from the tunnel window to kneel by Molly. Harry knelt by her too scratching and scratching Mollys ears.

Dont worry Aunty Kathy! The hollow doctor cant get mad at her any more. I washed the field off her feet!

Aunty Kathy was quiet but happy and I saw who she had been looking at through the tunnel window and the glowing snow out there. There were two women out there!

Aunty Kathy! Aunty Kathy! Is that FeeBee your sister and your mum? Oh! Ive only seen pictures of them?

Wheres Mark? He must have been the one to tell Molly you were coming home.

Then I waited for Aunty Kathy to tell me more.

Harry started to tug of war with Molly with her lead.  
They were playing!

-  
(attachments)  
Image : Newborn Torres baby, Miral.

Image : Naomi with Captain Janeway.

Image: Molly outside.

*  
From : "Alex Delet" Subject : [voyagerliveaction] Moving Down The List Date : Sun, 29 Jul 2001 14:14:51 +0100

Janeway smiled at the sight of the clean and happy Molly.  
Kathryn knelt down beside her dog, even though they had been separated for more than the few weeks they'd been apart before.... Molly recognised Janeway.  
And Janeway recognised Molly. Slight subtle differences, between the panting version that sat before her, and the holographic version she'd become fond of.  
Kathryn Janeway was closer to home.  
Naomi pointed out of the viewport. It was strange, Janeway thought.  
that it happened to be one facing down to the farm. Down to home.  
Naomi asked her if that was Pheobe....and her mother.  
"Yes," Janeway moved over to put her hand on the little girls shoulder, "On the left, is Pheobe, my sister, and on the right is my Mom,"  
Janeway leant forward, squinting against the sun :: Mark is gone :  
she noted.  
A figure walked out from under the viewport, Janeway recalled a Starfleet Security officer had been stationed there, to deal with inquiries.  
The figure approached the two women, gazing up at Voyager,  
and turned around.  
It was Mark, and he was looking anxiously, scanning the ship's viewports, until he fixed his gaze on the one Janeway and Naomi stood at.  
"That is Mark," she told Naomi, "I wonder if he looked after Molly all this time," she wondered.  
The little dog pulled away from Harry, and promptly offered her the end of the lead, they'd been playing with.  
Janeway responded, and Molly moved back to Harry, satisfied with her response.  
Mark waved up at her, Janeway smiled instinctively, before pulling away from the viewport.  
"I suppose I'd better welcome the newest member of the family aboard," she told Naomi.  
Janeway walked toward the turbolift, arm around Naomi, Molly trotted over with her lead again.... Janeway took it in her hand, and detached it from her dogs collar.  
Molly walked contently at her feet, perfect speed.. ::it's a pity, she would have made a wonderful Captain's dog :: Janeway thought.  
A yeoman distracted Janeway from the glow of her ship. "Have the families come onboard now," Janeway told him, "To the mess hall,"  
she looked at him, "I think the glowing will make it a little more memorable, hey?"  
"Aye Captain," The young man was obviously thinking of his family.  
Janeway made her way to Sickbay. Apparently, Captain Picard had been looking for her.  
Kathryn remembered the comm-call... *Two* Injuries.... "Sickbay," she ordered the Turbolift.

The Room was chaotic with joy.... Tom and B'Elanna and Miral were on one biobed,  
a few well-wishers looking on, smiling.  
The next biobed was in use by Captain Picard, with Data standing over him.  
at first glance...and at second too.... -=-=-=-mod addition** It seemed he had a hole in his chest at one point., which Bashir had healed**-=-=-=-

Taking a hint that perhaps the Captain would require some medical attention before a chat...she moved to the next biobed.  
"Q...." she said, quickly, seeing the dazed humanoid...... and the bio readings above.  
She moved to stand by his bed, looking concerned.  
"Get Well Soon," she told him, reaching out for his hand.  
"Why?" he muttered.  
"You're going to meet my family, Remember?"

(attachments)

Image : Janeway smelling a rose.

Image : Janeway smiling and looking down on something knee high in a corridor.

*  
END WEEK TWENTY NINE RECAP 07-30-01

.com/voyagerliveaction

.com/group/voyagerliveaction

WEEK THIRTY RECAP 07-30-01

.com/voyagerliveaction Graphic Site

.com/group/voyagerliveaction Writing Site

***************************************

From : "patti keiper" Subject : [voyagerliveaction] Flesh and Blood Date : Mon, 30 Jul 2001 23:46:42 +0000

TANDEM post between "Dr. Jeff Seltun"  
and "Patti Keiper" via E-mail tennis.  
*Additional acknowledgements* hats off to Sam (Q2/AdmiralParis) for finding the rare Q and Q son image below. :)

Characters Involved :

Q Picard Data

Freeuse Characters:  
Julian Bashir Montgomery Scott

Julian got his AH reading. "Good, there's no component damage from the tachyons. They just short circuited the electrical signal to the rest of the unit temporarily.. As long as no tachyons reach it again. He'll be right as rain.."

He smiled as Picard blinked out of his short sedation. "You're fine, sir. Rest a while and I'll check back on you.  
I'll release you to your own quarters after a standard observation period."

Bashir moved off to return back to Torres's bedside.

"Thank you, doctor." Picard said. He watched the young physician leave to assist the EMH with the exam of the Torres child who had been just born.

Jean Luc regarded Seven of Nine. "And thank you for your assistance earlier,..ah.. Not every day you have to get yourself dressed by fellow crewman."

"Modesty is a strange concept." Seven said as she moved off to look at Miral, the new baby.  
"I shall study it further perhaps."

Picard thought ::Thank God for Borg unemotional side effects:: as he flipped over onto his side to get more comfortable.

He noticed Q2, looking at him. "And thank you for being there, too, when I was brought in, er, Q."  
he said, not knowing what to call the teen son.  
"I wasn't feeling up to social graces earlier. Just breathing was enough." Then Picard noticed Q2's bruises rising from his fall. "Don't tell me,...You've lost omnipotence? Your father's been there.."  
the Enterprise captain said of the senior Q over his son's biobed. "I should say we had quite an adventure that time.."

Q senior scoffed, "I should say so. The Calamaraine had this horrid propensity for suspending me as high as the warp core, son, by my ankle.  
Even Data over there saved my life once back then, taking on their beastly sparking energetic straight jacket in my stead."  
He leaned in on his son's ear, "Don't worry young man,  
we'll convince Quince your innocence of your crime once I put two and two together. Quince is a sucker for pardons at the slightless hint of self sacrifice."

Picard grinned, "So that's what happened between you and Quince on that shuttle inside the Calamaraine storm cloud, eh, Q?"

Q winced, "If you must know. Yes." He grew uncomfortable by the silently smirking Picard. "What? Do you want another Mariachi Band playing round your bedside in appreciation once more of the asylum you granted me back then?"

"I only want a quiet bed and some peace, Q. "

"Fine.. right back son." and Q snapped his fingers.

*WHOOSH*..

------------------------------------------------------

Picard found himself back in his own quarters on the Enterprise amid silver sheets and soft music. He was quite alone. Jean Luc let the stars fill his eyes and he slowly let things relax, one by one.

Here, on Enterprise, there was no tachyon backwash glow.  
For his ship was in orbit of Earth, above Voyager's landing coordinates..

He was already half asleep, "Thank...*yawn* you, Q."

"I'm not through with you just yet Picard." Q said right next to his ear..

Q was in bed with the captain. Subconsciously, Jean Luc drew up the sheets over his newly healed chest. "Q!  
What is it you want now?!"

Q looked properly abash.. "I didn't want to let on in Voyager's sickbay... But I'm horribly worried about my son's current ......" He agonized over the proper word.

"Vulnerability? "

"Eeooww. well...." Q minced. " Yes.. being fleshed is a real bummer.."

Picard rolled his eyes and flipped over, putting his back to Q in irritation. He knew that his translocation to his quarters would come with a pricetag.

Q went on.."...Quite frankly, Jean Luc.. I don't know what to do about it... Lady Q's down the bottom of a tide pool until the tachyon snow on Earth melts, so I can't go after Quince on that Borg Pyramid adventure of his to try and get an appeal.."

Picard grunted inaudibly.

"Well, I know that Picard.. Q's got a level head. He's crafted out of the same mould as I for liking the human species so much. Touches me deeply that he'd even be curious about Kathy's gene pool relatives.. Even I didn't go that far with you..."

"Thankheavens.."

"What?"

"I mean,.. Rank happens.." Picard covered, "Quince pulled a fast one on you by demoting your son. You can't do anything about it right now, so why don't you enjoy it.. Teach your son what IS good about being a pathetic human... Eating,.. having to do for yourself.,,, Sleeping..." came that last suggestion with a more than subtle hint to Q... Picard punched his pillow to a more comfortable position. He noticed that Bashir's standby pace maker was still stuck to his chest when he bumped it.

Q was still rambling on about his doubts, worries and concerns for his son's demotion. He never noticed when Picard stuck the pacemaker on Q's forehead, hit a button to send a false signal to sickbay of a heartbeat arrythmia and watched as Q was emergency beamed out of his bed by a panicky Bashir.

Picard smiled as his quarters once again held an occupancy number of....one.

He was asleep in moments.

----------------------------------------------

Q materialized on a biobed next to Q2 right under Bashir's hands..

Julian began venting in anger, "Where is Captain Picard?  
He's in trouble! I just got a.."

Q sighed, and crossed his eyes, noticing the pacemaker beeping there. He pulled it off with a suction cup *SMOCK*  
and held it out to the human doctor. "I believe this ..is yours? Jean Luc pulled a simian thing and had me beamed out of his hair... " He considered,.."er...what's left of it."

Q2 found that very funny and began laughing until his side ached., "Uncle Picardy did that?"

Q smiled mildly and said, "I'm the one who'll be laughing when you try to eat your first meal with this oh, so human pseudo food that's to be served at the party in the messhall tonight.."

The smile wiped off Q2 as he realized that he was feeling empty,''...ow.."

--------------------------------------------------------

Data watched as Q zapped Picard and himself away from Voyager's sickbay. He moved to a center console and located them with sensors as being in the captain's Quarters on the Enterprise. He commbadged the bridge on both ships telling them of Picard's relocation.

He mentally chose that he would attend the festivities just beginning in Voyager's messhall in his captain's place as Enterprise's envoy. He was greeted by an enthusiastic Montgomery Scott.. who had been monitoring just such a message to the bridge. His Scottish burr rang throughout sickbay making everyone in the room smile in recognition of that famous voice.  
=^=Aye, commander..Glad the captain's a fare better.  
He's restin ya say? We'll be right over lad. We've a bottle of our finest for the occasion.. How about you Geordi?  
You goin over ta the Voyager for that home coming wing ding of their'in?=^=

Data's ears perked as he waited for his friend to reply.

-  
(attachments)

Image: Picard self consciously pulling sheets over himself as Q shares his worries with him in the same bed.

Image: Q and Q son, side by side.

*  
From : "Cassidy Meyers" Subject : [voyagerliveaction] Family ties Date : Fri, 03 Aug 2001 04:28:01 +0400

It was easy for Deanna to relax once she bid B'Elanna Torres well on the birth of her baby and headed for the messhall. She wasn't there officially. Now was the time for festivities and her orders allowed for two days of leniency just as Counselor Troi the welcoming dignitary instead of Troi the assessor.

Deanna could not believe the first person she saw enter Voyager's messhall ##Mother!? What are you doing here?!##

The middleaged, qawdy figure, shadowing by an everhovering Mr. Homm, greeted her, "Hello, little one! These Voyager people are simply positively glowing in emotion.. And I'm not talking about the tachyon lighting decor.. Who thought of that detail?  
Nice touch.."

Deanna sighed and counted to ten slowly. She joined her mother at the punch table and Lwaxanna immediately asked,  
"Where is Jean Luc, Deanna? I know he's around here somewhere.  
That honor guard over there is thinking about Captain Picard right now and... what? He's in sickbay?"

"Was mother..." Deanna levelled instantly. "He's resting right now. Mr. Data is going to be Enterprise's envoy for the evening."

"Oh,, too bad. Just where did Captain Picard retire? That guard over there is thinking.. about Data's finger? Now why would he do a silly thing like that?"

Deanna just chuckled and said, "It's nothing. Just something Mr. Data had to do to help Captain Picard keep going on with things.." she said evasively, "And to answer your question..no one knows where he is right now. . Q.." and she shut right up.

"Q" is here..?" Lwaxana Troi said, "How positively divine that the Continuum sent him to congratulate this ship's return home.  
How sweet..."

Deanna muffled her acid comment about how Q had truly been welcomed thus far but refrained, stuffing a Deneban Poof cake into her mouth delicately.. "Just...MM.." she swallowed, "Just how did you get onto the boarding list, mother? I thought you were off to Benard's World on holiday?"

"Oh, being the Mother of the Fifth House, Holder of the Sacred Chalice of Rixx and Heir to the Holy Rings of Betazed has made me an official dignitary.." Mrs. Troi's face ironed into rock. "It's also why you haven't been kicked offship as well while these people let their hair down a little." She eyed the folks flooding into the messhall appreciatively, "Oh just feel their happy feelings, Little One! They're all so joyful..*sniff*" and Mr. Homm handed a gilded handkerchief to dab at her eyes.

Lwaxana seemed to see her servant for the first time. "Oh... that reminds me.. why ELSE I'm here..."

Deanna Troi stopped chewing her dessert. ::I don't like the sound of that..::

"Now don't fret, Deanna.. He won't bite...." Deanna's mother cleared her throat and Mr. Homm stepped out of the way revealing a Betazed Deanna Troi thought she'd never see again.

"Tam? Tam Elbrun?"

The tall graceful man with the once sad eyes approached, leaned forward, catching Deanna's sticky fingers with his own and kissed her hand. "What a pleasure it is to greet you in person, Counselor.  
I just happened to be looping by in Gom'Tuu and saw Voyager pull up escorted by that awful Borg Pyramid.. I hung round long enough to realize its true purpose. I was about to leave again when I got a charming letter call from your mother. I was deeply touched.. " Tam smiled shyly and kissed Deanna's hand again.. "Tell me.. did you truly miss me terribly as your mother says in your letter? Rending your hair and wearing blue over me is so ...oh, how should I say.. ? Flattering.." And he batted his eyes..

On the shielded familial link, Deanna exploded,, ##Mother!! You aren't playing match maker again... Tell me you're not... Tam is too delicate to play mind g--## and she smiled, wiping a crumb off her face.."Heh. heh. heh.. I don't know what to say Tam. I'm quite speechless.."

Mr. Homm rang his gong just then as Lwaxana tasted a soft pad of sweet sponge soufflet off the dessert tray.. She winked at her daughter innocently, knowing she had won round one.  
::My daughter'll be walking up the aisle before you know it.  
As for me.... That mention of Q sounds very..intriguing...::

It was then Deanna felt a calming sympathetic presence.  
She looked and saw Reginald Barclay stepping round Tam Elbrun saving her from putting her still shocked foot into her mouth mentally and emotionally regarding Tam and her mother.  
"Reg!.." and Troi plastered a fake smile on her face. She grabbed him by the arm, and pretended to get all four punch glasses,  
"Right back with some punch.." she said falsely gay to them as she turned their backs to Homm, Tam and her beaming mother.. "Reg, come help me carry glasses.."

When they were leaning over the massive fountain of rainbow punch,  
Deanna hissed,,."What am I going to do Reg? My mother's got designs on another husband candidate for me while she shops for one of her own again.. Tam's an ex-patient of mine for Pete's sake.."

"I I- Guessed your mother's plans,, er Deanna.. I overheard her talking with the port officials about Heather and Illia wreaths to be sent to your quarters on the Enterprise.. Th- those are betrothal flowers,  
aren't they?" Barclay hushed Deanna's bulging eyes and barely contained indignation, smiling in amusement.. "Don't worry, that order never went through since you're logged as officially attending to Voyager. I-I used my fame of being Project Pathfinder's hero to be here to warn you about..." he vaguely gestured over Tam and Lwaxana discussing the decor of the messhall room. Mr. Homm was laughing hugely at how some of the tachyon glow seemed to ring around his head like a halo for his bald pate being so close to the ceiling and attracting it there.  
Lwaxana was fluttering her fingers, fussing over his silly appearance,  
shooing the glowing fog away which only adhered to her sweeping fingers instead.

Deanna smiled painfully. "Thank you Reg.. But I've got to handle this one on my own.. Unless you want to act like my date..."

Barclay accepted the punch glasses Deanna was handing him to carry back to the Trois. "Act like your... date?!!" he nearly spilled his drinks.. "Deanna... I I I could never do that.. That wouldn't be honest.."

Deanna caught his tipping glasses and mopped up his sleeve with a silver napkin.. "I was joking Reg.. Just you being here is enough for me. Lord knows I need all the strength I'm going to get to out manuever this one.. Just keep me from putting my sandal in my big mouth ok?" And she turned with her own laden glasses to beam at Tam and the others waiting by the dessert table.

Barclay noticed Deanna's blue dress gown for the first time,, and the delicate silver sandals she wore and the way Troi's hair softly framed her Grecian face.. "Oh,,... why am I just a good friend? I'd give any thing to be one of those suitors Lwaxana's hunting down for her... but my holo fantasy days are over.. forever.."

He went to join the Troi family and help Deanna keep Lwaxana's own rising husband sensing radar off the Q contingent he knew would appear any moment, among Voyager guests.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Seven of Nine spent two point four seconds deciding what to wear for her "reunion" with her Aunt. ::Maribeth Vanessa no doubt will feel uneasy at my remaining Borg Implants:: So Seven chose a simple lilac shift and let her bun out of its confining tuck.

Seven knew her Aunt right away when one of Voyager's honor guards pointed out Seven's place by the stars, slightly apart from the dining and drinking tables. She was surprised at the apprehension she felt deep inside when she felt the older woman's eyes on her own twinkled into an uncertain smile.  
"Annika?" Aunt Vanessa's voice began..

Seven nodded, folding hands formally across her back.."Yes,, I'm.  
I'm she... I have a new name now, Maribeth Vanessa.. It's..." she broke off as her Aunt tentatively reached out to brush some loose hair away from her face gingerly..." But,...You may call me that...if you wish.. Mom and Dad would have liked that.."

At her touch, Seven trembled, feeling a strong memory of just the same caress from Maribeth that she had felt on the day her family left from Earth to go on that deep space expedition to study Borg.  
"Oh, Aunty.. I was so scared..."  
She pressed her face into her aunt's gnarled hand and then felt her emotions give way.. The two women melted into a hug as Seven's tears flooded into her eyes.. "I found the Raven.  
and I saw what the Queen did to father.. and and.." Fierce sobs gripped her throat. "I couldn't DO anything to save him..."

"Shhh, Annika.. I never gave up hope you'd return to Earth. How could I give up the niece I loved so much, in spite of how much I disagreed with my sister taking you and your father away on such a dangerous mission.." Maribeth sighed. "Shhh,, you're here now.. And I never ever, have to let you go away from me again.. Come tell me everything, Annika. I want to learn everything that's happened to you on Voyager.. I just thank my lucky stars that it was Kathryn Janeway who saved my precious baby and returned her to me.."  
And she kissed Seven's cheek.

"You know Captain Janeway?" Seven said as she let herself be sat at a quiet table under Voyager's windows.. The "fireworks"  
outside had just begun over the cornfields. The two women faced them, not letting hands go at all.

"Yes,.. Gretchen.. Kathryn's mother, and I are old friends. Perhaps that's why she recognized you as that awful Borg and decided to take steps to try and rescue you. Your picture is still over the piano where Gretchen and I used to play for church rehearsals. Kathryn came over often to hear her mother and I sing and she studied your picture alot asking where you were..She called you the invisible friend and neighbor, I didn't have the heart to tell Kathryn the Raven had disappeared with your mother and father and you aboard. Gretchen used to distract Kathryn away from that truth... She was about six years old at the time.  
But, about ten years after that. I suspected Kathryn found out what happened to you and your mother and father. Gretchen caught her reading about the Borg around the time Jean Luc Picard was taken,  
when she was in her teens during that summer's break. It had the name Annika written on the report's cover. And she had a copy of the holo of that piano picture in her locker at the academy. "

It was a revelation to Seven.. ::Captain Janeway knew about me through her mother and my Aunt even before I met her?:: Unconsciously, Seven turned to look for Captain Janeway, but the captain was not yet in the messhall.

"Come Annika.. Let's eat.. You must be famished after that gravity glitch we heard about before you landed.. Let me get us some dinner."  
Aunt Maribeth Vanessa rose to garner two laden plates for herself and her niece.

Seven sat, surrounded by a warm caress of memories returning from her reunion with her aunt. Then she, herself, recalled the picture tiny Kathryn must have seen on the piano in the countryside cottage.

It was the one where Seven was rushing into her Uncle's arms in the grass on her fifth birthday.

::I must have been held in assimilation stasis for a long time before being allowed to mature into a functioning drone if a very young Captain Janeway saw my picture after me and my family had disappeared.::

"Now I know why I , among all of those other drones.. was saved.  
Captain Janeway never forgot about me.."

-  
(attachments)

Image : Troi in Formal dress

Image: Lwaxana and Mr. Homm

Image : Data and Tam Elbrun

Image : Barclay and datapadd Image : Seven as Annika

Image : 7-Annika and grandfather

*  
From : "Roxy Dee" Subject : [voyagerliveaction] Sweet Charity~~ Date : Fri, 03 Aug 2001 03:50:17 +0000

Data watched as Q zapped Picard and himself away from Voyager's sickbay. He moved to a center console and located them with sensors as being in the captain's Quarters on the Enterprise. He commbadged the bridge on both ships telling them of Picard's relocation.

He mentally chose that he would attend the festivities just beginning in Voyager's messhall in his captain's place as Enterprise's envoy. He was greeted by an enthusiastic Montgomery Scott.. who had been monitoring just such a message to the bridge. His Scottish burr rang throughout sickbay making everyone in the room smile in recognition of that famous voice.  
=^=Aye, commander..Glad the captain's a fare better.  
He's restin ya say? We'll be right over lad. We've a bottle of our finest for the occasion.. How about you Geordi?  
You goin over ta the Voyager for that home coming wing ding of their'in?=^=

Data's ears perked as he waited for his friend to reply.

=^=Yes, Mr. Scott. I plan to be there. You going too, Data?"=^= asked Geordi.

"Captain Picard is recovering still in his quarters. With Enterprise in orbit still, I am the highest ranking Enterprise officer on Voyager. It would be wrong to not serve as a dignitary in that capacity." Data said.

=^=Then I'll meet you in the messhall, Commanders."  
LaForge said, "Geordi out.=^=

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Geordi was leaning on the back of his messhall chair when he had a feeling of disembodiment for a few brief seconds. When he opened his eyes, Quince was sitting at a table, gnawing a turkey leg and hefting a toast to the Enterprise engineer with it, winking his left eye.

LaForge got a feeling of an unexplained chill as he felt someone approach his table. He saw a red captain's uniform surrounding a very familiar, strong, African woman standing before him.  
"Mother?"

Silva LaForge sat down in the chair opposite. "Geordi... I'm glad I could make it to your reception.. The invitation I got wasn't very clear on details. Can I get you something?" She said, pointing to her own Chardonnay in her right hand.

Geordi froze and his skin crawled. He was seeing a ghost.  
It was not a pleasant feeling at all.

He glanced suspiciously at Quince, still watching this new family reunion. Quince again winked, waving a get on with it gesture.

Leadenly, he felt his mouth answer her, while his sanity completely left center field.  
"I'm fine... thanks. It's....uh, it's good to see you, mother. How's the Yorktown?" he said, rubbing down disturbing goosepimples on his arm. He winced at his own macabre humor.

Inside, his mind raced.  
::My mother is dead. We learned that from the aliens down on that gas giant. Her starship was trapped in its atmosphere and slowly sank, the poisonous atmosphere and pressure killed everyone.  
All hands lost. There were no survivors !::Geordi cursed . :: I found no one of her crew left at all, after I probed her wearing that virtual biosuit acting as the brain of that probe. :: He forced his beating heart thudding in his chest to beat and he sat very still, afraid to move.

Silva's statuesque features moulded from their warm expression to one of confusion that came suddenly. It pained Geordi to see it there.  
"The Yorktown?.. I can't recall.. I ..don't seem to remember anything.."  
and she blinked, the smile returning to her face. "...past this invitation I received from an individual named Quince. Do you know him? Is he a new admiral? I know I've been in deep space a long time on my mission with my crew. I haven't been up on the latest changes at Starfleet, I'll admit."

Geordi was numb. Here was his mother, walking and talking, in full life before him. He felt overwhelmed entering into a protective fog, when time suddenly stopped.

Geordi found himself at Quince's table.  
LaForge's fury erupted into a rage, yet he could not pull his eyes away from the "halted" form of his oh so long lost mother.  
"What do you think you're doing, Quince!! This is hideous.. Silva's gone. My family has moved on without her when the Enterprise found her ship crushed down there on that gas world. Including myself.. I don't know what kind of twisted game you are pl--"

"Oh, it's no game, my fine blind friend." he said levelly and very serious. "We're at what is supposed to be a joyous reunion and you've suffered enough according to the Continuum. We've just passed an addendum effecting charity to suppressed humans in light of those Q who've tortured them in the past. "

"The Yorktown tragedy had nothing to do with Q.." Geordi said, his eyes tearing, as his emotions reeled.

"Oh really..." Quince said, not moving an inch, "You better ask Q and his son about that. It was their first "Baseball game" which sent that meteor into the Yorktown's shields and cast that starship into that gas giant's atmosphere to begin with."

Geordi wiped away the salty moisture from his face. "But you've said repeatedly that you can't effect the dead.I ..I don't understand."

Quince interrupted almost immediately, "I am not Q nor his son. I am the judge, jury and executioner of the Q Continuum. Now I am appointed dispensation goodwill ambassador so don't bite the hand that feeds you. Those individuals on the Yorktown never died. The aliens were still holding them inside their essences until they reported them to us, in the Continuum. You and your pathetic Enterprise crew never bothered to try to descend down to the Yorktown again to check for any bodies. Now did you?"

Geordi began to breathe ragged and tortured. "I... did try.. It almost killed me... I.."

"It really doesn't matter, you know, what you think." Quince said evenly, examining his fingernail. "She and all her crew are integrated back into your tiny little past and present as they should have been without Q interfering. So go back to your mother, boy.. Before we change our minds..." he said dangerously.. "Q charity is fleeting if gratitude is not exhibited in proper measure. Only you remember the way it was LaForge. It is the coin we accept in exchange for our mercy. So get over it."

And Quince popped out. ::Back to who knows where.:: Geordi felt time resume like a slow river around him. He was wholly glad for his visor.  
As it hid the tears stinging there from his eyes. His acceptance of Silva's reinstatement back to his life would take a great deal longer to settle in than one night's span, he knew.

He sat down back at Captain Silva's table with a cool tea. It was all his shattered nerves could handle. His mother was oblivious to his state of emotions. She was taken in by all the excitement flowing around her.  
"I've read so much about Voyager back then before she was lost. Did you know that I almost put myself on the list for consideration to captain her? But then, when the Reliant A came up... " she sighed,.. and grasped her son's hand.."I have always been a sucker for outmoded starships. They seem to make you feel immortal somehow when you're in their command chairs. I feel like I could live forever, Geordi. "

Geordi sighed, patting his mother's hand, feeling its warmth there and the very real pulsebeat of the veins running along the back of it.  
::Immortal indeed. A second chance.:: Geordi's benumbed mind echoed, ::By the the unholy grace of Q, I am grateful, mother, that you are here.::"Glad you could arrange your busy schedule to come, mother."

He felt himself be enveloped by one of her firm embraces, still heavily chilled in horror and shock, and felt lost in the sea of her cologne. ::The price for my memory of your death will haunt me forever...::

"What's the matter, Geordi?" Quince said in his mind. "The coin price too high? All right, I'll dicker.. A sweet for the sour."

Geordi heard a new voice calling out to him. "Geordi?! Geordi LaForge!!"He looked up to see a very hassled scientist, still wearing a lab tunic he knew she would have still worn even when she forgot about him. "Remember me?!" Leah Brahams said.

She plunked herself into the third chair at Geordi's table and waved over a waiter to their side, "Oh, hello, Captain .." she greeted Silva. "I read your dissertation on why Voyager's biogelpacks might be the front runner of transwarp propulsion for the new Excelsior II on the drawing blocks.  
I came to meet with you and Voyager's engineer to discuss them after the party lets out. I didn't know you were here Geordi.. Did you get a mysterious invitation from Quince, too?"

Geordi nearly spat out his mouthful of cold tea, but a new warmth of his old love for Leah Brahams was rekindled against his will. "Yeah.. a big one, in person.." he chuckled for their benefit with a humor that lived in his voice alone.

But, in spite of himself, that Q assisted love began to grow, chasing out the temporal horror of a memory which he alone harbored. He turned to Leah, "So,...like to dance? Mom's got the first one. And I'm sure a band will materialize before too long.." Geordi glared,.. fully expecting the Q family to make sure about that. It seems a visit of theirs was always followed by a Mexican Mariachi band at one point or another.

Silva beamed at her son. "Make mine Dixieland jazz band and it's a dance date."

Leah laughed and raised her glass she pulled from the waiter's tray high. "Here. Here. To business associates, family, friends, and to Voyager herself. May she fly forever..!!" she toasted.

An invisible silohuette of Quince echoed the sentiment with a mug of his own.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Harry Kim blinked. One moment he was just in Voyager's messhall.

The next, Neelix's counter had been converted from just that to a bar. Plus one very unusual bar hostess. "Guinan? Picard's Guinan?"

Guinan smiled at him mildly and whisked away Harry's empty glass. "Whoops, that's one less Fizz Bin Toddy for you, young man. It's time for cutting off if you don't remember how your bartender began her shift working the party. You yourself helped me beam my entire inventory to this celebration and cleared me with your captain to serve the guests.. Don't you remember?"

Harry blinked carefully, "Uh...no." Then he caught Quince, winking at him from another seat at the bar. He was trying to not be noticed by Guinan. So far, his cover was working.. Harry thought it best if he didn't try to figure things out too deeply.. He decided to try a little indignation tactic.

He smacked the tricorder he was wearing in his belt to record names of guests and to record the party as it happened, in front of him. "If you doubt me Guinan, Scan me! I am not drunk.." he said clearly.

The hostess continued to polish her wine glasses methodically and made no move toward the tricorder sitting on her bar. "I believe you, ensign." And she set another Fizz Bin in front of him.. "Now... No drunk would feel stung being called drunk."

Harry rolled his eyes..

He turned as Enterprise's Data sat next to him on one side.  
And a second movement made him startle.

"What the devil is that, Harry?.. Looks like it'll raise me dead mother to'in a nanosecond!" a Scottish drawl insisted. Scotty peered myopically at the drink and sniffed it. He set it down as if it burned him."Careful with those things.. They even made Captain Kirk forget more than a few minutes of many a memorable evening, ensign.."

Guinan's smile got bigger when she saw just who sat down on one of her barstools. She set a full tumbler before the man even before he gave voice to his order. She even tipped her tall hat to him with a touch of a hand.

Commander Montgomery Scott eyed the drink suspiciously, "Is this Scotch real?" he challenged.

"Aye." Guinan said, meeting his eye and teasing him with in his own accent. "I remember your last visit to my bar vividly.." she said, leaning on robed elbows. "Can't have a cranky customer chasing away all my business again, now can we?"

Harry started laughing and couldn't stop.

Data echoed him.

Kim cast his eyes around the messhall and saw already that several crewmates were already in attendance at Voyager's homecoming party bash.

He saw the Enterprise counselor with several other black eyed people like herself and Barclay of all people.

And he saw Seven with a kindly gray haired woman in a shawl tucked in a windowside table, talking quietly, to each other over food.

He wondered who else would show up next.

-  
(attachments)

Image : Geordi LaForge close big promo Image : Silva LaForge, Geordi's mother.  
Image: Harry and tricorder

Image: Geordi and Leah Brahams , close

Image : Data and Guinan at the bar.

Image : Data and Scotty seated at the bar.

*  
From: "Samantha Rose"  
Date: Sat Aug 4, 2001 2:24 am Subject: First Star To the Right, Straight On Til Morning

The bridge was quiet save the light conversations of the small group that occupied the room. Grabbing the data PADDs that were scattered about him, Owen stood from the Captain's Chair. Nodding to the Vulcan officer, in which he made an earlier aquaintence, the Admiral left the bridge of Voyager.

It was a short and refreshing trip to the Mess Hall for Paris. The glow from the tachyon residue was magnificent and the fresh air circulating through the vessel only added to the experience. Needless to say, there was a spring in the old man's step. Rounding a corner on the fifth deck a faint laughter became louder as the Mess Hall doors opened and then shut again. The doors opened again and this time the Admiral walked in.

There we masses of citizens and Starfleet personel alike filling the hall. ::Amazing:: Owen thought to himself. He was enjoying the bustle going on around him when his comm badge chirped.

"Sickbay to Admiral Paris." Doctor Bashir's voice rang loud and clear through the link.

"Paris here, go ahead."

"There is a little baby girl here waiting to meet her Grandfather. I suggest you not keep her waiting." one could tell that there was a smile on the Deep Space Niner's face through the words that he spoke.

"Acknowledged. Tell her I'm on my way." Owen's hand was a bit shaky as he closed the link with a single tap to the insignia. Taking a deep breathe he left the Mess Hall and went down the corridor to Sickbay. Once inside his eyes quickly scanned the room and soon found the new family. Walking over, Owen placed a hand on Tom's shoulder and looked down at the quarter Klingon child in her mother's arms. ::I never thought this day would come...:

An overwhelming sense of pride and joy flooded over Owen as Miral slept peacefully. There was nothing but smiles on the faces of those who surrounded the little infant, the second to be born on Voyager, the first in the Alpha Quadrant.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Q2 looked up at his father and swallowed. Food? He had to eat Food? He had never had to before, but come to think of it there was a funny feeling in his stomache right now. Learning from previous experience, Q2 winced. A sharp remembrance of Neelix's leola root stew took over his taste buds and Q2 suddenly found himself a mite queezy.

"I think I'll put off that part of my humanity for as long as I can." he caught a grimace on Q's face at the word and shook his head. Hopping off the bio-bed, Q2 took a step forward but was stopped by the shock of a forcefield. His father turned his head and rocked back and forth on the heel of his shoes whistling quietly.

"Come on, let me out." Q shook his head, "I'll be fine! It's not like I'm going to die or anything." those words hit the elder Q with an unexpected impact. Q2 threw his hands up in the air in surrender.

"Alright, I give. But I do have to get out of here, I'm starting to feel like Seven of Nine..." confusion, "You know? How she had to start eating after Aunt Kathy liberated her...I read about it while going through the data base last time we were here." Nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch. There was still no sound from his father. Giving him a pouty look, Q2 gave his best at getting out. Soon, the forcefield was down and Q had his arm around the boy's shoulder in a VERY protective gesture.

"Uh, Dad, you're squeezing me a bit hard..."

"Oh, sorry son."

Q2 couldn't hear his father, the site of the newborn caught his eye and he slowly walked out of the embrace and towards the small group. Coming to stand between Tom and the Doctor, Q2 glanced at B'Elanna who nodded with a smile. Reaching out he gently touched the infant, whose eyes slowly opened to tiny slits not yet fully able to open. Q2 pulled back a bit, but overcame the insecurities and soon found that the tiny Klingon/Human hybrid had clasped her tiny fingers around his one. Her grip was a strong.

A few minutes later Q2 was walking out of the medical bay and down the corridor. His destination was as small room at the end of the hall where his temporary quarters were located, the same in which he stayed on the last visit. Not wanting to make a bad impression on the Captain's family, Q2 decided to change his attire.

The replicator hummed quietly and soon he was adorned in a new set of clothing, the discarded uniform laying in a pile on the bed. Smoothing over the cloth, Q2 smiled in satisfaction at the dark maroon shirt and brown vest. The only thing left to do now was find Janeway.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

More people continued to file into the Mess Hall as the holo-Molly rounded up the crew's family. Q2 managed to squeeze himself between two groups of people as he made his way into the room. There was so much activity around him that he found it hard to concentrate on one thing long enough. He saw an empty stool near what looked like a make shift bar. It wasn't any easier to maneuver through the crowd once inside the Mess Hall as it was getting in.

Q2 sat down and turned in the swivel chair to survey the scene. He recognized Counselor Troi not too far away from where he sat with someone he thought must have been a family member. The woman with her looked over at him and gave a curious look. ::Betezed...she must be the Counselor's mother. Aren't Betezoid's telepathic?:: He turned that question over and over in his head until another person caught his eye. This time it was rage and anger that came over him.

"Quince..." Q2 barely managed a hoarse whisper as he placed a hand on the bar to hoast himself up. With a swish of a cloth a restraining hand came down on his own hand. Q2 turned his head to see a black women with an outragiously large hat on her head. He pulled his hand away but sat down.

"I would advise against taking actions you may regret." Guinan's advice came without asking, yet managed to keep the boy still. He cocked his head to the side and looked at her. She continued, "I don't recall seeing you on the guest list and you look to young to be an officer. What's your name?"

"Q." he answered her question with a single letter. The memory of his father's tales of the El Aurian finally caught up with him. Guinan gave him an odd look and continued wiping down the counter.

"I'm the son of the Q that you know..." he tried to clear that up a bit and it seemed to work. Taking one last glance behind him, Q2 saw that Quince had vanished...for now. When he turned around there was a small glass of chocolate milk before him and Guinan had moved down to the other end of the bar. Q2 shrugged his shoulders and in picking up the glass he took a drink.

(attachments)

Image: DS9, Dr. Bashir in the gray uniform Promo shot against a metal bunker.

Image : Q2 with an "eooww" face on.

Image: Q smiling in uniform.  
Image : B'Elanna Torres in a white and gray flight suit.

Image : "Mad , Bad, and Dangerous To Know" Q montage illustration with phrasing in red.

*  
From : "Clairissa Fox" Subject : Mum and me at the party Date : Sat, 04 Aug 2001 06:53:24 +0000

I talked to Auntie Kathy.

Now that the big Robot ship has gone away, its time for our party for getting to Earth, isnt it?

She nodded at me. So I said, ok. Can I bring your Molly to the messhall. I washed her feet real good.

Auntie Kathy nodded again. Ok. Ill save a table for you and Feebee and your mum.

Then I left the tunnel and Auntie Kathy standing by the window with Molly.

In no time at all I was in the messhall with a plate. Molly was hungry. So I fed her some chicken and bread.

Molly! Molly! How can you be so hungry? I just fed you after your bath. Then I called Bootby.

Bootby! Bootby! Wheres mum? Isnt she done in engineering yet?

"Well, young lady, I am tracking Samantha right now. Yes, your mother is on her way to you from Deck Fifteen. She stopped at home to change first." the wizened caretaker program mentioned.

Oh! Ok. Thank you for checking on mum for me, Bootby. I sat down at a table and made Molly sit at another one and guard it so Auntie Kathy would have a place for her family to sit even in that crowded room. It was her ship! She should get one.

I looked around and saw 7 talking to another woman I didnt know. Was that her Auntie? She told me about her once when we were in the hollow deck with Tremis and Flotter in the Great Forest story. Then I saw a funny lady with a tall hat giving grownup drinks to everyone there. Geordi was there and Mr Scott and Data too!

Then mum came.

Mum! I missed you! I didnt see you for a long time since we got back to Earth! I got to do a lot! I helped Dr Basheer and the hollow doctor bring Belannas baby out for her birthday and I sat near Tom Pairs when he fainted because he was scared for Belanna and I got soup for Chakoty when he woke up from his accident and a lot of things. This is Molly. Auntie Kathys dog. The real one.

"Well, hello there.." Samantha Wildman said as she scratched the affectionate Irish Setter's ears. "Looks like you've had an active day, Naomi. Where's Captain Janeway. Shouldn't she be at her own party? Letting the families on board ship was her idea."

I know that mum. I left her in the tunnel and she was looking at her mum and sister and boyfriend on the porch through the window. Auntie Kathy let me bring Molly here with me.

"Well, Captain Janeway's probably gathering her thoughts for the occasion." Samantha sighed. "I know I'd need a little time to face my fondest wish square in the eyes."

Really? Why?

"Think about it. We've been travelling seven years to get back home. Every night we dreamed of Earth and home but now, we actually are here. Takes some getting used to, don't you think?" Naomi's mother asked.

I guess so. I never really thought about it that way. I knew I would see Earth no matter how long it took because I am only ten. I had a long time until I got too old to see it.

Samantha Wildman laughed at her daughter's logic and tapped her on her forehead horns.. "And guess who's on his way from Mars in an hour or so.."

Daddy!

"That's right. I just spoke with him after I changed out of my uniform. Do you remember the picture of your dad? The one on my bedstand?"

Yes. His name is Lieutenant Stvehtepdoq and his forehead horns are bigger than mine!

Samantha took a sip from her cider and got up to get her daughter some rainbow punch from the dessert table very near where they were sitting. "You remembered.. Seeing your father in real life will be better than all those holoprograms we have played or seen in the mailcall access array."

Is he very tall?

"Very. But let's get something to eat, shall we? Looks like Molly's beaten us to it."

Ok mum.

I could hardly wait for dad to come! I could hardly eat but mum didnt make me eat much because I was so excited. Only an hour to wait!

I remembered my gift I wanted to bring dad when he came. Bootby! Bootby! Can you send my gift from my room to here? I forgot to get it?

Boothby came online in the overhead computer monitor, "And what does it look like, Naomi Wildman?"

Its a painting I did near the closet of mum, me and dad. Can you send it here?

"I don't see why not? But I have to wait a while because the tachyon wash you see lighting up the walls and windows is interfering with the transporters. We have about forty minutes to go before we get the buffers back online. Can it wait until then?"

I guess so.

"All right. I'll forward your painting to your coordinates as soon as things clear up. Boothby out." he said.

I looked around the messhall. It was true! The walls and ceiling were glowing and there was a really really tall bald man who was gray who had a lot of that glow around his head. He was with the pretty lady with the dark long hair and he seemed to be playing a gong when they ate anything! That was funny.

Deanna Troy! Why does that man hit the gong when you and everybody at your dinner table eats?

I waited for the pretty lady to answer me.

-  
(attachments)

Image : Naomi Wildman in her mother's arms.

Image : Naomi and Flotter in her holoprogram of the Great Forest.

*  
From : "Cory Anda" Subject : The Great Divide, no longer be... Heart to heart to truly see... Date : Sat, 04 Aug 2001 08:45:48 +0000

Chakotay saw the admiral get up and leave the bridge after turning it over to the assigned officer of the day. Inside, he was glad that he wasn't medically fit to be stuck in the command chair while everyone else had a good time celebrating Voyager's safe return.

He was about to leave when he received a hail from a secure channel, from a vessel not the Enterprise. ::That's strange.. Only family ships have been allowed into our airspace, and I thought all families were accounted for..:: the first officer frowned.

He nodded to the comm to let him hear the hail. It was a booster only, needing Chakotay's verbal response to fully open a voice to voice communication between him and the fairly common scout ship pulling into orbit near Enterprise.

::Well. this is probably the last time I'll be able to address myself as Voyager's second officer, officially so....:: =^=This is Commander Chakotay to the hailing vessel. Go ahead. =^=

The answering reply made him promptly forget his aches from his near drowning. "Glad to hear you so chipper Son of my son.. May I be included in your crew's festivities?"

Chakotay felt ice water enter his veins, but this time, it was purely emotional so sickbay was not alerted to his gut reaction. "Kolopak? Impossible! Who is this!?"

His father was dead, on that south american expedition of nineteen years ago. True, a body had never been found, but fragments of canoe remnants over torrential waterfalls and shreds of clothing left much to the imagination.

"It is me, Chakotay.." the light baritone replied, "Kolopak.."

"My father is dead..!" Chakotay said loudly. He didn't care who on the bridge heard him.

"No,.. I am quite alive.. I decided to wait until the son of my son had proved his worth to his "chosen" people. You may not have accepted the tribe. But you have done honor to your adoptive "crew" family."

Chakotay narrowed his eyes, listening with disbelief at the sound of his father's voice echoing in his ears. "Let me see you face to face if you are who you claim you are...!"

The main viewer materialized to a face Chakotay only remembered on his dreamquests and in his dreams whenever he grieved the last conversation of hateful words he had last shared with Kolopak. The man on the screen, although possessing a full shock of snowy hair, looked indeed like his father.

On impulse, he sent Boothby's sensors through the hull of the shieldless scout to dive deep into the man's DNA. The readings which came back read....

Kolopak..

Chakotay stood, stunned. "Why?.. After all this time... After making me and everyone believe you are dead...?"

"Coup Contra Coup... I challenged your honor, son. Because you chose to turn away from mine and our tribe's. I "tapped" the enemy even as it lay inside my own son, then ran away to the greater honor of watching you blossom into the fine warrior officer I now see before me.." Kolopak said proudly.. "It was within my rights to do this action..."

Chakotay tightened his jaw, his emotions flicking between anger and pain and love for the image his eyes still denied. Then the last words delivered by his father clinched it. This was indeed, Kolopak; aged nineteen years, but still the rock of heritage Chakotay knew him to be. He had returned......

As within his rights as leader of the tribe council.. a post for life.

In the back of his mind, Chakotay could not help but draw a parallel of Q and Q's sons past conversations sounding a lot like this one.

He bit down his shock and shame and anger and joy behind defensive Starfleet demeanor and nodded to the Ops officer. "Send a shuttle to rendevous with the scoutship. "

He turned back to the image of his much aged father, "You may come. I'm sure....we've... a lot of ground to talk about..."

Kolopak nodded. "Let us meet within the heart of your crew's celebration, that way, I will be welcomed by them if not yet, by you.." And the screen went dark..

Chakotay sat back down in his seat, not believing yet still seeing the sensor DNA scan results before his eyes. "I must be crazy.. I just said yes to arranging a heart to heart talk with my father believed dead for nineteen years."

Five minutes later, Chakotay, after a short stop over for his medicine bundle and with his tribal feather dangle tapering from his ear on the tatooed side, he entered the messhall and sat down without a chair in a corner under the starlight. Respectfully, family visitors gave a berth of space around the seated commander as he waited, looking at the entryway doors numbly.

Soon, Chakotay's vigilance ended. Chakotay gasped. His father stood in the doorway wearing the same ceremonial feather dangle with the "Life Returning" Soot on his features.

Chakotay gestured to Kolopak to be seated on the opposite side of his fur as he unravelled it to reveal his Akoonah, river stone, blackbird wing and sage.

Wordlessly, Kolopak sat as bidden and together the two men entered into a private spirit world realm of two within a crowded messhall of dozens inside the akoonah's induced trance.

"Father..." Chakotay said in the forest glade. He was no longer on the plain of Rahelon's place. His father's spirit guide's home, was stronger. Kolopak walked out of the woods with his guide at his side, a lumbering Kodiak grizzly.

"Son.. "

Then the bear spoke to the silent hawk. ##Long have I waited resolution of this divergence between our person/spirit friends. As long as breath was in their bodies I knew it would be..##

Rahelon, the hawk dipped his elegant head, ##I am new to Chakotay, yet I understand. The question is... do they?##

Chakotay and Kolopak both felt bear and bird of prey eyes on theirs, weighing their worth and their very souls.

The vision of the forest gave way to the last place Chakotay thought he saw his father still alive. The city of his tribe on the colony world.

Kolopak's lips moved and he spoke then....

---------------------------------------------------------------

Tom Paris straightened up when he saw who had entered sickbay. "Dad...." he said. It made B'Elanna look up too, from her beaming scrutiny of her new daughter. She didn't even have to think about it... angling her tiny armful towards the admiral's direction so he could better see the infant.

"Glad you could come...." Tom said with a soft smile.. And he meant it. "This is Miral Torres......Helena.. Paris..." he paused gently on the third name to fully see Owen's surprised reaction at the name of his wife, who'd passed on when Tom was barely nine.

He cleared his throat.. "You did that for your mother's memory?" he said quietly, a little stiff yet in uncertainty but somehow gentle to the babe.

Tom shrugged,.. "Sure... a tradition only slightly more common than this is...." and he tossed a cigar in the air towards his father.

Owen caught it and a beaming smile filled his face.... He smelled the rich tangy aroma of the cigar appreciatively and didn't say a word. They didn't need to. The gulf between eldest and youngest Paris had finally healed.

"How about we get clear of this hospital bed and down to the party?" B'Elanna said, mischieviously beaming first to her husband and then to her father in law.

The EMH began grumbling protests immediately.. B'Elanna soon put up a defense fit for Lursa and Betor's memory .

-  
(attachments)

Image: Kolopak, Chakotay's father in expedition gear.

Gif: An indian feather and bead dangle.

Image: An overlapping mural of Chakotay's face and a futuristic colony world city.

****************************************

END WEEK TWENTY NINE RECAP 07-29-01

WEEK THIRTY RECAP 07-30-01

.com/voyagerliveaction Graphic Site

.com/group/voyagerliveaction Writing Site

***************************************

From : "patti keiper" Subject : [voyagerliveaction] Flesh and Blood Date : Mon, 30 Jul 2001 23:46:42 +0000

TANDEM post between "Dr. Jeff Seltun"  
and "Patti Keiper" via E-mail tennis.  
*Additional acknowledgements* hats off to Sam (Q2/AdmiralParis) for finding the rare Q and Q son image below. :)

Characters Involved :

Q Picard Data

Freeuse Characters:  
Julian Bashir Montgomery Scott

Julian got his AH reading. "Good, there's no component damage from the tachyons. They just short circuited the electrical signal to the rest of the unit temporarily.. As long as no tachyons reach it again. He'll be right as rain.."

He smiled as Picard blinked out of his short sedation. "You're fine, sir. Rest a while and I'll check back on you.  
I'll release you to your own quarters after a standard observation period."

Bashir moved off to return back to Torres's bedside.

"Thank you, doctor." Picard said. He watched the young physician leave to assist the EMH with the exam of the Torres child who had been just born.

Jean Luc regarded Seven of Nine. "And thank you for your assistance earlier,..ah.. Not every day you have to get yourself dressed by fellow crewman."

"Modesty is a strange concept." Seven said as she moved off to look at Miral, the new baby.  
"I shall study it further perhaps."

Picard thought ::Thank God for Borg unemotional side effects:: as he flipped over onto his side to get more comfortable.

He noticed Q2, looking at him. "And thank you for being there, too, when I was brought in, er, Q."  
he said, not knowing what to call the teen son.  
"I wasn't feeling up to social graces earlier. Just breathing was enough." Then Picard noticed Q2's bruises rising from his fall. "Don't tell me,...You've lost omnipotence? Your father's been there.."  
the Enterprise captain said of the senior Q over his son's biobed. "I should say we had quite an adventure that time.."

Q senior scoffed, "I should say so. The Calamaraine had this horrid propensity for suspending me as high as the warp core, son, by my ankle.  
Even Data over there saved my life once back then, taking on their beastly sparking energetic straight jacket in my stead."  
He leaned in on his son's ear, "Don't worry young man,  
we'll convince Quince your innocence of your crime once I put two and two together. Quince is a sucker for pardons at the slightless hint of self sacrifice."

Picard grinned, "So that's what happened between you and Quince on that shuttle inside the Calamaraine storm cloud, eh, Q?"

Q winced, "If you must know. Yes." He grew uncomfortable by the silently smirking Picard. "What? Do you want another Mariachi Band playing round your bedside in appreciation once more of the asylum you granted me back then?"

"I only want a quiet bed and some peace, Q. "

"Fine.. right back son." and Q snapped his fingers.

*WHOOSH*..

------------------------------------------------------

Picard found himself back in his own quarters on the Enterprise amid silver sheets and soft music. He was quite alone. Jean Luc let the stars fill his eyes and he slowly let things relax, one by one.

Here, on Enterprise, there was no tachyon backwash glow.  
For his ship was in orbit of Earth, above Voyager's landing coordinates..

He was already half asleep, "Thank...*yawn* you, Q."

"I'm not through with you just yet Picard." Q said right next to his ear..

Q was in bed with the captain. Subconsciously, Jean Luc drew up the sheets over his newly healed chest. "Q!  
What is it you want now?!"

Q looked properly abash.. "I didn't want to let on in Voyager's sickbay... But I'm horribly worried about my son's current ......" He agonized over the proper word.

"Vulnerability? "

"Eeooww. well...." Q minced. " Yes.. being fleshed is a real bummer.."

Picard rolled his eyes and flipped over, putting his back to Q in irritation. He knew that his translocation to his quarters would come with a pricetag.

Q went on.."...Quite frankly, Jean Luc.. I don't know what to do about it... Lady Q's down the bottom of a tide pool until the tachyon snow on Earth melts, so I can't go after Quince on that Borg Pyramid adventure of his to try and get an appeal.."

Picard grunted inaudibly.

"Well, I know that Picard.. Q's got a level head. He's crafted out of the same mould as I for liking the human species so much. Touches me deeply that he'd even be curious about Kathy's gene pool relatives.. Even I didn't go that far with you..."

"Thankheavens.."

"What?"

"I mean,.. Rank happens.." Picard covered, "Quince pulled a fast one on you by demoting your son. You can't do anything about it right now, so why don't you enjoy it.. Teach your son what IS good about being a pathetic human... Eating,.. having to do for yourself.,,, Sleeping..." came that last suggestion with a more than subtle hint to Q... Picard punched his pillow to a more comfortable position. He noticed that Bashir's standby pace maker was still stuck to his chest when he bumped it.

Q was still rambling on about his doubts, worries and concerns for his son's demotion. He never noticed when Picard stuck the pacemaker on Q's forehead, hit a button to send a false signal to sickbay of a heartbeat arrythmia and watched as Q was emergency beamed out of his bed by a panicky Bashir.

Picard smiled as his quarters once again held an occupancy number of....one.

He was asleep in moments.

----------------------------------------------

Q materialized on a biobed next to Q2 right under Bashir's hands..

Julian began venting in anger, "Where is Captain Picard?  
He's in trouble! I just got a.."

Q sighed, and crossed his eyes, noticing the pacemaker beeping there. He pulled it off with a suction cup *SMOCK*  
and held it out to the human doctor. "I believe this ..is yours? Jean Luc pulled a simian thing and had me beamed out of his hair... " He considered,.."er...what's left of it."

Q2 found that very funny and began laughing until his side ached., "Uncle Picardy did that?"

Q smiled mildly and said, "I'm the one who'll be laughing when you try to eat your first meal with this oh, so human pseudo food that's to be served at the party in the messhall tonight.."

The smile wiped off Q2 as he realized that he was feeling empty,''...ow.."

--------------------------------------------------------

Data watched as Q zapped Picard and himself away from Voyager's sickbay. He moved to a center console and located them with sensors as being in the captain's Quarters on the Enterprise. He commbadged the bridge on both ships telling them of Picard's relocation.

He mentally chose that he would attend the festivities just beginning in Voyager's messhall in his captain's place as Enterprise's envoy. He was greeted by an enthusiastic Montgomery Scott.. who had been monitoring just such a message to the bridge. His Scottish burr rang throughout sickbay making everyone in the room smile in recognition of that famous voice.  
=^=Aye, commander..Glad the captain's a fare better.  
He's restin ya say? We'll be right over lad. We've a bottle of our finest for the occasion.. How about you Geordi?  
You goin over ta the Voyager for that home coming wing ding of their'in?=^=

Data's ears perked as he waited for his friend to reply.

-  
(attachments)

Image: Picard self consciously pulling sheets over himself as Q shares his worries with him in the same bed.

Image: Q and Q son, side by side.

*  
From : "Cassidy Meyers" Subject : [voyagerliveaction] Family ties Date : Fri, 03 Aug 2001 04:28:01 +0400

It was easy for Deanna to relax once she bid B'Elanna Torres well on the birth of her baby and headed for the messhall. She wasn't there officially. Now was the time for festivities and her orders allowed for two days of leniency just as Counselor Troi the welcoming dignitary instead of Troi the assessor.

Deanna could not believe the first person she saw enter Voyager's messhall ##Mother!? What are you doing here?!##

The middleaged, qawdy figure, shadowing by an everhovering Mr. Homm, greeted her, "Hello, little one! These Voyager people are simply positively glowing in emotion.. And I'm not talking about the tachyon lighting decor.. Who thought of that detail?  
Nice touch.."

Deanna sighed and counted to ten slowly. She joined her mother at the punch table and Lwaxanna immediately asked,  
"Where is Jean Luc, Deanna? I know he's around here somewhere.  
That honor guard over there is thinking about Captain Picard right now and... what? He's in sickbay?"

"Was mother..." Deanna levelled instantly. "He's resting right now. Mr. Data is going to be Enterprise's envoy for the evening."

"Oh,, too bad. Just where did Captain Picard retire? That guard over there is thinking.. about Data's finger? Now why would he do a silly thing like that?"

Deanna just chuckled and said, "It's nothing. Just something Mr. Data had to do to help Captain Picard keep going on with things.." she said evasively, "And to answer your question..no one knows where he is right now. . Q.." and she shut right up.

"Q" is here..?" Lwaxana Troi said, "How positively divine that the Continuum sent him to congratulate this ship's return home.  
How sweet..."

Deanna muffled her acid comment about how Q had truly been welcomed thus far but refrained, stuffing a Deneban Poof cake into her mouth delicately.. "Just...MM.." she swallowed, "Just how did you get onto the boarding list, mother? I thought you were off to Benard's World on holiday?"

"Oh, being the Mother of the Fifth House, Holder of the Sacred Chalice of Rixx and Heir to the Holy Rings of Betazed has made me an official dignitary.." Mrs. Troi's face ironed into rock. "It's also why you haven't been kicked offship as well while these people let their hair down a little." She eyed the folks flooding into the messhall appreciatively, "Oh just feel their happy feelings, Little One! They're all so joyful..*sniff*" and Mr. Homm handed a gilded handkerchief to dab at her eyes.

Lwaxana seemed to see her servant for the first time. "Oh... that reminds me.. why ELSE I'm here..."

Deanna Troi stopped chewing her dessert. ::I don't like the sound of that..::

"Now don't fret, Deanna.. He won't bite...." Deanna's mother cleared her throat and Mr. Homm stepped out of the way revealing a Betazed Deanna Troi thought she'd never see again.

"Tam? Tam Elbrun?"

The tall graceful man with the once sad eyes approached, leaned forward, catching Deanna's sticky fingers with his own and kissed her hand. "What a pleasure it is to greet you in person, Counselor.  
I just happened to be looping by in Gom'Tuu and saw Voyager pull up escorted by that awful Borg Pyramid.. I hung round long enough to realize its true purpose. I was about to leave again when I got a charming letter call from your mother. I was deeply touched.. " Tam smiled shyly and kissed Deanna's hand again.. "Tell me.. did you truly miss me terribly as your mother says in your letter? Rending your hair and wearing blue over me is so ...oh, how should I say.. ? Flattering.." And he batted his eyes..

On the shielded familial link, Deanna exploded,, ##Mother!! You aren't playing match maker again... Tell me you're not... Tam is too delicate to play mind g--## and she smiled, wiping a crumb off her face.."Heh. heh. heh.. I don't know what to say Tam. I'm quite speechless.."

Mr. Homm rang his gong just then as Lwaxana tasted a soft pad of sweet sponge soufflet off the dessert tray.. She winked at her daughter innocently, knowing she had won round one.  
::My daughter'll be walking up the aisle before you know it.  
As for me.... That mention of Q sounds very..intriguing...::

It was then Deanna felt a calming sympathetic presence.  
She looked and saw Reginald Barclay stepping round Tam Elbrun saving her from putting her still shocked foot into her mouth mentally and emotionally regarding Tam and her mother.  
"Reg!.." and Troi plastered a fake smile on her face. She grabbed him by the arm, and pretended to get all four punch glasses,  
"Right back with some punch.." she said falsely gay to them as she turned their backs to Homm, Tam and her beaming mother.. "Reg, come help me carry glasses.."

When they were leaning over the massive fountain of rainbow punch,  
Deanna hissed,,."What am I going to do Reg? My mother's got designs on another husband candidate for me while she shops for one of her own again.. Tam's an ex-patient of mine for Pete's sake.."

"I I- Guessed your mother's plans,, er Deanna.. I overheard her talking with the port officials about Heather and Illia wreaths to be sent to your quarters on the Enterprise.. Th- those are betrothal flowers,  
aren't they?" Barclay hushed Deanna's bulging eyes and barely contained indignation, smiling in amusement.. "Don't worry, that order never went through since you're logged as officially attending to Voyager. I-I used my fame of being Project Pathfinder's hero to be here to warn you about..." he vaguely gestured over Tam and Lwaxana discussing the decor of the messhall room. Mr. Homm was laughing hugely at how some of the tachyon glow seemed to ring around his head like a halo for his bald pate being so close to the ceiling and attracting it there.  
Lwaxana was fluttering her fingers, fussing over his silly appearance,  
shooing the glowing fog away which only adhered to her sweeping fingers instead.

Deanna smiled painfully. "Thank you Reg.. But I've got to handle this one on my own.. Unless you want to act like my date..."

Barclay accepted the punch glasses Deanna was handing him to carry back to the Trois. "Act like your... date?!!" he nearly spilled his drinks.. "Deanna... I I I could never do that.. That wouldn't be honest.."

Deanna caught his tipping glasses and mopped up his sleeve with a silver napkin.. "I was joking Reg.. Just you being here is enough for me. Lord knows I need all the strength I'm going to get to out manuever this one.. Just keep me from putting my sandal in my big mouth ok?" And she turned with her own laden glasses to beam at Tam and the others waiting by the dessert table.

Barclay noticed Deanna's blue dress gown for the first time,, and the delicate silver sandals she wore and the way Troi's hair softly framed her Grecian face.. "Oh,,... why am I just a good friend? I'd give any thing to be one of those suitors Lwaxana's hunting down for her... but my holo fantasy days are over.. forever.."

He went to join the Troi family and help Deanna keep Lwaxana's own rising husband sensing radar off the Q contingent he knew would appear any moment, among Voyager guests.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Seven of Nine spent two point four seconds deciding what to wear for her "reunion" with her Aunt. ::Maribeth Vanessa no doubt will feel uneasy at my remaining Borg Implants:: So Seven chose a simple lilac shift and let her bun out of its confining tuck.

Seven knew her Aunt right away when one of Voyager's honor guards pointed out Seven's place by the stars, slightly apart from the dining and drinking tables. She was surprised at the apprehension she felt deep inside when she felt the older woman's eyes on her own twinkled into an uncertain smile.  
"Annika?" Aunt Vanessa's voice began..

Seven nodded, folding hands formally across her back.."Yes,, I'm.  
I'm she... I have a new name now, Maribeth Vanessa.. It's..." she broke off as her Aunt tentatively reached out to brush some loose hair away from her face gingerly..." But,...You may call me that...if you wish.. Mom and Dad would have liked that.."

At her touch, Seven trembled, feeling a strong memory of just the same caress from Maribeth that she had felt on the day her family left from Earth to go on that deep space expedition to study Borg.  
"Oh, Aunty.. I was so scared..."  
She pressed her face into her aunt's gnarled hand and then felt her emotions give way.. The two women melted into a hug as Seven's tears flooded into her eyes.. "I found the Raven.  
and I saw what the Queen did to father.. and and.." Fierce sobs gripped her throat. "I couldn't DO anything to save him..."

"Shhh, Annika.. I never gave up hope you'd return to Earth. How could I give up the niece I loved so much, in spite of how much I disagreed with my sister taking you and your father away on such a dangerous mission.." Maribeth sighed. "Shhh,, you're here now.. And I never ever, have to let you go away from me again.. Come tell me everything, Annika. I want to learn everything that's happened to you on Voyager.. I just thank my lucky stars that it was Kathryn Janeway who saved my precious baby and returned her to me.."  
And she kissed Seven's cheek.

"You know Captain Janeway?" Seven said as she let herself be sat at a quiet table under Voyager's windows.. The "fireworks"  
outside had just begun over the cornfields. The two women faced them, not letting hands go at all.

"Yes,.. Gretchen.. Kathryn's mother, and I are old friends. Perhaps that's why she recognized you as that awful Borg and decided to take steps to try and rescue you. Your picture is still over the piano where Gretchen and I used to play for church rehearsals. Kathryn came over often to hear her mother and I sing and she studied your picture alot asking where you were..She called you the invisible friend and neighbor, I didn't have the heart to tell Kathryn the Raven had disappeared with your mother and father and you aboard. Gretchen used to distract Kathryn away from that truth... She was about six years old at the time.  
But, about ten years after that. I suspected Kathryn found out what happened to you and your mother and father. Gretchen caught her reading about the Borg around the time Jean Luc Picard was taken,  
when she was in her teens during that summer's break. It had the name Annika written on the report's cover. And she had a copy of the holo of that piano picture in her locker at the academy. "

It was a revelation to Seven.. ::Captain Janeway knew about me through her mother and my Aunt even before I met her?:: Unconsciously, Seven turned to look for Captain Janeway, but the captain was not yet in the messhall.

"Come Annika.. Let's eat.. You must be famished after that gravity glitch we heard about before you landed.. Let me get us some dinner."  
Aunt Maribeth Vanessa rose to garner two laden plates for herself and her niece.

Seven sat, surrounded by a warm caress of memories returning from her reunion with her aunt. Then she, herself, recalled the picture tiny Kathryn must have seen on the piano in the countryside cottage.

It was the one where Seven was rushing into her Uncle's arms in the grass on her fifth birthday.

::I must have been held in assimilation stasis for a long time before being allowed to mature into a functioning drone if a very young Captain Janeway saw my picture after me and my family had disappeared.::

"Now I know why I , among all of those other drones.. was saved.  
Captain Janeway never forgot about me.."

-  
(attachments)

Image : Troi in Formal dress

Image: Lwaxana and Mr. Homm

Image : Data and Tam Elbrun

Image : Barclay and datapadd Image : Seven as Annika

Image : 7-Annika and grandfather

*  
From : "Roxy Dee" Subject : [voyagerliveaction] Sweet Charity~~ Date : Fri, 03 Aug 2001 03:50:17 +0000

Data watched as Q zapped Picard and himself away from Voyager's sickbay. He moved to a center console and located them with sensors as being in the captain's Quarters on the Enterprise. He commbadged the bridge on both ships telling them of Picard's relocation.

He mentally chose that he would attend the festivities just beginning in Voyager's messhall in his captain's place as Enterprise's envoy. He was greeted by an enthusiastic Montgomery Scott.. who had been monitoring just such a message to the bridge. His Scottish burr rang throughout sickbay making everyone in the room smile in recognition of that famous voice.  
=^=Aye, commander..Glad the captain's a fare better.  
He's restin ya say? We'll be right over lad. We've a bottle of our finest for the occasion.. How about you Geordi?  
You goin over ta the Voyager for that home coming wing ding of their'in?=^=

Data's ears perked as he waited for his friend to reply.

=^=Yes, Mr. Scott. I plan to be there. You going too, Data?"=^= asked Geordi.

"Captain Picard is recovering still in his quarters. With Enterprise in orbit still, I am the highest ranking Enterprise officer on Voyager. It would be wrong to not serve as a dignitary in that capacity." Data said.

=^=Then I'll meet you in the messhall, Commanders."  
LaForge said, "Geordi out.=^=

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Geordi was leaning on the back of his messhall chair when he had a feeling of disembodiment for a few brief seconds. When he opened his eyes, Quince was sitting at a table, gnawing a turkey leg and hefting a toast to the Enterprise engineer with it, winking his left eye.

LaForge got a feeling of an unexplained chill as he felt someone approach his table. He saw a red captain's uniform surrounding a very familiar, strong, African woman standing before him.  
"Mother?"

Silva LaForge sat down in the chair opposite. "Geordi... I'm glad I could make it to your reception.. The invitation I got wasn't very clear on details. Can I get you something?" She said, pointing to her own Chardonnay in her right hand.

Geordi froze and his skin crawled. He was seeing a ghost.  
It was not a pleasant feeling at all.

He glanced suspiciously at Quince, still watching this new family reunion. Quince again winked, waving a get on with it gesture.

Leadenly, he felt his mouth answer her, while his sanity completely left center field.  
"I'm fine... thanks. It's....uh, it's good to see you, mother. How's the Yorktown?" he said, rubbing down disturbing goosepimples on his arm. He winced at his own macabre humor.

Inside, his mind raced.  
::My mother is dead. We learned that from the aliens down on that gas giant. Her starship was trapped in its atmosphere and slowly sank, the poisonous atmosphere and pressure killed everyone.  
All hands lost. There were no survivors !::Geordi cursed . :: I found no one of her crew left at all, after I probed her wearing that virtual biosuit acting as the brain of that probe. :: He forced his beating heart thudding in his chest to beat and he sat very still, afraid to move.

Silva's statuesque features moulded from their warm expression to one of confusion that came suddenly. It pained Geordi to see it there.  
"The Yorktown?.. I can't recall.. I ..don't seem to remember anything.."  
and she blinked, the smile returning to her face. "...past this invitation I received from an individual named Quince. Do you know him? Is he a new admiral? I know I've been in deep space a long time on my mission with my crew. I haven't been up on the latest changes at Starfleet, I'll admit."

Geordi was numb. Here was his mother, walking and talking, in full life before him. He felt overwhelmed entering into a protective fog, when time suddenly stopped.

Geordi found himself at Quince's table.  
LaForge's fury erupted into a rage, yet he could not pull his eyes away from the "halted" form of his oh so long lost mother.  
"What do you think you're doing, Quince!! This is hideous.. Silva's gone. My family has moved on without her when the Enterprise found her ship crushed down there on that gas world. Including myself.. I don't know what kind of twisted game you are pl--"

"Oh, it's no game, my fine blind friend." he said levelly and very serious. "We're at what is supposed to be a joyous reunion and you've suffered enough according to the Continuum. We've just passed an addendum effecting charity to suppressed humans in light of those Q who've tortured them in the past. "

"The Yorktown tragedy had nothing to do with Q.." Geordi said, his eyes tearing, as his emotions reeled.

"Oh really..." Quince said, not moving an inch, "You better ask Q and his son about that. It was their first "Baseball game" which sent that meteor into the Yorktown's shields and cast that starship into that gas giant's atmosphere to begin with."

Geordi wiped away the salty moisture from his face. "But you've said repeatedly that you can't effect the dead.I ..I don't understand."

Quince interrupted almost immediately, "I am not Q nor his son. I am the judge, jury and executioner of the Q Continuum. Now I am appointed dispensation goodwill ambassador so don't bite the hand that feeds you. Those individuals on the Yorktown never died. The aliens were still holding them inside their essences until they reported them to us, in the Continuum. You and your pathetic Enterprise crew never bothered to try to descend down to the Yorktown again to check for any bodies. Now did you?"

Geordi began to breathe ragged and tortured. "I... did try.. It almost killed me... I.."

"It really doesn't matter, you know, what you think." Quince said evenly, examining his fingernail. "She and all her crew are integrated back into your tiny little past and present as they should have been without Q interfering. So go back to your mother, boy.. Before we change our minds..." he said dangerously.. "Q charity is fleeting if gratitude is not exhibited in proper measure. Only you remember the way it was LaForge. It is the coin we accept in exchange for our mercy. So get over it."

And Quince popped out. ::Back to who knows where.:: Geordi felt time resume like a slow river around him. He was wholly glad for his visor.  
As it hid the tears stinging there from his eyes. His acceptance of Silva's reinstatement back to his life would take a great deal longer to settle in than one night's span, he knew.

He sat down back at Captain Silva's table with a cool tea. It was all his shattered nerves could handle. His mother was oblivious to his state of emotions. She was taken in by all the excitement flowing around her.  
"I've read so much about Voyager back then before she was lost. Did you know that I almost put myself on the list for consideration to captain her? But then, when the Reliant A came up... " she sighed,.. and grasped her son's hand.."I have always been a sucker for outmoded starships. They seem to make you feel immortal somehow when you're in their command chairs. I feel like I could live forever, Geordi. "

Geordi sighed, patting his mother's hand, feeling its warmth there and the very real pulsebeat of the veins running along the back of it.  
::Immortal indeed. A second chance.:: Geordi's benumbed mind echoed, ::By the the unholy grace of Q, I am grateful, mother, that you are here.::"Glad you could arrange your busy schedule to come, mother."

He felt himself be enveloped by one of her firm embraces, still heavily chilled in horror and shock, and felt lost in the sea of her cologne. ::The price for my memory of your death will haunt me forever...::

"What's the matter, Geordi?" Quince said in his mind. "The coin price too high? All right, I'll dicker.. A sweet for the sour."

Geordi heard a new voice calling out to him. "Geordi?! Geordi LaForge!!"He looked up to see a very hassled scientist, still wearing a lab tunic he knew she would have still worn even when she forgot about him. "Remember me?!" Leah Brahams said.

She plunked herself into the third chair at Geordi's table and waved over a waiter to their side, "Oh, hello, Captain .." she greeted Silva. "I read your dissertation on why Voyager's biogelpacks might be the front runner of transwarp propulsion for the new Excelsior II on the drawing blocks.  
I came to meet with you and Voyager's engineer to discuss them after the party lets out. I didn't know you were here Geordi.. Did you get a mysterious invitation from Quince, too?"

Geordi nearly spat out his mouthful of cold tea, but a new warmth of his old love for Leah Brahams was rekindled against his will. "Yeah.. a big one, in person.." he chuckled for their benefit with a humor that lived in his voice alone.

But, in spite of himself, that Q assisted love began to grow, chasing out the temporal horror of a memory which he alone harbored. He turned to Leah, "So,...like to dance? Mom's got the first one. And I'm sure a band will materialize before too long.." Geordi glared,.. fully expecting the Q family to make sure about that. It seems a visit of theirs was always followed by a Mexican Mariachi band at one point or another.

Silva beamed at her son. "Make mine Dixieland jazz band and it's a dance date."

Leah laughed and raised her glass she pulled from the waiter's tray high. "Here. Here. To business associates, family, friends, and to Voyager herself. May she fly forever..!!" she toasted.

An invisible silohuette of Quince echoed the sentiment with a mug of his own.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Harry Kim blinked. One moment he was just in Voyager's messhall.

The next, Neelix's counter had been converted from just that to a bar. Plus one very unusual bar hostess. "Guinan? Picard's Guinan?"

Guinan smiled at him mildly and whisked away Harry's empty glass. "Whoops, that's one less Fizz Bin Toddy for you, young man. It's time for cutting off if you don't remember how your bartender began her shift working the party. You yourself helped me beam my entire inventory to this celebration and cleared me with your captain to serve the guests.. Don't you remember?"

Harry blinked carefully, "Uh...no." Then he caught Quince, winking at him from another seat at the bar. He was trying to not be noticed by Guinan. So far, his cover was working.. Harry thought it best if he didn't try to figure things out too deeply.. He decided to try a little indignation tactic.

He smacked the tricorder he was wearing in his belt to record names of guests and to record the party as it happened, in front of him. "If you doubt me Guinan, Scan me! I am not drunk.." he said clearly.

The hostess continued to polish her wine glasses methodically and made no move toward the tricorder sitting on her bar. "I believe you, ensign." And she set another Fizz Bin in front of him.. "Now... No drunk would feel stung being called drunk."

Harry rolled his eyes..

He turned as Enterprise's Data sat next to him on one side.  
And a second movement made him startle.

"What the devil is that, Harry?.. Looks like it'll raise me dead mother to'in a nanosecond!" a Scottish drawl insisted. Scotty peered myopically at the drink and sniffed it. He set it down as if it burned him."Careful with those things.. They even made Captain Kirk forget more than a few minutes of many a memorable evening, ensign.."

Guinan's smile got bigger when she saw just who sat down on one of her barstools. She set a full tumbler before the man even before he gave voice to his order. She even tipped her tall hat to him with a touch of a hand.

Commander Montgomery Scott eyed the drink suspiciously, "Is this Scotch real?" he challenged.

"Aye." Guinan said, meeting his eye and teasing him with in his own accent. "I remember your last visit to my bar vividly.." she said, leaning on robed elbows. "Can't have a cranky customer chasing away all my business again, now can we?"

Harry started laughing and couldn't stop.

Data echoed him.

Kim cast his eyes around the messhall and saw already that several crewmates were already in attendance at Voyager's homecoming party bash.

He saw the Enterprise counselor with several other black eyed people like herself and Barclay of all people.

And he saw Seven with a kindly gray haired woman in a shawl tucked in a windowside table, talking quietly, to each other over food.

He wondered who else would show up next.

-  
(attachments)

Image : Geordi LaForge close big promo Image : Silva LaForge, Geordi's mother.  
Image: Harry and tricorder

Image: Geordi and Leah Brahams , close

Image : Data and Guinan at the bar.

Image : Data and Scotty seated at the bar.

*  
From: "Samantha Rose"  
Date: Sat Aug 4, 2001 2:24 am Subject: First Star To the Right, Straight On Til Morning

The bridge was quiet save the light conversations of the small group that occupied the room. Grabbing the data PADDs that were scattered about him, Owen stood from the Captain's Chair. Nodding to the Vulcan officer, in which he made an earlier aquaintence, the Admiral left the bridge of Voyager.

It was a short and refreshing trip to the Mess Hall for Paris. The glow from the tachyon residue was magnificent and the fresh air circulating through the vessel only added to the experience. Needless to say, there was a spring in the old man's step. Rounding a corner on the fifth deck a faint laughter became louder as the Mess Hall doors opened and then shut again. The doors opened again and this time the Admiral walked in.

There we masses of citizens and Starfleet personel alike filling the hall. ::Amazing:: Owen thought to himself. He was enjoying the bustle going on around him when his comm badge chirped.

"Sickbay to Admiral Paris." Doctor Bashir's voice rang loud and clear through the link.

"Paris here, go ahead."

"There is a little baby girl here waiting to meet her Grandfather. I suggest you not keep her waiting." one could tell that there was a smile on the Deep Space Niner's face through the words that he spoke.

"Acknowledged. Tell her I'm on my way." Owen's hand was a bit shaky as he closed the link with a single tap to the insignia. Taking a deep breathe he left the Mess Hall and went down the corridor to Sickbay. Once inside his eyes quickly scanned the room and soon found the new family. Walking over, Owen placed a hand on Tom's shoulder and looked down at the quarter Klingon child in her mother's arms. ::I never thought this day would come...:

An overwhelming sense of pride and joy flooded over Owen as Miral slept peacefully. There was nothing but smiles on the faces of those who surrounded the little infant, the second to be born on Voyager, the first in the Alpha Quadrant.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Q2 looked up at his father and swallowed. Food? He had to eat Food? He had never had to before, but come to think of it there was a funny feeling in his stomache right now. Learning from previous experience, Q2 winced. A sharp remembrance of Neelix's leola root stew took over his taste buds and Q2 suddenly found himself a mite queezy.

"I think I'll put off that part of my humanity for as long as I can." he caught a grimace on Q's face at the word and shook his head. Hopping off the bio-bed, Q2 took a step forward but was stopped by the shock of a forcefield. His father turned his head and rocked back and forth on the heel of his shoes whistling quietly.

"Come on, let me out." Q shook his head, "I'll be fine! It's not like I'm going to die or anything." those words hit the elder Q with an unexpected impact. Q2 threw his hands up in the air in surrender.

"Alright, I give. But I do have to get out of here, I'm starting to feel like Seven of Nine..." confusion, "You know? How she had to start eating after Aunt Kathy liberated her...I read about it while going through the data base last time we were here." Nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch. There was still no sound from his father. Giving him a pouty look, Q2 gave his best at getting out. Soon, the forcefield was down and Q had his arm around the boy's shoulder in a VERY protective gesture.

"Uh, Dad, you're squeezing me a bit hard..."

"Oh, sorry son."

Q2 couldn't hear his father, the site of the newborn caught his eye and he slowly walked out of the embrace and towards the small group. Coming to stand between Tom and the Doctor, Q2 glanced at B'Elanna who nodded with a smile. Reaching out he gently touched the infant, whose eyes slowly opened to tiny slits not yet fully able to open. Q2 pulled back a bit, but overcame the insecurities and soon found that the tiny Klingon/Human hybrid had clasped her tiny fingers around his one. Her grip was a strong.

A few minutes later Q2 was walking out of the medical bay and down the corridor. His destination was as small room at the end of the hall where his temporary quarters were located, the same in which he stayed on the last visit. Not wanting to make a bad impression on the Captain's family, Q2 decided to change his attire.

The replicator hummed quietly and soon he was adorned in a new set of clothing, the discarded uniform laying in a pile on the bed. Smoothing over the cloth, Q2 smiled in satisfaction at the dark maroon shirt and brown vest. The only thing left to do now was find Janeway.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

More people continued to file into the Mess Hall as the holo-Molly rounded up the crew's family. Q2 managed to squeeze himself between two groups of people as he made his way into the room. There was so much activity around him that he found it hard to concentrate on one thing long enough. He saw an empty stool near what looked like a make shift bar. It wasn't any easier to maneuver through the crowd once inside the Mess Hall as it was getting in.

Q2 sat down and turned in the swivel chair to survey the scene. He recognized Counselor Troi not too far away from where he sat with someone he thought must have been a family member. The woman with her looked over at him and gave a curious look. ::Betezed...she must be the Counselor's mother. Aren't Betezoid's telepathic?:: He turned that question over and over in his head until another person caught his eye. This time it was rage and anger that came over him.

"Quince..." Q2 barely managed a hoarse whisper as he placed a hand on the bar to hoast himself up. With a swish of a cloth a restraining hand came down on his own hand. Q2 turned his head to see a black women with an outragiously large hat on her head. He pulled his hand away but sat down.

"I would advise against taking actions you may regret." Guinan's advice came without asking, yet managed to keep the boy still. He cocked his head to the side and looked at her. She continued, "I don't recall seeing you on the guest list and you look to young to be an officer. What's your name?"

"Q." he answered her question with a single letter. The memory of his father's tales of the El Aurian finally caught up with him. Guinan gave him an odd look and continued wiping down the counter.

"I'm the son of the Q that you know..." he tried to clear that up a bit and it seemed to work. Taking one last glance behind him, Q2 saw that Quince had vanished...for now. When he turned around there was a small glass of chocolate milk before him and Guinan had moved down to the other end of the bar. Q2 shrugged his shoulders and in picking up the glass he took a drink.

(attachments)

Image: DS9, Dr. Bashir in the gray uniform Promo shot against a metal bunker.

Image : Q2 with an "eooww" face on.

Image: Q smiling in uniform.  
Image : B'Elanna Torres in a white and gray flight suit.

Image : "Mad , Bad, and Dangerous To Know" Q montage illustration with phrasing in red.

*  
From : "Clairissa Fox" Subject : Mum and me at the party Date : Sat, 04 Aug 2001 06:53:24 +0000

I talked to Auntie Kathy.

Now that the big Robot ship has gone away, its time for our party for getting to Earth, isnt it?

She nodded at me. So I said, ok. Can I bring your Molly to the messhall. I washed her feet real good.

Auntie Kathy nodded again. Ok. Ill save a table for you and Feebee and your mum.

Then I left the tunnel and Auntie Kathy standing by the window with Molly.

In no time at all I was in the messhall with a plate. Molly was hungry. So I fed her some chicken and bread.

Molly! Molly! How can you be so hungry? I just fed you after your bath. Then I called Bootby.

Bootby! Bootby! Wheres mum? Isnt she done in engineering yet?

"Well, young lady, I am tracking Samantha right now. Yes, your mother is on her way to you from Deck Fifteen. She stopped at home to change first." the wizened caretaker program mentioned.

Oh! Ok. Thank you for checking on mum for me, Bootby. I sat down at a table and made Molly sit at another one and guard it so Auntie Kathy would have a place for her family to sit even in that crowded room. It was her ship! She should get one.

I looked around and saw 7 talking to another woman I didnt know. Was that her Auntie? She told me about her once when we were in the hollow deck with Tremis and Flotter in the Great Forest story. Then I saw a funny lady with a tall hat giving grownup drinks to everyone there. Geordi was there and Mr Scott and Data too!

Then mum came.

Mum! I missed you! I didnt see you for a long time since we got back to Earth! I got to do a lot! I helped Dr Basheer and the hollow doctor bring Belannas baby out for her birthday and I sat near Tom Pairs when he fainted because he was scared for Belanna and I got soup for Chakoty when he woke up from his accident and a lot of things. This is Molly. Auntie Kathys dog. The real one.

"Well, hello there.." Samantha Wildman said as she scratched the affectionate Irish Setter's ears. "Looks like you've had an active day, Naomi. Where's Captain Janeway. Shouldn't she be at her own party? Letting the families on board ship was her idea."

I know that mum. I left her in the tunnel and she was looking at her mum and sister and boyfriend on the porch through the window. Auntie Kathy let me bring Molly here with me.

"Well, Captain Janeway's probably gathering her thoughts for the occasion." Samantha sighed. "I know I'd need a little time to face my fondest wish square in the eyes."

Really? Why?

"Think about it. We've been travelling seven years to get back home. Every night we dreamed of Earth and home but now, we actually are here. Takes some getting used to, don't you think?" Naomi's mother asked.

I guess so. I never really thought about it that way. I knew I would see Earth no matter how long it took because I am only ten. I had a long time until I got too old to see it.

Samantha Wildman laughed at her daughter's logic and tapped her on her forehead horns.. "And guess who's on his way from Mars in an hour or so.."

Daddy!

"That's right. I just spoke with him after I changed out of my uniform. Do you remember the picture of your dad? The one on my bedstand?"

Yes. His name is Lieutenant Stvehtepdoq and his forehead horns are bigger than mine!

Samantha took a sip from her cider and got up to get her daughter some rainbow punch from the dessert table very near where they were sitting. "You remembered.. Seeing your father in real life will be better than all those holoprograms we have played or seen in the mailcall access array."

Is he very tall?

"Very. But let's get something to eat, shall we? Looks like Molly's beaten us to it."

Ok mum.

I could hardly wait for dad to come! I could hardly eat but mum didnt make me eat much because I was so excited. Only an hour to wait!

I remembered my gift I wanted to bring dad when he came. Bootby! Bootby! Can you send my gift from my room to here? I forgot to get it?

Boothby came online in the overhead computer monitor, "And what does it look like, Naomi Wildman?"

Its a painting I did near the closet of mum, me and dad. Can you send it here?

"I don't see why not? But I have to wait a while because the tachyon wash you see lighting up the walls and windows is interfering with the transporters. We have about forty minutes to go before we get the buffers back online. Can it wait until then?"

I guess so.

"All right. I'll forward your painting to your coordinates as soon as things clear up. Boothby out." he said.

I looked around the messhall. It was true! The walls and ceiling were glowing and there was a really really tall bald man who was gray who had a lot of that glow around his head. He was with the pretty lady with the dark long hair and he seemed to be playing a gong when they ate anything! That was funny.

Deanna Troy! Why does that man hit the gong when you and everybody at your dinner table eats?

I waited for the pretty lady to answer me.

-  
(attachments)

Image : Naomi Wildman in her mother's arms.

Image : Naomi and Flotter in her holoprogram of the Great Forest.

*  
From : "Cory Anda" Subject : The Great Divide, no longer be... Heart to heart to truly see... Date : Sat, 04 Aug 2001 08:45:48 +0000

Chakotay saw the admiral get up and leave the bridge after turning it over to the assigned officer of the day. Inside, he was glad that he wasn't medically fit to be stuck in the command chair while everyone else had a good time celebrating Voyager's safe return.

He was about to leave when he received a hail from a secure channel, from a vessel not the Enterprise. ::That's strange.. Only family ships have been allowed into our airspace, and I thought all families were accounted for..:: the first officer frowned.

He nodded to the comm to let him hear the hail. It was a booster only, needing Chakotay's verbal response to fully open a voice to voice communication between him and the fairly common scout ship pulling into orbit near Enterprise.

::Well. this is probably the last time I'll be able to address myself as Voyager's second officer, officially so....:: =^=This is Commander Chakotay to the hailing vessel. Go ahead. =^=

The answering reply made him promptly forget his aches from his near drowning. "Glad to hear you so chipper Son of my son.. May I be included in your crew's festivities?"

Chakotay felt ice water enter his veins, but this time, it was purely emotional so sickbay was not alerted to his gut reaction. "Kolopak? Impossible! Who is this!?"

His father was dead, on that south american expedition of nineteen years ago. True, a body had never been found, but fragments of canoe remnants over torrential waterfalls and shreds of clothing left much to the imagination.

"It is me, Chakotay.." the light baritone replied, "Kolopak.."

"My father is dead..!" Chakotay said loudly. He didn't care who on the bridge heard him.

"No,.. I am quite alive.. I decided to wait until the son of my son had proved his worth to his "chosen" people. You may not have accepted the tribe. But you have done honor to your adoptive "crew" family."

Chakotay narrowed his eyes, listening with disbelief at the sound of his father's voice echoing in his ears. "Let me see you face to face if you are who you claim you are...!"

The main viewer materialized to a face Chakotay only remembered on his dreamquests and in his dreams whenever he grieved the last conversation of hateful words he had last shared with Kolopak. The man on the screen, although possessing a full shock of snowy hair, looked indeed like his father.

On impulse, he sent Boothby's sensors through the hull of the shieldless scout to dive deep into the man's DNA. The readings which came back read....

Kolopak..

Chakotay stood, stunned. "Why?.. After all this time... After making me and everyone believe you are dead...?"

"Coup Contra Coup... I challenged your honor, son. Because you chose to turn away from mine and our tribe's. I "tapped" the enemy even as it lay inside my own son, then ran away to the greater honor of watching you blossom into the fine warrior officer I now see before me.." Kolopak said proudly.. "It was within my rights to do this action..."

Chakotay tightened his jaw, his emotions flicking between anger and pain and love for the image his eyes still denied. Then the last words delivered by his father clinched it. This was indeed, Kolopak; aged nineteen years, but still the rock of heritage Chakotay knew him to be. He had returned......

As within his rights as leader of the tribe council.. a post for life.

In the back of his mind, Chakotay could not help but draw a parallel of Q and Q's sons past conversations sounding a lot like this one.

He bit down his shock and shame and anger and joy behind defensive Starfleet demeanor and nodded to the Ops officer. "Send a shuttle to rendevous with the scoutship. "

He turned back to the image of his much aged father, "You may come. I'm sure....we've... a lot of ground to talk about..."

Kolopak nodded. "Let us meet within the heart of your crew's celebration, that way, I will be welcomed by them if not yet, by you.." And the screen went dark..

Chakotay sat back down in his seat, not believing yet still seeing the sensor DNA scan results before his eyes. "I must be crazy.. I just said yes to arranging a heart to heart talk with my father believed dead for nineteen years."

Five minutes later, Chakotay, after a short stop over for his medicine bundle and with his tribal feather dangle tapering from his ear on the tatooed side, he entered the messhall and sat down without a chair in a corner under the starlight. Respectfully, family visitors gave a berth of space around the seated commander as he waited, looking at the entryway doors numbly.

Soon, Chakotay's vigilance ended. Chakotay gasped. His father stood in the doorway wearing the same ceremonial feather dangle with the "Life Returning" Soot on his features.

Chakotay gestured to Kolopak to be seated on the opposite side of his fur as he unravelled it to reveal his Akoonah, river stone, blackbird wing and sage.

Wordlessly, Kolopak sat as bidden and together the two men entered into a private spirit world realm of two within a crowded messhall of dozens inside the akoonah's induced trance.

"Father..." Chakotay said in the forest glade. He was no longer on the plain of Rahelon's place. His father's spirit guide's home, was stronger. Kolopak walked out of the woods with his guide at his side, a lumbering Kodiak grizzly.

"Son.. "

Then the bear spoke to the silent hawk. ##Long have I waited resolution of this divergence between our person/spirit friends. As long as breath was in their bodies I knew it would be..##

Rahelon, the hawk dipped his elegant head, ##I am new to Chakotay, yet I understand. The question is... do they?##

Chakotay and Kolopak both felt bear and bird of prey eyes on theirs, weighing their worth and their very souls.

The vision of the forest gave way to the last place Chakotay thought he saw his father still alive. The city of his tribe on the colony world.

Kolopak's lips moved and he spoke then....

---------------------------------------------------------------

Tom Paris straightened up when he saw who had entered sickbay. "Dad...." he said. It made B'Elanna look up too, from her beaming scrutiny of her new daughter. She didn't even have to think about it... angling her tiny armful towards the admiral's direction so he could better see the infant.

"Glad you could come...." Tom said with a soft smile.. And he meant it. "This is Miral Torres......Helena.. Paris..." he paused gently on the third name to fully see Owen's surprised reaction at the name of his wife, who'd passed on when Tom was barely nine.

He cleared his throat.. "You did that for your mother's memory?" he said quietly, a little stiff yet in uncertainty but somehow gentle to the babe.

Tom shrugged,.. "Sure... a tradition only slightly more common than this is...." and he tossed a cigar in the air towards his father.

Owen caught it and a beaming smile filled his face.... He smelled the rich tangy aroma of the cigar appreciatively and didn't say a word. They didn't need to. The gulf between eldest and youngest Paris had finally healed.

"How about we get clear of this hospital bed and down to the party?" B'Elanna said, mischieviously beaming first to her husband and then to her father in law.

The EMH began grumbling protests immediately.. B'Elanna soon put up a defense fit for Lursa and Betor's memory .

-  
(attachments)

Image: Kolopak, Chakotay's father in expedition gear.

Gif: An indian feather and bead dangle.

Image: An overlapping mural of Chakotay's face and a futuristic colony world city.

*  
From : "Fran Catrair" Subject : [voyagerliveaction] Meeting the Family Date : Sun, 05 Aug 2001 05:40:34 +0000 Never in her life had B'Elanna felt her life so complete. She had a challenging job, friends and colleagues who respected her and a husband who loved her completely and had shown her how to love completely. Now, they had a beautiful daughter. Looking back, she was glad that Tom had stopped the EMH from performing the genetically altering surgery on Miral. She was absolutely perfect.

The doctors had finished cleaning her and Miral up and had removed the privacy field.  
Glancing at Naomi, she noticed the young girl was getting anxious. She probably wanted to find her mother, with all the excitement going on in the mess hall. She encouraged the girl to go, and promised her she could come back by later and visit.

The doors to sickbay had been busy with people coming and going. So much so, that she had grown accustomed to it and had tuned them out. However,  
when Tom greeted someone in particular, she immediately became alert. Noticing it was Admiral Paris, she had instinctively held up the baby for her father-in-law to see. She was nervous, considering the fact she was so recently removed from her recent emotional experience,  
and was somewhat worried about how he would react. She hadn't had any time to speak with the Admiral, and find out how he felt about Tom's marriage to her. Not that it would matter, at this point, but it was important to her that Tom was happy, and she knew his father's approval would make him happy.

Upon seeing the Admiral's approval of Miral, B'Elanna relaxed considerably. She was startled when Tom added the additional name, but realizing it was his late mother's name, she nodded approvingly and smiled at him.

When the EMH had protested her attendance at the party in the mess hall, the emotional recent mother was unhappy. "What do you mean, we can't go down there?" B'Elanna argued. "Klingon women have been known to go back to the battlefield immediately after birth." she concluded, her nostrils flaring.  
"B'Elanna, you aren't on a Klingon battlefield. You have just given birth. This is an emotional situation.  
You need to rest. Perhaps later, we can throw you all a party, celebrating Miral's birth in the Alph Quadrant."  
the doctor concluded, trying to soothe his emotional patient. However, the doctor knew his patient, and knew it wouldn't be enough to placate her. "I will be fine,  
doctor. Miral will be fine. You said yourself, she was a strong, healty baby. I promise you, we won't be at the party long." she concluded, her features softening as she made this concession to Miral's godfather.

The doctor relented. "All right." he concluded.  
"But YOU make sure and take care of them." he sharply added, darting a warning look at Tom. "Scout's honor."  
Tom said, his fingers crossing his heart as he winked at his wife. Laughing, B'Elanna gathered herself up.  
She felt a little weak, but she felt so happy, she quickly got over it. Tom moved to support her briefly.  
She smiled at him, and smiled when the EMH gave her the baby. They started to leave.

Suddenly, a hail came into sickbay. =^= Bridge to Lieutenant Torres. =^= =^=Torres here. Go ahead. =^= she responded. =^= Sir, there is someone requesting permission to come aboad. He identified himself as a John Torres. =^= the young ensign concluded. ::Her father?:: she thought, startled. With all that been happening, she had forgotten to notify him when they had entered the Alpha Quadrant. ::Guess Starfleet notified him for me.:: she thought. =^= Direct him to the party in the mess hall. We'll meet him shortly. =^= she concluded. =^= Acknowledged. =^= the ensign replied. Glancing worried at Tom, she swayed briefly. "Looks like Miral's going to meet her other grandfather." she said, trying to make light of the situation.

-  
As she finished up her report to Admiral Hansen,  
Elizabeth Shelby was unhappy. She had just about had enough with everyone on Voyager.  
Looking back on recent events, she recalled enduring Tom Paris' embarassed expectant father routine for as long as she could, but one flip joke by the lieutenant and she had just...had it. She unceremoniously dropped him, nakedness and all,  
in the corridor and taken off. If she was a humorous person, she might have found the situation funny, especially the total look of surprise on Tom Paris' face as she left.

Shaking her head, she continued to stew in anger.  
The actions of the Enterprise crew, especially Captain Picard, had infuriated her. They were not following Starfleet protocol for debriefing, but she realized that the Enterprise was not the crew to do the job. Captain Picard had a history of doing things his way, and ignoring regulations when he deemed it appropriate. And, how had this anticipated reunion taken place anyway? According to the reports, Commander Tuvok had set the ship down on Earth, and just as suddenly, the families had started forming. Just WHERE had they come from? WHO had authorized it? She knew this was something Admiral Hansen would need to investigate further.

Finishing up the report, Elizabeth added a few personal notes, adding her thoughts that perhaps Admiral Hansen himself should come over and handle the debriefing personally. It was obvious to her that Admiral Paris was too personally involved. She always had thought that Paris was too soft, especially over the past few years when his son had been missing in the Delta Quadrant. He had lost his edge. Admiral Hansen was a man who knew the regulations and followed them to the letter. That was one thing she had admired about him.

She felt a presence in the room. Jerking her head away from the padd, her hand went to her phaser and pulled it out and ready. Standing in front of her was a blond man, wearing a Starfleet uniform. But she didn't recall seeing him before. Keeping the phaser on him, she asked,  
"Who are you?" To which he replied, "The name is Quince,  
my dear girl. I have been watching you." Still wary,  
Elizabeth knew she sensed something wasn't quite right.  
"Just what do you want?" she continued, her voice guarded and her hand tightening around the phaser. "Simple, my dear. As I stated before, I have been watching you.  
While I normally don't interfere with the happenings of you humans, you are an interesting character. You really don't like people, do you? In fact, I would say you don't like yourself either." he finished. Elizabeth's temper, which was already short, was gone. She fired the phaser, but was stunned when it did nothing to him.  
"Just WHO are you, anyway?" she asked, a slight touch of fear in her voice. "I already told you, Elizabeth.  
I think you are a prime candidate. I think the members of the continuum will find you...interesting.", he concluded. Pointing his finger at her, and before she could react, she disappeared. Shaking his head,  
Quince looked over her padds to Admiral Hansen.  
Snapping his fingers, they disappeared. Chuckling to himself, he found it ironic that this witchy woman, a strict adherent to the rules, would now, herself, be considered AWOL; a deserter. Checking an imaginary watch on his wrist, he flashed back to the mess hall.

-  
(attachments)

Image : B'Elanna and Tom by a console wall panel.

Image : Shelby promo shot.

Image : Quince

*animated gif* A spinning UPF symbol in navy

*animated gif* A silver spinning combadge

*******************************************

END WEEK 30 RECAP 08-05-01

WEEK THIRTY ONE RECAP 08-07-01

.com/voyagerliveaction

.com/group/voyagerliveaction

****************************************

Date: Mon, 6 Aug 2001 22:43:20 -0700 (PDT) From: Jeff Seltun Subject: Surprise Package

Captain Picard awoke refreshed and undisturbed about two hours after he had transporter tagged Q out of his quarters.

He sighed, stretching languidly, as he made his way into the refresher room. He showered,  
put on a light reapplication of his depilatory repressant cologne, and got into a new uniform.

He sat down at his livingroom desk and turned on the computer. He called up the officer of the bridge's logs to see that nothing unusual happening on Enterprise. There were no new changes on her sensors except that the flow of ships of families headed for Voyager's coordinates had ceased. Everyone who was going to the festivities, had already arrived and landed. He tapped his combadge,

=^=Computer.. Are guests still embarking on board Voyager from the landing area in the town immediately below Enterprise?=^=

##Affirmative. 74 craft have landed. 64 have vacant occupancy.##

::Hmm. So the party's still just warming up down there..:: But Captain Picard did not leave his quarters. He chose to do a few leisure things first.. such as checking his mail.

He saw two there waiting for him in his datalog.  
One, was from Dr. Bashir.

'....Captain. Duly noted that you ousted your unwelcome guest from your quarters via the med beam. Heh. I only wish I could think of a similar trick to rid our resident Q family from Voyager. While you were sleeping, I had Boothby scan you thoroughly. You're fully mended. I have a solution to the temporary problem of you not being able to stay inside Voyager's remaining tachyon fog down here, that's if,..you want to join the party.  
Try a resonating biobelt set to repel tachyons. Hides well under a uniform and is discreet. No one need find out about your artficial heart's Achilles tendon.'

Picard smiled. Bashir was a good read of character.  
Jean Luc did feel a bit private about his physical limitations that way.

'..Anything you need from me over here. Just ask.  
Oh, and bring a cigar.. Voyager's engineer, B'Elanna Torres delivered a healthy girl an hour ago. She's already showing her off to everyone in the messhall and that excitable helmsman of theirs is fit to burst with pride.. Makes me almost wish for a family of my own..'

Jean Luc leaned back into his chair very thoughtful.  
He knew the joys of family. His brother Robert, had been a pillar of strength, and Marie, when he had been recovering from his living horror as a Borg.  
His nephew, Rene, had plied him endlessly about all the gory details and memories. ::Actually, sharing my experience with him was cathartic.  
Started me on the road back to normalcy just that much faster. ::

Picard decided to use his captain's privileges to do a few things for the Picards.

He arranged an invite to Voyager's messhall reunion as dignitaries. Marie answered the comm and was delighted to be coming to such a famous ship on the very eve of her landing. She promised to drag Robert out of the vineyards, get him cleaned up, and at the party in half an hour. Rene practically drowned out Marie in his excitement to be there.

Jean Luc closed the comm channel after getting their clearances with satisfaction. He rose from his seat, called up a hot Earl Grey tea from his replicator and he repeeled out of his uniform tunic and turtleneck to set the biobelt he requisitioned in place. He couldn't reach the back to turn it on and struggled for a bit, stretching and grunting in frustration.

He nearly leaped out of his skin when another pair of hands carassed their way down his back to reach the belt's controls.. "Let me get that Jean Luc..."

Picard flung himself away from the contact and got a chair between himself and his unknown visitor. He squinted in the dark, then clucked his tongue and demanded the computer for full illumination.

Vash stood there. "A bit jumpy tonight... Rough week?"

"Just what the h*ll are you doing in my quarters Vash?"he said angrily. He was half wondering why Enterprise's intruder alert wasn't sounding off.

Vash moulded herself into the armchair and stretched like a cat.. "Oohh, I heard about Voyager's return through the grapevine and thought I'd pop by.  
I was arriving in my skimmer when I saw this female Q clinging to the rocks inside a temporal wormeddy by Earth's moon. I dragged her out with a tractor beam and she was grateful..." Vash shrugged as if this were everyday news with her.

Vash rose,.. grabbed Picard's mug and took a sip,  
"Mmm... haven't had one of these for a long time.."

Picard pulled on his turtle and tunic. "I don't suppose I can ask you to leave this sector, now can I?"

"No..." Vash said, draining his tea. "Lady Q said that I am going to get into that reunion one way or another regardless.. I even have my papers!" she said pulling an isolinear chip ident out of her pocket.

Vash leaned in on Picard, and made sure his covered biobelt was activated. "Just think how you'd stick out without a date to the party. It'll be a whole hour before your family shows up to meet you there.."

Picard grinned in spite of an ex- girlfriend suddenly showing up on his doorstep. He did want to leave for Voyager as soon as possible. He had some unfinished business with Admiral Paris on a matter only he and a few other highranking officials knew concerning Mr. Data.

"All right, Vash. You may accompany me. But the slightest sticky fingers...." he warned..

Vash rolled her blue eyes and held up a scout's honor hand, "I promise I won't lift anything.  
Besides, Voyager was too busy to find any really interesting archaelogic artifacts now wasn't she?  
She had all her crew focused and working on getting home."

::I am so glad Vash never saw the Iconian doorway nor the Iconian key of the Primary's. I'd never hear the end of it:

"Fine.. Shall we go?" Picard said. He didn't offer his arm to her and waited until his computer told him the corridor was empty before opening the bulkheads out of his quarters.

Vash giggled, "Still private as ever.. I promise I'll not embarrass you before your crew,  
Jean Luc. ::But I didn't say I wouldn't do that for Voyager's....:: she amended silently.

Five minutes later.. Picard and Vash were on Voyager. He flinched as he reappeared inside the tachyon glow of the Janeway cornfields on the boarding ramp but the biobelt was doing its job. Thorough proof of that in fact was being shown by Picard still being conscious.

He stopped just outside the messhall entrance and indicated that she preceed him inside.  
"I'll join you in a moment.. I have to speak with someone first.."

"Oh?" Vash trickled. "Some intrigue perhaps, behind the scenes..?"

Picard angled his head, "Nothing so dramatic.  
Please...." He pointed to the door again.  
"I'll join you shortly. I'm sure Robert,  
Marie and Rene will find you quite charming.."

Vash smiled, and stroked Picard's cheek, which he quickly turned into a handshake. "If they are anything half as charming as you, love, I'll be thrilled..." she said.

Picard stiffly watched as Vash disappeared into the reunion.

He inquired of Boothby, the whereabouts of Admiral Paris the moment she had gone after learning that Reginald Barclay had already come on board Voyager. ::We're set there. ....now...:: he said thinking to himself.  
::All that's needed are the final clearances.::

He was inside the sickbay proper, near the Torres's by the main room's doors.

Picard went there.  
"Ah.. admiral.. Tom, B'Elanna.. congratulations."  
he said moving the blanket aside of Miral's face so he could better see the infant. "I remember when my nephew was born. He was almost as big as she is."

Torres beamed and so did Tom. Picard pulled out his cigar.. "At the party, we'll light these away from the baby..." he said. "If you'll excuse me.."

Picard pulled on Admiral Paris's arm, drawing him a little away from his son and family, "Sir,  
Mr. Barclay's here. I assume all the arrangements have been made..."

"Of course, captain.." Admiral Paris said, whispering so Mr. Data, on the other side of the room, talking to the EMH, wouldn't overhear. "Any time you're ready."

Picard grinned, "That's fine.. I'll see to it, sir.  
And, thank you for this.."

Admiral Paris nodded warmly and rejoined his family by sickbay's door. It looked like they were about to leave to go to the reunion. He heard B'Elanna say something about a John Torres on their way into the corridor, but he couldn't be sure he'd heard correctly.

Picard ducked back out of sickbay to the corridor and touched one of Voyager's wall panels. "Boothby..."

"What can I do for you captain?" the holoprogram of the gardener looked down as if having xray vision.  
"Ah.. nice idea.. that biobelt. Now you can enjoy yourself with having to worry about the tachyons stopping your heart every two minutes..."

Picard, subconsciously adjusted the humming belt under his tunic and cleared his throat. "Yes.  
that Deep Space Nine physician suggested it."

Boothby grinned toothily, "Yes, Julian Bashir,  
Augmented intelligence on that young man. Not surprised about the rabbits coming out of his hat."

Picard frowned,,"Augmented..intelli-?" he thought better about it. "Never mind. If I'm meant to know,  
I will learn it from Starfleet... Now,, is it here yet?"

Boothby got serious, "Yes. It was loaded in the cargobay along with all the reunion foodstuffs and party supplies.."

"Beam Mr. Data from where he is to the party first. And then beam her here to me second.."

"You clever dog... He'll never suspect.."  
Boothby said.

"That's what we're hoping for.." Picard smiled.

"Done.." Boothby said, blinking.

==

On another monitor, Picard saw Data beam into a seat by Guinan's bar, next to Mr. Scott. The android blinked a few seconds in confusion but then a smile of pleasure filled his face with what he could now do. "Guinan. It is good to see you, again."

"Likewise, Data." she said, leaning with knuckles on her cheeks, resting on her elbows.

"If I may, I'd like to order a drink.."

"Let me guess,,, something...." the hostess said demurely gentle.

Data nodded eagerly..".....revolting...!"

"Coming right up."

==

Picard was only half watching Boothby's monitor screen tuned in to Data.

He held his breath as a plastifoam sealed form,  
about a meter and three quarters high materialized in front of him.

On cue, Mr. Barclay shot into the corridor.  
"Captain.. a-are things..?" he broke off,  
seeing that things indeed, were set for him.

Barclay activated a few buttons on the wall computer terminal and a forcefield beam came down from the ceiling, dissolving away the plastifoam around Picard's and Owen Paris's cargo.

Barclay beamed as a countenance reappeared from the light. "Ah,,.. Lal II. Time for your grand entrance my dear..."

He reached behind Lal's back and activated a switch..

Lal blinked, and opened her eyes. "Is he here?.. My father? I want to see him.  
You said I would see him when Voyager got home.." the android girl looked around eagerly at the corridor and cocked her head at the sound of voices coming from the reunion in the messhall. "This is Voyager. I can hear the voices of her crew and they match the memory files you gave me, Reg.."

She started to go through the doors, but Reg and Picard restrained her. "Lal... A moment.."

Lal looked confused, "What, have I forgotten something?"

Reg smiled at his creation, "Not at all. We just want you to remember that Data will not be expecting you to walk through that door.  
He only knows about Lal I. "

The girl frowned, her eyes dark, but bright,  
"I am Lal, identical to her in every way.  
Barclay downloaded my memories files from the biolab before she died. Reg has said that I just continued where she left off."

"That is good, Lal. " Barclay said, holding her shoulders and smoothing her clothes a bit. "Now, are you ready?"

Lal nodded, then shook her head, "I am nervous.."

Barclay and Picard sighed. "He is just your father." Picard said.

Barclay added, "And you were Starfleet's hidden Project beneath Pathfinder's so we can all to show our appreciation to Data for all his service and dedication he's granted us. Salary has no meaning for him. We figure giving the gift of family is pay he can accept. Thus we recomplied you. Have no concern, Lal. You'll do fine.. Lewis Zimmerman was able to give you an excellent duplicate of Data's emotion chip. You and he will both learn how wonderful the concept of "A surprise.." is.  
Now, go..."

And Barclay shoved Lal through the door.

The two men gathered around Boothby's hall monitor to watch what would happen next.

It turns out, Data never even got his glass up to his mouth all the way before his first tears of joy were generated by his emotion chip.

-  
(attachments)  
Image : Vash in a slinky dress greeting an offduty Picard.

Image : Data and Guinan grinning.

Image : Close up of Lal, Data's android daughter.

*  
From : "Roxy Dee" Subject :[voyagerliveaction] Molly, dances and news~~ Date : Wed, 08 Aug 2001 08:30:38 +0000

Silva beamed at her son. "Make mine Dixieland jazz band and it's a dance date."

Leah laughed and raised her glass she pulled from the waiter's tray high. "Here. Here. To business associates, family, friends, and to Voyager herself. May she fly forever..!!" she toasted.

An invisible silohuette of Quince echoed the sentiment with a mug of his own.

Geordi's emotions rolled to a new level when he saw his friend Data suddenly appear at a bar stool by Guinan,  
Montgomery Scott and Harry Kim. ::What now:  
LaForge's eye caught Quince's but the being shrugged innocence. Then Geordi saw Lal get shoved through the door by Barclay. "Oh, my, would you look at that?"  
and he broke out into a terrific smile.

Next to him, Leah Brahams looked a trifle jealous and she sat a little straighter in her seat and her un-return toasted drink settled between her palms to the table again without her knowledge.  
Silva LaForge next to her eyed her son and this woman appearing at Data's side to give him a kiss on the cheek.  
"I'd say a classified gift, just made a delivery in the nick of time..." and she turned back to Geordi, sipping her cocktail, bold as brass.

"What do you mean, mom? Classified.." Geordi asked.

Silva rubbed her chin, "Come on, Geordi... Everyone's heard of Starfleet's backseat program to enhance Mr.  
Data's involvement with people ever since his own creator was killed.. I even helped a little at Lal's reconditioning. I was the one who taught her the big brass hierarchy at Headquarters. " she said proudly.

"You knew about Lal? But Lal's dead.."

"Was." Silva insisted. "Don't you remember her being connected to all of that lab equipment just before she slipped into fatal decompilation? It recorded everything she was and did in perfect detail. And Soong's work left the door wide open for us to craft a new body matrix for those positronic ingrams. All starship captains knew about the sub project to Pathfinder,  
to recreate Lal and save her from her untimely passing. Even the Vulcans voted for it. Data deserves to have someone family around, ever since we noticed his desire for one."

"Yeah, but... How come I knew nothing about this?"  
Geordi said, not being able to keep his eyes off of Data's emotional reaction to the sight of his daughter reborn to him.

"You're not a captain..." Silva said simply.

Leah Brahams offered Geordi sympathy. "And here I am. The head of the Cochrane Propulsion Institute and even I didn't know about Lal."  
She linked her arm about Geordi's. "Perhaps,  
Captain Picard wanted things that way so the surprise wouldn't be spoiled. With that emotion chip, Data is getting very perceptive to suspicious human behavior in any of his friends as of late, don't you think?"

Geordi lifted his head. "Yeah, I guess so."  
"It's nice to see him not alone any more."

"That's the spirit son... Let's go dance..!" Silva said, rising and shimmying without a care in the world for the starchy captain's uniform she was still wearing.

As if on cue, Voyager's Las Vegas hologram singer appeared by the open floor area of the messhall and began singing a song that just begged to be dressed with dance couples.

Silva swept Geordi away..

Leah Brahams looked around in embarrassed pleasure at the fortitude of Captain LaForge's carefree style and sipped her drink in amusement. A tap on the shoulder made her look up.

Montgomery Scott stood there, eyes twinkling, "A lass shouldn'ta be sittin' alone at a table. May I have this dance, Dr. Brahams?" And he presented his arm gallantly.

It was Leah's turn to be surprised, "Commander Scott.  
What a pleasure! I've been wanting to speak with you about your latest theories on transporter buffer elongation times.."

Scott rocked back on his heels.."Can ye dance and talk at the same time, Ms. Brahams?"

Leah broke off, considering.."I think so.. It's been a very long time since a man's asked me to dance."

"Then let's go, we'll talk our'n ears off, while we dance our regulation Starfleet boots off.." he laughed.

Scotty swept Leah away to join Geordi and his mother on the dance floor.

--------------------------------------------------------

Harry Kim watched the happy scenes unfolding around him and was only a little sad that he had none of his own family still living, to enjoy a scene of his own.

Guinan made good company. He found that the strange Enterprise hostess somehow made everything seem controlled and calm...even when it wasn't. Kim saw that she had barely batted an eye when Data appeared,  
nor when an android female, looking like him was shoved through the messhall doors by a decidedly amused Barclay and hovering Picard from the corridor. Nothing phased Guinan.

Kim wished he could learn her secret.

"Live six hundred years.." Guinan said, still calmly chin in hands leaning on her elbows, cooly watching the dancers and Data and Lal.

Kim choked on his drink.."I I beg your pardon?" he asked.

"And be a good listener, Mr. Kim.. that's all there is to it.."  
she said slowly.

Kim just smiled at her very accurate perception of his thoughts.  
::I wonder if El Aurien's are telepathic?::

"No.." Guinan said again.. "But she is...." And Guinan pointed to a gawdily gowned woman with black eyes and a jewel encrusted wrap, eating with Counselor Troi and Tam Elbrun by the dessert table.

"How do you do that?" Geordi said, looking at Guinan..

"Do what?" she rejoined.

"Give just the right answer.."

Guinan smiled mysteriously, "I'm a bartender...." and walked away.

Kim thought about that for a long time. His glass was warm when he finally got up the courage to join Seven of Nine at her table with the woman he saw looking for Seven earlier. He left the bar and went over to them.

"Hello Seven. and...?" he said politely.

The gray haired friendly woman sitting across from Seven of Nine startled. "Good heavens.. Annika.  
Did this young man address you as a number?"

Seven of Nine nodded, without elaborating.

Kim immediately felt like he had opened an ugly can of worms. ::Oh, geez. I forgot how touchy Seven's past assimilaton history might be to her Earth relatives who's only seen Borg at their worst.:: He tried to lighten the moment. "It's ....a nickname. One that we had a hard time getting rid even after she'd been rescued and freed from that Borg Collective, ma'am." he said.  
"May I?" and he pointed to a third chair at their table.

His gentle explanation seemed to calm the older woman.  
She offered Kim her hand. "I know you, Harry Kim. As I know all the names of all of Voyager's bridge officers.  
Thank you for being there for.....Annik- ah,.. Seven.."  
she amended.

Kim blinked. "Uh, sure...." He took the older woman's hand.

"I'm Maribeth Vanessa, sister to Seven's father."

"So you're Seven's aunt.." Kim said. He shook her hand and released it.  
"I am glad to have been on the ship that returned a niece to such a charming lady.."

Maribeth sighed, dismissing his compliment graciously.  
"The honor's mine.. Tell me, Ensign Kim.. Is your captain coming soon? I and her mother, Gretchen,  
are friends and I've been asked to deliver some news to her, before Mark, Phoebe and Gretchen come aboard. Perhaps you can relay it to Kathryn before she arrives here."

Kim frowned, "Is it personal? I I don't know if I--"

"Oh, nonsense young man." Maribeth dismissed with a light slap to his arm. "You're part of her family too.  
Her ship's family. Who else to deliver happy tidings than one she's worked so closely with for seven years."

Seven, next to Kim, wasn't above throwing a wide eyed tilt of her head showing him the obvious logic in her aunt.

Kim shot a look of significance of his own right back at Seven. But he said, "Ok... What's the news,  
Mrs. Vanessa?"

"I want you to tell her that Molly's been busy while she was away. We've several of her puppies, too that have grown and have had several litters of their puppies in the new kennels behind the horse barn, as well.. Have you had a chance to see Molly yet?"

Harry considered.. "Well,.. yes,... and no.. I mean.."  
he took a deep breath.. "Our Boothby scenario, made a holographic Molly for us last year and she's pretty real.. your typical big , red dog.." he said casually.  
"We've all gotten used to her being around.  
But... I remember the visual sensor scans of Voyager an hour ago showing a new dog walking with Captain Janeway, if that's what you mean.."

Maribeth leaned forward secretively, "Ahhh,  
but did you get a real close look at the real Molly?"

Kim thought back, "Now that you've mentioned it.  
Yes.. She didn't seem like your typical Irish Setter.  
She...had a lot of white in her coat about the neck and chest.."

Maribeth's eyes twinkled, "That's more like you, Harry,  
remembering the tiny details, helps to be Kathryn's Ops officer, now doesn't it..?" she said, grabbing his cheek affectionately.

Kim dodged the friendly caress neatly.

Maribeth Vanessa went on with her news.  
"Well, Molly's puppies exhibited those same white markings, that have never been seen before in an Irish Setter. Molly and Molly's line have been considered a new breed of Setter in canine circles. They're calling them the Kathryn Janeway Setters. Very popular, from what I've read in the compu-padd papers.  
Can't keep the puppies in the kennel.  
Mark's been so sweet running that business."  
she laughed. "That is the news I want you to share with Kathryn, before she leaves the ship again to go into her family house. That is why Mark and his wife is here. To give her, her share of the credits they've earned founding the breed."

Kim was dumbstruck. ::Captain Janeway's Molly?  
A founding b*tch? I wonder how she's going to react to that.::

Kim smiled broadly,.."All right.. I'll tell her for you.  
About the business and about the credits waiting for her.. uh,, how much exactly is she getting?"

Maribeth's eyes lit up.. "Around two million credits,  
so far. Enough to buy another farm, if she wishes."

Kim whistled. "My heroic captain, is now a rich,  
heroic captain.." and he laughed.

Seven frowned, "Does suddenly having two million credits added to your Starfleet salary account significant, ensign?"

Maribeth and Kim both said in unison. "Oh yes.!"

And Kim added, "But uh,.. I'll tell her only after she's had a few drinks. This isn't the sort of news starship captains would expect, now is it? Far from being flung seventy thousand light years away from home." and he chuckled.

-  
(attachments)

Image : Picard, Scotty, Troi, Geordi,  
LaForge, all at a gathering in Voyager's messhall.

Image : Geordi seeing Guinan over her counter bar.

Image: Close up of a smiling Harry Kim

**********************************

From : "patti keiper" Subject : Human watching Date : Fri, 10 Aug 2001 05:43:43 +0000 Q still had misgivings letting his son out of that sickbay containment field. ::But now that I think about it. I can always use the EMH if my son gets ill. There's no chance of him getting hurt, I'll see to that. Allrighty then, I wasn't in error letting him free.::

Q had enough of sickbay. He left Bashir standing with the cardiac monitor he had pulled off his forehead from Picard's little stunt and saundered out of sickbay. He stretched his Q sight and saw that quite a few family members were dancing and eating and imbibing in the messhall already. So that is where Q went. He moved down the hallway, waving at all the crew leaving their quarters to go to the big party.

He just happen to glance out the window and saw an Earth ship tractoring his mate out of the temporal tide pool where she had wiped out. He gestured to a passing Voyager crewman. "Oh, look. Jean Luck's girlfriend just saved mine." And he beamed happily. No doubt lady Q would be grateful to Vash and do a favor for her. Q sent Lady Q a Qmail saying where he'd be and went to the messhall.

::My... isn't this interesting....Everyone and everyone's mother is here at this shingding....:: He said eyeing up Geordi LaForge's mother, Silva. ::Gee, I wish I'd thought up that first, rescuing that pathetic Yorktown from that gas giant and their co-entity possession buddies. Quince got a few humanitarian points on me for that one. I wonder how I can match it in false human scaring generosity without breaking the rules?::

He strode into the mess and almost sat down at the bar when he realized that she ...was back. ::Oh..no. Miss Fork In the Hand is here. I wonder who brought her along...:: He said seeing Guinan dispensing drinks to Data and a new Lal offspring. Q knew immediately that he had missed Starfleet's grand unveiling of Lal. ::D$mn. Oh, well. Pestering Picard was more fun than seeing an android weep.::

Q got a waiter to deliver something to him while he stood around watching the party begin. He flagged one down, saying...

SEE SOUND BITE

He got his drink and a glare from Guinan that wasn't all hostile.. ::HMmm. I wonder why Miss Top Hat doesn't have her drawers all in a stitch over me being near her precious humans again.:: Then he saw why.. His son, Q2, was sipping a chocolate milk. There was no credit padd on the table. ::Wow.. Guinan's feeling generous. She gave my son a drink on the house..:: Q looked at Guinan, who noticed him. Her expression was unreadable.

Q decided to be wary.

He sat down by his son. "Hello my boy.. Did you know that that despicable El Aurien gave you an infant's beverage? That's Earth cow mammary extract and a narcotic bean called cocoa in there if I'm not mistaken."

Q waited to see how Q2 would react to the hostesses supposed generosity. "But the humans seem to like it very much, even Naomi Wildman over there."

Q2 looked and saw that Naomi was indeed, drinking the same chocolate milk along with her rainbow punch. "Uh, dad, I don't think Guinan was being mean to me.."

Q's eyes widen.."Really? How could you tell?" He rubbed his hand absently in memory of the fork impaling it had endured from the very hostess they were speaking of.

Q2 just rolled his eyes.

Q rubbed his hands together. "Oh, son. We could have a lot of fun here. Who should we mess with first? Picard's girlfriend over there, who sprung yer ma's rear a few days early from that wipeout, or shall we entertain Data's kid, with a lesson on being humble to Q. Must keep that fear going, or we aren't going to have any fun at all."

Q was surprised when his son didn't get that mischievious Up and at 'em enthusiasm..

The teen just nodded politely and continued leafing through the datapadd he was reading. "Let me see that..." Q said, fingersnapping it into his own hand. Q's face fell wide open "Son!! This is Kathy's family tree.. Are you still planning on going through with meeting with them even though they are the cause of your demotion to human status?"

Q folded his arms.. "Seems like everyone's getting all mushy and sentimental just because an itty bitty Voyager managed to beat the odds and return home.."

He saw Montgomery Scott whirl Geordi's exgirlfriend, Leah Brahams around on the dance floor in a circle about Geordi and his mother. He exclaimed, pointing out Scott to Q2, "Hey, that ol geezer really knows how to shake his booty..."

Then a crafty idea entered his omnipotent skull. He leaned forward, slipping his Marguerita and primed up his little mental gem for Q2's benefit. "Just look around you son. OK.. You want to sample a bit of human family bonds? OK, I'll let you.. It's not like the Continuum could demote you any lower... Just look around you... All these courting male, female interactions.. Leah and Geordi, Vash and Picard, ...Chakotay and....yuck,,... who is he in a trance with now?..." Q squinted, checking, out the seated men in front of the medicine bundle. "Oh,.. that's the other human thing going on over there,... Parent/Child relationships.. Chuckles is yammering with Kolopak his father.., And over there is Data and Lal, Naomi and her mother...sipping cider and punch, talking about the father that little one has never seen. And.. oh no!!"

Q immediately snapped his fingers shrinking down to Liliputian size and hiding behind the stem of his fruity drink.. "It's her!!"

Q2 was puzzled, looking around, there was no one new yet in the room that had arrived after he did and so he didn't understand his father's discomforture. He held up his palms in a "what gives" gesture.

Q ducked as an ornately dressed, black eyed female looked around the room again. "Her,, Over there. Thank God she can't read my Q thoughts, But she can see me if she chooses.. That, my son, is an example of another kind of human interaction.. the Romantic Leech! She is Deanna Troi's mother, Lwaxana.. Oh, she was harmless enough in the beginning with her mate seeking Picard designs, but then she turned those onto.....me.. just before your mother got jealous of her and popped into the civil war to keep me from mating with Kathy... I almost had to kiss that hag, and swoon Kathy in satin sheets to get your mother envious enough to agree to carry you.. Oh!" Q reached up and wet his fingers in his drink, tasting them. He dabbed a little on his now sweating forehead. "Let's just say Lwaxana bought my false courting a little too much, she's not smart like Kathy, to drop me like a hot potato.. No,,... smell that sicky sweet scent son?.. It's from Lwaxana.. her middle aged libido syndrome is flaring again and she's once more on a man hunt for a husband.."

Q bent his drink's umbrella down so it would conceal him more from Mrs. Troi's accidental gaze. "Say.. I wonder if I can steam things up a little with Picard and Vash to make Mama Troi jealous of them.. All attention will be off me and we can get on with your human interaction lessons.."

He snapped his fingers.. Making Vash bump into Lwaxana.. "There, now the two will start that usual female banter human women always do. Skipping small talk about the weather and getting right down to the nitty gritty boyfriend stories.. Now Picard will be in the middle of another love tug of war and the heat will be off me..Oh!! I'm brilliant!."

Confident that Lwaxana was certainly distracted. Q returned to normal size.. "Now, son,.. where were we? Oh yes,.. Now that you know about the parent/child, and male/female human modes.. These ship reunions are a lot of fun because you get to see how all of these human pairings and family groupings mix with each other. You wouldn't believe the secrets that get exposed publically in the gossiping grapevine. Why, there's one starting right over there..." he pointed over to Seven of Nine and Harry and Aunt Vanessa seated by the starry windows..."Seems like Barbie Seven over there's just learned that Kathy already knew her from piano lesson days.. That blue haired Aunty knows Kathy's blue haired mom! It's a small galaxy, son.. When it comes to Earth Humans.. Just picture the sparks that'll fly when Kathy learns that Seven knows Kathy saved her as a mercy charity case.. for real!!"

Q laughed so hard.. "The gossip's going to get thick, son. So have fun and Human Watch.. Now you know why it's my favorite pastime. Oh, that reminds me, Lesson Two on interactions.. Here's someone for you to get to know. Have a fun first date!"

And Q snapped his fingers.. Q2, blinked and sprayed out his mouthful of chocolate milk all over the new arrival to his table.

The slight female in lilac gestured, and the spitting spray went around her.

His father had disappeared, but in his place, the one object of Q2's crushes, reappeared.

"Hello, Q,.. I heard you were going to see Kathy's family soon. I was wondering I could come along and share that porchside lemonade with you..." And Amanda Q coyly twirled a blond hair lock in her finger..batting her eyes. "Oh, dont' look at me that way.. Your father didn't set us up.. I saw the intials you carved in the big Oak in these human's Heaven's Garden of Eden.. How sweet.."

And she took Q2's hand in her own. She didn't even wince at the mortalness of his touch.

Q2 was speechless, sputtering like Geordi first did at his Leah Brahams beach picnic date on Enterprise's holodeck.

-  
(attachments)

Image : Q looking at the camera and Quince

Image : Amanda Q, close up

Audio : Q- "How would you like to spend an eternity as a Gerokian midwife toad? "

***************************************

From : "Cory Anda" Subject :Wolf in Sheep's Clothing... Date : Sat, 11 Aug 2001 07:24:56 +0000

Tom Paris waited for B'Elanna to go with the doctor to get changed into loose fitting, offduty, clothes. ::Well, that's a nice thing about child birth in the twenty fourth century, no lasting pain. Fatigue is something B'Elanna shrugs off like a mosquito.:: "Thanks, doc. For everything. Including healing B'Elanna completely for the party..."

"What do I look like? Doctor Mengela? Of course I healed things. You two probably won't see a full night's sleep for about ten years you realize. I just made the start of it painless, lieutenant."

Tom smiled, "At any rate," He studied Miral in his arms, "I'm still grateful."

The EMH harrumphed loudly in his throat and yet partially in surprise at the heartfelt gracias given him.

Dr. Bashir grinned, and said out of the Paris's earshot to the holo physician, "I take it, thanks of any kind is rare on ship?"

"Are you kidding? Voyager's crew treated me like a living room lamp for the first two years. Took until Seven of Nine's miraculous restoration to the human race to finally convince the command crew that I was remotely cognizant."

Julian's eyebrows rose, "Oh?"

The EMH, frowned sheepishly, "Well,..It helped when I got my mobile emitter from a slingshot effect into the past after Voyager accidently chased a man from the future. I even am getting a hearing on whether or not my particular self can be an ECH on starships for the future."

Bashir asked, "ECH?"

The EMH smiled, "Emergency Command Hologram. For use in cases of the bridge crew all becoming incapacitated. Captain Janeway said that she would look into Starfleet examining that function for my future because of the extent of my growth as an independent entity of late."

"Sort of like Seven of Nine...." Julian mused.

"Hmm?"

"Like Pinnochio.. the Borg drone who was in the Collective not knowing that she was born to be human, to the EMH who knew that he being crafted in humanity's image, had to learn to be part of a ship's collective crew... Diametric opposites...." Bashir elaborated. "And you have been started along the path leading to the potential to be granted command rank... She, has not been given a rank."

The EMH considered. "I never even thought of that before. Seven isn't ....anything in Starfleet. Even Mr. Neelix had a better front, Morale Officer and Ship's Ambassador."

"Shouldn't surprise you then when someone offers you thanks for treatment you've provided for them... You matter."

The EMH straightened up. "I guess I do." He smiled slightly.. "But I wonder what will happen to me once Captain Janeway and the others move on. Only they have seen how far I've come...."

Bashir winked, "I wouldn't worry about it too much. Starfleet usually goes over ship's logs and visual records with a fine toothed comb and then some when debriefing. No doubt they will learn what Voyager's crew have learned about you, That you are now very much more than the sum of your parts. So, why don't you mingle with your crewmates? In the messhall party? I can handle sickbay from here."

"You mean, I'm out of a job?" The EMH asked, in actual surprise.

"Technically, yes. So, I'M kicking YOUR butt out of sickbay. Go enjoy yourself, doctor..." Julian said, disappearing into the EMH's office to work on his report on the birth for the ship's logs.

The EMH took only three seconds to let that truth sink in. Then he self willed himself out of his fascimile teal uniform and into a loose fitting kaftkan. "Come Tom and B'Elanna, Let's show your daughter that big bright and beautiful world that's out there."

-----------------------------------------------------

Chakotay and Kolopak both felt bear and bird of prey eyes on theirs, weighing their worth and their very souls.

It seemed eternity before one of the tribe humans, spoke his heart.

"Father,.." Chakotay said, burying his fingers in Kolopak's spirit guide's coat. "Didn't you sense my grief during those weeks I went back home following your disappearance? I must have been here..." he pointed to the spirit realm around them,... "Hundreds of times, just mourning you and berating myself for making the decision to leave the tribe a month before your "death". And not once did I see her.." he patted Kolopak's spirit guide on the shoulder, "nor you...in evidence. I can understand you testing my honor. It is not everyday a father suffers a contrary son like the son I was to you."

"I felt your pain. But it wasn't the soul truth I was looking for. I had to know that you would die for another, fight,... for another,... to know you learned at least that lesson from our People.." Kolopak said. "Then, I would know that you were no longer an Outsider to us or your companion circles." Chakotay's father said passionately.

"I only rejected the rigid boundaries of our People. Living in the Past when there was so much promise out there.." Chakotay said, gesturing to the night dream sky above them. "How can you look upon those stars and not be moved by them, Kolopak? Ever since I could remember, they have called to me to go to them. I could not stay landbound in a colony Tribe and be content.."

Kolopak sent his spirit guide away, to confer with Rahelon, the hawk, so that he would be completely eye to eye and heart to heart with his firstborn son. "Are you content, now Chakotay? With this life and with these people?"

Chakotay studied his hands and the smooth river stone clutched in his fingers. He rubbed it reverently. "Yes.. I am. More than I have ever been in my whole life, father."

"Then that is all that matters to me.." He said, smiling. "Shall we return to the waking world, son of my son?" Sounds like that room we're in is getting crowded. Our tranced bodies might get stepped on down there on the floor."

Chakotay startled, listening. Indeed, the little brook next to them was flowing past not with liquidy rapids sounds but with the full social hum found at a fully involved party. He stood, sending Rahelon into flight from his arm. "I'd like that. I think we can go from here. You and I walk the same path once more."

Kolopak and Chakotay both tapped on their own arms to break their spirit realm trances. Bear and Hawk disappeared along with the woods. The messhall's party in full swing erupted into their senses. But Chakotay and his father weren't the only ones seated in front of the sacred medicine bundle.

A strange darkish woman in an elegant wrap smiled at father and son with a slinky grin, "Well, hello boys. I hope you don't mind that I dropped in.. I've always had a thing for culture. And you boys are definitely, culture.." She held out her hands to them and Kolopak and Chakotay grasped them in greeting.. "Nice to meet you in my true form. I was the owl hooting over head in the woods. I'm Ardra.. and I know you two will be the best gentleman hosts for me on my visit to the famous USS Voyager.."

Chakotay and Kolopak faced the dark skinned woman opposite them and gave her a hand up when they both stood. Chakotay's caution evaporated somehow under the woman's unusual perfume. "Ardra?.. Welcome aboard.."

Kolopak bend gracefully forward a few inches, "Please, make yourself at home.."

Ardra accepted the chair the older man offered her at a messhall table and smiled up at her benefactor. "I believe I will....."

-  
(attachments)

Image : Chakotay , very cute smile.

Image : Chakotay seated in front of his medicine bundle, in trance.

Image: Kolopak close up, Chakotay's father.

Image : Ardra.. the slinky illusion con artist.

*****************************************

From : "Alex Delet" Subject : [voyagerliveaction] Ready to Reach Date : Sat, 11 Aug 2001 13:15:08 +0100

Kathryn draped the blanket she'd been making over the biobed,  
on which the youngest member of the Voyager family had been born. Janeway hesitated for a second, allowing the curious Miral to grip her finger, with all of her hand.  
For a fifteen minute old infant, Miral had a surprising grip.  
:: That'll be the Klingon Quarter :: Janeway mused.  
Kathryn beamed at the Parents, and offered MIral a silent 'Welcome Aboard.  
Kathryn left Sickbay, striding down the corridors. Boothby diverted her attention.  
"The Party is about ready to get started....they're waiting for you," he reminded her.  
"I know," she lied, just remembering how much time had passed, "There is something...I have to do,"  
Kathryn selected the right deck, on the turbolift control panel, and approached her quarters.  
Voyager's Captain walked straight in, past the bed to the sitting area. Janeway reached for a drawer.  
The storage drawer was on a wall that was bathed in shadow, furthest back in the ship, of the walls in her quarters. :: Always behind me :: Janeway mused.  
Inside it, was a PADD, which Kathryn removed -  
before she saw him again, Janeway had to read the letter Mark had sent her over the Hirogen array.  
She didn't read it often, which was to say, she had read it exactly twice before now - both, within five minutes of Voyager receiving it.  
It was next to all of the holo's and pictures of her fianc e . Her former Fianc e. Mark would almost certainly have married by now. It wasn't a choice she envied, two women he loved, one thirty or forty thousand light-years away.  
Although she hadn't seen his wife, :: I guess he didn't want to shock me :: she mused, once more.

Kathryn arrived outside the mess hall, hearing the animated chatter through the doors. She could see the many happy reunions going on before her eyes.  
Her senior staff were looking around anxiously toward the doors,  
in between conversation with their loved ones.  
Janeway reached out, placing her hand on the transparent panel.  
The Computer interpreted that as a signal that she wished to enter.  
The doors parted quickly. Loudly enough, so that everyone could hear, and did.  
"Captain ON Deck!" the Yeoman nearest the door shouted, jumping up.  
All of the Starfleet officers did the same, standing up, most with a hand still in the family members possession.  
And then, they all started to clap. As much for their incoming Captain, as for themselves. Within seconds, the entire room was clapping, smiling, laughing - expressing the joy that words had yet to express for them.  
Janeway felt tears form in her eyes, she walked to everyone of her crew in that room, embracing them to share her joy.  
Speaking quietly to each, saying something individual to reflect seven years of working with them.  
Looking around for Q2, she missed him, and decided to wait,  
before greeting her family, until he came over. His Aunt Kathy wouldn't let him down.  
Her family were smiling, and clapping, her mother close to tears,  
of joy. But she didn't walk toward them - however much she longed to.  
She stood at attention, knowing she needed to make some sort of speech. "Stand at ease," she whispered.  
Instantly, everyone stopped clapping to look at her.  
"I know, that this moment, has been in your dreams for seven years,"  
she said, walking forward again, "I won't keep you from your families and friends long," she said.  
"Our mission," she said, "Has been a success, and from the beginning of our journey," she paused, "The merging of two crews,  
has taken place,"  
"We have been a family, for almost all of this journey," she said, "Working as a team, working to get home,"  
"We made it, " she smiled.  
"I know that some of the Family will be moving on,  
to peruse other things," she said, "I know we'll all keep in touch, and that the bond we have won't break down,"  
"I would like to say, that the Voyager crew has served with distinction,  
and that it has been an honour to serve with all of you," she managed,  
reaching the last crewman again.  
Then she signalled that they should return to their families, which left her standing in front of hers.  
If she could only find Q2, she could go and meet them.

(attachments)

Image : Mark, Janeway's old ex-flame, on a computer screen.

Image : Embarrassed smile on Kathryn, close up.

**********************************************

From : "Cassidy Meyers" Subject : Snakes Date : Sat, 11 Aug 2001 23:19:21 +0400

Deanna Troi stood by the punch bowl, an awkward silence stretching between herself and Tam Elbrun. Finally, she spoke. "You know those letters you supposedly received from me are a work of fiction. Mother goes to great lengths to secure men for herself and..." she sighed, "for me whenever she hits one of her Phases."

Tam smiled, "I know that Deanna. She's quite the eccentric woman when she wants to be. All right, I'll confess, I played along just for the chance to see you as a friend..."

Deanna relaxed at last, her smile softening, "I wondered how you were doing. You and Tinman left rather suddenly when that nova blew up. The Enterprise couldn't track you. Starfleet actually wrote you up as Missing In Action."

Tam chuckled, "Ah,...MIA, Starfleet has an acronym for every occasion, don't they?" He took Deanna's hand and squeezed it affectionately. "I wanted to let the ship know that I was all right. But Gom'Tuu was frightened that he'd lose his bond with me in the excitement. He practically threw Data back to your bridge two microns after he sensed that I had accepted him completely. In return.. Gom'Tuu healed me.. "

Tears formed in Tam's eyes. "He healed me, Deanna. Taught me how to shield my mind from all the voices I've heard all my life. And that could have only come about because I and he were utterly alone.. Something I could not accomplish in the Federation. Now," Tam swept up his arms, "I am back, and all these minds which had been a torture for me for so long, are silent."

Troi returned his grasp, "I am glad for you. I was running out of options as your counselor to keep you from going crazy.."

Tam smiled, leaning forward confidentially, "I don't know how you keep from going crazy yourself.."

At her frown, Tam elaborated by pointing to Lwaxana Troi eating sedately at the table, her dainty bites punctuated by Mr. Homm's gongs. "Her Phases must cause you no end of embarrassement among your crewmates."

"Oh, they've learned to do what I do, just roll with the punches and deflect mother off to other interests." Deanna said.

Tam arose, "So how do we let Lwaxana Troi know we're on to her match making scheme for you and I?"

Deanna shrugged, "We don't react at all. Sooner or later, mother will read our minds and find no romantic sparks. She'll start to focus on finding those feelings in herself for someone here at the party instead."

Tam sighed, "Sounds like we have our work cut out for us.."

Deanna laughed. Then she frowned. She saw a new arrival over by Chakotay and Kolopak. Her smile disappeared, "Oh, no." she breathed. "Excuse me, Tam. I think I've spotted a potential trouble spot..."

"Is your mother homing in on her radar?"

"Not exactly. This threat's more to the ship itself and its technology. A female illusion con artist I know has just gotten through security. Her name's Ardra, and she's appeared in many guises to work her scams. I have to let Captain Picard and my other shipmates know she's around. I'm afraid Ardra will try to prey on unsuspecting Voyager crew to steal something.." Troi said, rising from her chair.

Her mother was too wrapped up in checking out all the men to feel her daughter's worry begin.

"Can I help you, Deanna?" Tam asked.

Deanna turned back thoughtfully. "Why not..? Would you play a part for me? Try to find out what Ardra's up to, I'll peg Data onto her and I'll find Captain Picard to warn him."

Tam nodded and moved off to meander casually towards Chakotay, Ardra and Kolopak.

Troi glanced about the room, but didn't see Reg or Captain Picard in the room. Then she saw Lal. ::Oh, they must still be in the corridor after springing their surprise for Mr. Data.:: She decided to wait for them to reappear.

Tam joined Chakotay and Kolopak and Ardra at the table they had procured in the corner. He smelled an odd perfume and immediately knew that it had suggestion susceptibility pheromones inside of it. He sent a mental note to Tinman to tickle space around Voyager.

The tachyon glow on the walls and the surrounding fields brightened in a boost of energy in a strong harmless pulse. Ardra's face fell, when she saw the room flare as if in a holocamera flash. But her face didn't show much of her disappointment that one of her tricks had been neutralized. She held out her hand to Tam, "Hello, lonely man. What gives me the honor of your presence? I was just.. conversing with these two, fine Voyager relations. I'm Ardra, a friend of Captain Picard's, you might say."

Tam grinned, genteely kissing Ardra's extended hand, "Oh,.. I must have been drawn in by your magic spell, there was a sort of ...sweetness in the air.." Elbrun glanced sideways towards Chakotay and Kolopak, who were shaking their heads as if shaking off the effects of the drugging perfume the tachyon flare neutralized in the messhall. He was satisfied that they would come back to themselves in a few seconds. ::Then, they will realize that Ardra's not a name on Voyager's guest list.::

Ardra must have realized that too, because she quickly got up and made an excuse for herself to leave the table.

Tam let her go. He decided that he and Deanna could keep her in check and under scrutiny safely enough. One comm to the Enterprise would have that starship combing the area for Ardra's cloaked ship of tricks moments later and was a nice ace to have up a sleeve.

Chakotay and Kolopak blinked and looked around, seeing only Tam Elbrun.

Elbrun checked them out. "Charming lady..." he said, looking towards Ardra's retreating back.

"What lady is that, sir?" Voyager's first officer replied. "I see only you've joined us here."

Tam nodded to himself.. ::Good. They're free of the perfume's effects. They only missed the minute or so they spent with Ardra before I came.::

"Oh,.. someone I thought I recognized.. No matter." Elrun said. He engaged the two Native Americans in conversation while he gave a subtle high sign to Deanna that things were fine now so far with Ardra, and the subtle threat Deanna felt had been neutralized.

Troi moved to Data's side. "Lal! So good to see you. I'm glad you came to join us."

Lal tilted her dark head, "Counselor Troi. I remember your presence on the Enterprise. You are one of Data's friends."

"That's right. And I'm here to tell your "father" that something's afoot with an old acquaintance. Data, I've just spotted Ardra at the party."

Data grew serious. "Has she attempted subversive behavior yet?"

"Of course, but Tam Elbrun did something with the tachyon field in here and stopped it. She's over by the banquet table now. I think that particular snake in the grass has been neutralized."

Guinan was suddenly there in front of Data, Lal and Deanna. "What snake?.." she seemed to quest about using other senses. "Oh, her. Don't worry. She'll have me to contend to if she spoils anything more of this reunion... but you're wrong about ALL....the snakes being neutralized.. Is that Q I see cowering behind that magueritta glass?"

Data, Lal, Guinan and Tam fell to Q watching.

------------

Lwaxana looked up at the blond woman who had bumped into her, "Oh, I'm so sorry my dear.. Did I upset your plate?"

Vash looked surprised at her unexpected tumble into the older woman, "Uh, no. I ...must have slipped or something."

Lwaxana probed Vash's mind and saw the romantic memories she had habored for Captain Picard at one time. Her demeanor shifted, into that of a rival. "So,... you're an old friend of the captain's.."

Vash was unaware of Mrs. Troi's telepathic ability. "Not this ship's captain.. uh, the other one from the Enterprise.. Do you know Jean Luc, too?"

Lwaxana's face stiffened slightly, "Yes...." she said calculating. "We're very familiar with one another..."

It was Vash's turn to stiffened, "Oh? That's nice. " Then she used feminine guile, "He asked me out on a date to come here. Isn't that sweet."

"As sugar.." Lwaxana said, meaning just the opposite. ::Just wait until I see that betraying, double crossing heartbreaking Don Juan.. How dare he have another love interest behind my back..!::

Q, somewhere else in the room, chuckled. He would be safe from Lwaxana's sites for a long time now. He leaned back, floating on a remnant tachyon cloud that had flared at Tam Elbrun's Ardra elixir fix... and sighed. He leaned back to see how his son handled Amanda Q.

He flicked a finger, upsetting Guinan's hat on her head slightly, making the bar hostess push it up back up off her forehead without the woman knowing that it was he who did anything.. "Oh, I'm good.."

-------------------------

Seven of Nine was still puzzled over her Aunt and Harry Kim getting excited about some credit sum Captain Janeway was about to receive from her relatives from the sale of her pet's puppies. ::What is wealth?:: she wondered.

She decided to wait for her Captain to arrive in the messhall with Mark, Phoebe and Gretchen Janeway before she asked any more questions about the subject.

Soon, the Janeway family did arrive, with a fourth member, a woman that Seven did not know by Mark's side.

Soon after,.. Captain Janeway did arrive to give a short inpromptu speech when everyone in the messhall embarrassed her by applauding the moment she entered the party.

She did not come by Seven's table first.

------------------------------------------------

(attachments)

Image : A naked Lwaxana Troi.

Image : A naked Deanna Troi.

Image : Janeway studying a monitor with Seven looking on respectfully.

**************************************

From : "Clairissa Fox" Subject : Friends that stay are real ones Date : Sun, 12 Aug 2001 08:45:29 +0000

--Deanna Troy! Why does that man hit thee gong when you and --everybody at your dinner table eats?

--I waited for the pretty lady to answerr me.

But she didnt. She went to tell Ginan and Data about the scary woman in black bothering Chakoty and his dad. I didnt mind. I had mum there to talk to. I was excited that I would finally meet my dad.

"Naomi.." Samantha Wildman said. "Now that we've eaten some of the party repast, what would you like to do now? Molly's guarded the Captain's table well and now her farm family is here. We should let them be to spend time with one another, like we have done right now at our table."

You really think so? I want to go meet Lal, Datas little girl.

"She's not so little, Naomi, but she's new nonetheless. All right, let's visit with her for a while. We've still got some time to wait before your father gets here."

Ok, mum. Me and mum went over to the grownups drink bar and sat down. Hi Lal! Im Naomi Wildman. This is my mum. I am Captain Janeways assistant and I was born on this ship.

Lal turned to the little human girl speaking to her, "Naomi Wildman, You are a young Earth female and another species because these other humans do not have bones sticking out of their cranial plates."

Bones? Lal, these are my forehead horns. My dads got them just like you got wires inside like your dads. I can help you learn about the crew here on my ship if you want to. Data is busy watching the scary woman try to do bad things.

"A woman here elicits fear in you? Which female?" Lal asked her tiny companion.

Samantha Wildman took a guess. "It's probably that black leather clad alien over there trying to look comfortable seated alone at that table over there. Guinan's also watching her more than the rest of us."

Lal frowned, "Why are they staring at that female?"

I dont know. She not from Voyager. I only know that she is sneaking around and people who do that are either mean or theyre going to do something bad.

Sam shook her head at the teenaged appearing android , "I do not know this woman, but my daughter's right about her. I am goosepimply just knowing she's in the room with us."

Guinan over heard the conversation. "That's Ardra, a self professed con artist according to Deanna Troi. Don't worry, she will not ruin the party if I have anything to do with it. I can muzzle Q, so this engrate shouldn't even make me break out into a sweat."

Why? Do you have special powers like Queue?

"I do. Although they're for self defensive purposes only. Useful when I have a ship's crew to protect. Now, I have two ships under my wing." the black woman with the tall hat replied.

I see. Can I help you with that scary woman?

"Thanks for offering, kid. But, soon, you are going to be busy with meeting that father of yours and I never come between a man and his child when they're seeing each other for the first time. It's proper etiquette."

I thought about that. Hey, how did you know my dad is coming? My mum and I havent told you that yet.

"I'm a listener, Naomi Wildman, in more ways than that which you do with those two ears of yours." the bar host said mysteriously. She left a sundae and two spoons in front of Naomi and Samantha and moved to help another customer.

Wow. Ginan is magic, mum!

"I don't think she's that, Naomi, she's just a member of a very charismatic race that's a little older than ours. She's bound to seem very matronly and learned."

She does seem like shes a mum and a teacher.

"Well, from what I know of El Auriens, they live eight centuries. More than enough time to be both of those things."

Why arent Ginans family here?

Samantha whispered to her daughter discreetly. "Because the Borg scattered them, Naomi, and Guinan's one of the few to have escaped."

Oh! Seven should know about this. Maybe she knows where they are!

"I think Guinan's already searched for them and found her answers, Naomi. Or she wouldn't be here on a Starship being everyone's perfect host." Sam said.

I sat and thought about this when I ate my side of the sundae. Those robot Borg are really mean! Isnt there anywhere they havent gotten to?

Then I heard the pretty ladys mum yell at Captain Peecards girlfriend. They both wanted to be his girlfriend!

Vash! Vash! Loowaxanna! Loowaxanna! Stop it! Not one of you has been with him at all for a long time. Not even when he was hurt by this time glow and had his heart stopped. Data is a better friend than you are! He saved Peecards life by being a part of his heart beat! Just what have you done for him! Nothing! So be quiet and dont wreck the party for us and the other people seeing us.

Samantha Wildman laughed. Her daughter was very territorial over those she befriended and she guessed the Enterprise commander was no exception. She let Naomi speak her mind.

Lal watched the whole exchange carefully, "You mean that humans only have one mate?"

One girlfriend should have one boyfriend Lal or no one is happy! I got to watch Belanna and Tom Pairs and they only saw themselves. But I dont think Vash and Lwooxanna are a friend for him or anything! Friends stay around, not go and then come back.

I didnt see what they did about what I said. I was too mad. So I went back to my seat and finished my sundae. Mum was right about Auntie Kathy being with just her family first. But it didnt mean that I couldnt watch her see them. I had to see, I had to see for me.

-  
(Attachments)

Image : Naomi looked tensed.

Image : A pencil drawing of the Voyager nine by Ron Glass.

***************************************

From: "Fran Catrair" Subject :[voyagerliveaction] Reunited....Full Circle Date : Sun, 12 Aug 2001 18:23:38 +0000

B'Elanna felt great relief to be in some casual clothing at last. She felt refreshed. It had been a long day, she mused. She had to correct herself when she remembered being unconscious.  
::Just how long was I unconscious anyway?:: she thought to herself. So much had happened, that she hadn't even remembered.

As she re-entered sickbay from its private quarters, where, if Voyager had had one, the ship's doctor would have resided, she stopped inside the doorway and smiled at the scene before her. Tom stood with Miral in his arms, grinning like any new father would. Right next to him,  
looking over Tom's shoulder, was Miral's godfather.  
She had never seen the EMH like this. ::He's certainly NOT your typical holoprogram.:: B'Elanna concluded. She promised herself she would be sure,  
regardless what happened to her personally, that the EMH and his programming would remain intact; somehow.

The EMH took only three seconds to let that truth sink in. Then he self willed himself out of his fascimile teal uniform and into a loose fitting kaftkan. "Come Tom and B'Elanna, Let's show your daughter that big bright and beautiful world that's out there."

The EMH's words brought her out of her reverie.  
::I've GOT to stop doing that. I've been daydreaming way too much lately.:: she thought. Shaking her head slightly, she walked toward them. Stopping, she looked at the EMH before speaking. "Thank you once again, doctor. For all that you did for us. I'm glad we chose you as Miral's godfather." she said simply. The EMH was taken aback. He was not used to getting complimented twice in one day. But it should not have surprised him, coming from these two.  
They had grown so much over the last seven years on Voyager; as individuals and as a couple. He hoped he would be able to see them now grow as a family.  
Clearing his throat, he replied somewhat gruffly,  
"Think nothing of it, Lieutenant. Come on now,  
we're missing the party!"

As they came to the doors of the messhall, Tom surprised her by placing Miral back into her arms.  
"What, getting tired of holding her?" B'Elanna teased him. "Never." Tom replied. "I just think she should be with you. This is your moment." "OUR moment, Tom."  
She corrected him gently. "Just the same, humor me, ok?  
Besides, we need to introduce Miral to her other grandfather, remember?" he finished. Her father. She had almost forgotten that he had come onboard. How long had it been since she had last seen him? At least she had been speaking to him on the video link with the Alpha Quadrant over the last few months.  
Looking up, worried, at Tom, she sighed. Tom reached down and gently cupped her chin and raised it, forcing eye contact. "Don't worry. I'm right here at your side." he said softly. Encouraged, she took a deep breath and touched the door entrance.

As the doors swished open, all conversation in the room ceased, and people turned to look at who else could be possibly be arriving. Most thought Captain Janeway would be the last to enter. Seeing the new family, members of the crew broke into applause for the second time of the evening. The family members soon joined in, realizing this was the new birth that their loved ones stationed onboard had told them about. Looking around them, B'Elanna felt proud and embarassed at the same time. When the clapping had stopped, B'Elanna cleared her throat, emotion choking her. "I want to present to all of you the newest member of the Voyager family, Miral Torres Helena Paris."  
she finished. As the next wave of applause died down,  
the party resumed again.

Looking around the room, she found who she was looking for. Exchanging glances with Tom, she started moving in that direction. It was all she and Tom could do, to acknowledge all those wanting to ooh and aah over Miral,  
and yet make it to their destination. Soon, Tom was leading the way; making a path to the windows at the back wall.

He looked older. He had white mixed throughout his hair, giving it a distinguished look. His face looked weathered, with lines of age throughout. Taking a deep breath, B'Elanna said, softly, "Hello, father."  
He turned slowly from the window and looked at her.  
John Torres had never seen anyone so beautiful. ::She looks SO much like her mother.:: he thought to himself.  
She looked so much happier than she had ten years ago.  
He remembered the argument. He was angry she had left Starfleet. She had been so full of anger. They had said so many hurtful things to each other. "Fine, if you want to throw away your life, so be it. I want nothing to do with it!" he had said to her. "Okay with me. It's not like I've had a father anyway!" she replied hotly to him. This was the last they had spoken.  
Shortly thereafter, he had heard she joined the Maquis.  
This had not surprised him, either. He had resigned himself to losing her, just like he had lost her mother.

When he had heard of the mishap between the Maquis ship and Voyager, things had changed. As the years passed,  
he began to miss her and assumed she was dead, somewhere in the Delta Quadrant. When communication had been re-established, he had contacted Starfleet, and was informed that not only was his daughter alive, but she was the chief engineer. That had surprised him, but he realized nothing about B'Elanna should have surprised him.  
Gathering his courage, he had submitted a request to contact his daughter, and pleased when she had accepted.  
He was further pleased when she informed him of her marriage and pregnancy. Through those communications,  
he had noticed the maturing of his daughter.

He soon realized that she was looking at him expectantly;  
a worried look on her face. "Don't worry about me,  
daughter. Just an old man, proud of his daughter." he had replied, looking at her warmly. Tears brimming her eyes, she whispered, "I've missed you, daddy." She didn't notice Tom taking Miral from her, freeing her arms as her father stepped forward to embrace her. Soon, father and daughter were both crying. Separating at last, but held at arms length from each other, a quiet peace came over both of them. Nervous chuckling followed, as Tom stepped forward and handed Miral back to B'Elanna. "Daddy, I want you to meet your granddaughter, Miral." B'Elanna said simply.  
Joy filled her, with the sense she had come full circle.

-  
(attachments)

Image : Tom and B"Elanna side by side.

Image : Torres in a Maquis outfit.

*animated gif* Spinning Combadge in Silver.

Gif: VLA's Graphic Site Main Page Logo

*  
From : "Alex Delet" Subject : [voyagerliveaction] The First Hurdle Date : Sun, 12 Aug 2001 21:20:38 +0100 As Janeway stood, in front of her family, she looked at them and offered a smile, in full Kathryn Janeway fashion.  
Before she turned and stepped away.  
"Where are you going?" Pheobe demanded.  
Janeway spun, still in Captain mode, "There is something I have to do..." she looked around, "And I made a promise to someone," she said.  
"Always the Captain," Mark sais softly.  
Janeway turned on him, "I'll be back," she said, softly, after a second glance at the woman standing next to him.  
Janeway sought out the table she was looking for, and saw Seven of time glance at her, quickly turning away.  
"Kathryn!" A Voice came from the table, Janeway recognised it,  
from longer than seven years. "Maribeth," she said, walking over, "Don't let me intrude," she said.  
"Not at all," Maribeth dismissed, "We were just talking about you,"  
she said, "But shouldn't you be with your family? Your mother is anxious to see you,"  
Kathryn nodded, she hadn't entered herself into the 'pot' for visual or audio communication, preferring letters. So her family hadn't 'seen' her, in a long time.  
"Seven," Janeway said, smiling, "I'm sure you've been informed now,"  
she said, "If you want to discuss it later, you know where to find me?" -  
"Q!" Janeway called, getting a glance of her 'nephew', and stepping toward him, "If you want to meet my family now, come along," she noticed he had been engrossed in conversation with a young lady, "Or you can meet them at the farm, later.... come and find me, I.. I need to see them now," she said.  
"Yes Aunt Kathy," he told her. Janeway assumed, he meant he'd decide, and either come and find her, or let her know.

Janeway took a tentative step forward. Staring at the faces of her family. Gretchen, her Mom, was holding a tear, smiling at her daughter. Phoebe, her younger sister, looking older and wiser, since the last time they'd spoke. Eyes still bright.  
Mark stood, slightly back from the table, Janeway let her eyes scan for Molly.  
Her dog pushed through the legs of a Woman standing next to Mark.  
Janeway was about to apologise....until she noticed Marks hand interlocked with the Womans.  
The dog walked slowly toward Janeway, who bent down to pat her. Scooping the dog up, she looked at the family once again.  
"The little girl, Naomi told us that Molly found you earlier," Gretchen said, standing up, and walking round to meet her daughter.  
Phoebe stood up, "I'm not going to sit here and stare at you after Seven Years!" she announced, marching up to Kathryn and embracing her in a hug.  
"Oh Phoebe," Janeway said, quickly manuvering Molly down to the ground.  
Her sister broke off the embrace, and stepped back, allowing her Mother into the picture, the two hugged.  
Her Mother stepped back, to reveal Mark. Janeway 's eyes widen, and they engaged in an awkward hug.  
He stepped back, to reveal the women Molly had been hanging around.  
"Kath," Mark said, his voice exactly as she remembered it, "This is Yvette,  
my Wife,"  
Janeway offered a hand, which was taken, "Nice to meet you," Yvette said.  
"You too," Kathryn broke off, and turned to the table.  
"How have you all been?" she asked, taking a seat. Kathryn took a moment to gaze out of the viewport at the farm. Her gaze settled on the bulkhead, and the tears that had been threatening all day, came through. She was so happy to see them again, Pheobe, her mother, Molly.... and Mark. She'd spent the first two years of her trip, dreaming of seeing them again, knowing she would.  
And now all she could do was cry? No, she stopped herself.  
"We're fine Kath," Pheobe jumped in, "How have you been?" she asked,  
"We're so glad to see you," she said, "Your one of the most famous Captains in the Federation! Next to James Kirk, and Captain Picard,"  
"Phoebe," her mother put her hand on her youngest daughters arm.  
Janeway smiled, truly feeling the joy, overcoming the uncertainty.  
"I'll get...some drinks," Janeway said, clicking her fingers for Molly to follow.  
"I'll give you a hand," Mark put in.  
Phoebe and Gretchen exchanged glances.

"It's good to see you Kath," Mark said, as soon as they approached the replicator.  
"Good to see you too," Janeway answered quickly, "Congratulations," she said,  
turning away.  
"I didn't come...to gloat, Kath," Mark said.  
"Why did you come, Mark," Kathryn turned to face him.  
"I hoped you'd...understand," Mark said.  
"I couldn't expect you to wait," she said, "I don't blame you, " Kathryn picked up a tray, and headed back for the table. "We moved on, right?" she smiled at him.  
"Welcome Home, Kath," her ex-fianc e hugged her, and she hugged back.  
Friendship was enough.

(attachments)

Image : A Datapadd in Janeway's hand, saying it is from Mark Johnson, her fiance'.

Image : Harry and others looking right at you congratulating YOU with champagne glasses and applause.

Image : Janeway grinning, looking down.

******************************************

END WEEK THIRTY ONE RECAP 08-12- 01 WEEK THIRTY TWO RECAP 08-13-01

.com/voyagerliveaction Graphic Site

.com/group/voyagerliveaction Writer's List Site

*  
From : "Samantha Rose" Subject : [voyagerliveaction] Cultural Lessons Date : Fri, 17 Aug 2001 05:00:53 +0000

A smile creeped across Owen's face at the reaction of Lt. Cmdr. Data to Lal. The prospect of artificial intelligence shedding tears was amazing. In a way, he was witnessing the future of Starfleet and the Federation.

Turning to Picard he nodded and motioned for the flagship Captain to join him in the festivities. The two entered before the Captain did and joined in the applause after she made her speech.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Hello, Q,.. I heard you were going to see Kathy's family soon. I was wondering I could come along and share that porchside lemonade with you..." And Amanda Q coyly twirled a blond hair lock in her finger..batting her eyes.  
"Oh, dont' look at me that way.. Your father didn't set us up.. I saw the intials you carvedin the big Oak in these human's Heaven's Garden of Eden.. How sweet.."

And she took Q2's hand in her own. She didn't even wince at the mortalness of his touch.

Q2 was in shock at the sudden appearance of Amanda. At first the words wouldn't come out of his mouth, but they soon found the light at the end of the tunnel.

"A-Amanda..." was all he could manage. She just smiled at him and pulled him onto the dance floor, where a few others were dancing. Q2 watched mesmerized as Amanda placed his hand around her waist and grasped his other with hers. She placed her other hand on his shoulder.

"I'm surprise you haven't learned to dance yet. I thought all humans were taught this custom?" she hadn't ment to tease him, but Q2 winced at the statement.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Q. I didn't mean to..." she started to apologize.

"No, it's okay, really. I just haven't gotten used to the fact that I'm...human." his eyes instantly moved to the floor at the sound of those words on his tongue. Amanda gently squeezed his hand, and as he looked at her, she smiled. They continued to dance until the song was over and then headed over to the bar to get something to drink.

"Q!" Janeway called, getting a glance of her 'nephew', and stepping toward him, "If you want to meet my family now, come along," she noticed he had been engrossed in conversation with a young lady, "Or you can meet them at the farm, later.... come and find me, I.. I need to see them now," she said.

"Yes Aunt Kathy," he told her. Janeway assumed, he meant he'd decide, and either come and find her, or let her know.

Q2 stopped talking in mid-sentence and looked over to where Janeway had gone. She was talking with her family and he could see the tears brimming in her eyes. He then watched as she walked to the other end of the bar, Mark not too far behind. Q2 turned back to Amanda and grabbed her hand.

"Come on, lets go meet my Aunt Kathy's family." they headed first towards where Kathryn and Mark were.

"If it's alright Aunt Kathy, I'd like to meet your family now." Q2 stopped in front of Janeway and smiled. As she nodded he turned to where Mark stood with a confused look. To his knowledge, Janeway had no nephews that age.

"Hey, my name is Q." he held out his hand to Mark. He took the teens hand and shook it, making a mental note to ask Kathryn about it later. Now wasn't the time or the place to do it. Captain Janeway smiled as she linked her arm with the one Q2 offered her. Together the group of four headed back over to where the Janeway family sat.

-  
(attachments)

Image : Amanda Q

Image : Picard pointing in exasperation.

Image : Q2 with his Auntie Kathy.

GIF: A poster spoof of Voyager cast in a Batman Returns format. Funny!

***********************************************

From : "Roxy Dee" Subject : [voyagerliveaction] "Dogged" Determination~~ Date : Fri, 17 Aug 2001 10:34:54 +0000

Harry Kim listened to his captain on the verge of tears, speaking to everyone in the messhall. It had been a long time since he had seen her so relaxed,  
and..moved.

He easily identified Gretchen Janeway and Phoebe Janeway, his captain's sister. Gretchen was young in the face but had a wreath of silver tresses over the simple rust shift she wore that bespoke a long rural Earth history.

He waited until Captain Janeway had been pulled aside by the man he thought she was affianced to, Mark Johnson. But there was a wedding band around his finger. Then he overheard Mark introduce the woman to his captain as Yvette, a total stranger.  
::Wow. I guess I know about that letter off the mail relay that upset her so much on the bridge that one time. It was a dear John letter..::

Then Harry Kim wandered over to Gretchen,  
"Hello, ma'am. uh,.. Harry Kim. I was.. am, Voyager's Ops Officer. I was asked to deliver a message to your daughter. You know Maribeth Hansen, don't you?  
She's your neighbor. "

The handsome woman nodded, amused by Harry's discomforture. "We've kept in touch."

Kim went on, "Well, Maribeth's asked me to be the one to tell her about Molly's new breed and the business that sprung from it. Frankly, I don't feel comfortable in the task simply because it would sound a little awkward...."

Gretchen finished Harry's concern, "...that a junior officer should inform his captain that she's a millionaire benefactor of a new line of white marked Irish Setters named after her?"

Harry blinked, "Uh,,.." he tilted his head aside suspiciously,  
"Yeah.." And he cleared his throat.

"Don't worry about it ensign. I wouldn't want to do that either. I'll deliver your message. " Gretchen said,  
looking to her daughter walking alone with Mark and Yvette,  
speaking quietly to end a chapter in her old memories of the life that was. "No doubt, Kathryn's going to need a new passion to dive into on future shoreleaves." The older woman appraised Harry carefully. "You live alone, right?  
Could you use a loyal four legged friend?"

Harry again cleared his throat, "How did you know I live alone?"

"I make it a point to know the crew my daughter serves with.  
A habit I picked up from Edward before he was killed." She said, smiling. "I feel I know you especially well Mr. Kim. And I know that you share my daughter's passion for pets."

It was Kim's turn to squirm. "Yeah,.. I sort of had.. a change recently in my life... You see.."

"I know about Libby leaving you since your nervous breakdown when you heard your grandmother passed. I am not offering you a dog because of this. Don't get me wrong. I know only that Freckles has the temperment that would go well with yours.  
Freckles is a foundation sire from Molly's original litter. He's worked hard enough and is still young enough to appreciate a bachelor still with a lot of freetime..Here's a holo of him, ensign."  
And she handed it to him.

Kim looked and saw a delightful canine of gray, black, tan and white.  
Harry was taken aback by Gretchen Janeway's candor and openness. It threw him for a loop that she knew so much about him that he automatically said, "My apartment complex block doesn't allow for animals, ma'am." He tried to thrust the datapadd back at her.

Gretchen smiled again, wrinkles giving her wizened face the look of a wise business woman under her bun. "It does now.  
Helps to be the wife of an admiral and the mother of a famous captain of the line.. I'll just hold onto this photo of Freckles for you until after the party is over.. Ta.."

Harry could only accept graciously, "I'll ...I'll give it a try. I mean, if this dog's to be put out to pasture.. I think I have space... In fact, it would be nice filling my place with another living thing."

"Good, ensign. I'll make the arrangements. I'll have him shipped to beam to you the moment you return to San Francisco and open your apartment door..."

Harry smiled in return.

Gretchen leaned forward patting his arm motherly, "Don't worry.  
Being an owner allows you to get a cut of the profits of any sales of the Kathryn Janeway Setter line. Might help you.  
get back on your emotional feet... Besides.. everyone knows girls go crazy for dogs..." she added, winking and pointing to Leah Brahams, dancing in Scotty's arms. "I plan on giving another pup to that young Geordi fellow over there. He's too shy to know a good gal when he sees one."

And then the mother of his captain moved on, to rejoin Phoebe Janeway at the Janeway table.

------------

Geordi LaForge watched as Montgomery Scott danced the focus of his dreams around the messhall dance floor. ::Now why don't I go out there and--::

"Grab her into your arms and kiss her fiercely?" A voice chuckled.

Geordi looked up. It was Guinan, renewing his drink. "Now I know you're clairvoyant." he said with a grin.

"Been accused of that many times,, " the hostess sighed. "None of those rumors are true..." she said, biting into an olive slowly.  
"No, this is a case of having seen billions of young eligible bachelors like you watching another man dance with the girl they dream about secretly."

Geordi grinned, "So,, you think I should cut in?"

She nodded slowly.

"All right.." Geordi got up slowly and straightened his tunic,  
tossing back the last of his synthehol. "I'll do it."

Guinan grabbed his arm, stopping him. She set a fragrant bloom on his label that matched the yellow of his uniform perfectly,  
"Knock em dead, tiger..."

LaForge looked down at the flower suddenly on his tunic and shook his head ruefully, "Just like prom night.." he said, walking towards Scotty and Leah.

Montgomery Scott felt a tap on his left shoulder and heard someone clearing his throat. He and Leah Brahams broke apart.."Eh? Oh, oh oh!  
Lt. LaForge. Didn't see you for a moment. Whew.." he said wiping non existent sweat off his brow, "I think I need a breather, and something to wet my whistle.." And he winked where Leah couldn't see.

Geordi raised his eyebrows. ::Is everybody conspiring to link me up with Dr. Brahams tonight? Well, almost everybody. The Q's have been busy elsewhere thank goodness.::

He found himself lost in azure eyes. "Uh,.. hello, Leah. May I have this dance?" he said mechanically.

As if on cue, the music change to a slow dance. A bright flush of heat warmed Geordi's face as he realized he'd been trapped into a slow dance by the music. He threw an annoyed look at Guinan, who was speaking with the maestro discreetly.  
::I'll get you later Guinan. How about someone putting your bottles out of order behind your back.. Q2, would have a hey day tying your hair into a knot doing just that...at least, I think you have hair under that hat of yours.::

-  
(attachments)

Image : Harry outside on a street.

Image : The view from outside Harry's apartment window.

Image : A black, red, and white Setter close up.

Image : Geordi and Leah Brahams in casual clothes.

*  
From : "Cory Anda" Subject : Tattoos and Stars Date : Fri, 17 Aug 2001 11:07:40 +0000

Chakotay felt a jolt and suddenly, he was back to his senses, seated in front of a Betazed whom he knew to be one of Deanna Troi's acquaintances. "All right, Tam." ::I could have sworn there was a devilishly attractively woman here a few moments ago. :: His head felt light, but the feeling was rapidly dispersing.

Kolopak near him, shook his head as well. "I guess that dreamquest was a strong one, my son. My body's still half there and my mind, too. Did you see a woman in black here?"

Chakotay startled, looking to Tam.

Tam shrugged. He decided not to tell the two native americans the perfume trap they'd been delivered from via Tinman.

Chakotay arose and got the three of them simple bread, cheese and fruit, "Join us?" he said to Tam.

The Betazed with the red hair and black eyes nodded. "Thank you. I think I will. It seems Deanna's occupied over there with her mother."

Chakotay grinned, guessing the situation, "A little inlaw headaches going on Tam?"

"You could say that. Lwaxana tried to hand fast Deanna and I through faked letters."

Kolopak nearly spit out the water he was sipping, "She what? Tried to craft a matter of the heart through false writings?"

Tam nodded again.

The older Indian laughed through an open belly. "I would never do that to you my son. I know where your heart lies."

Chakotay sobered, over his clay mug of tea. ::Yes, but does she?:: He glanced over at Kathryn, thinking. ::Yes, you are my seconah, my family's adopted story teller. But have you taken the mark I offered to you?::

He remembered a short month ago, when he had bared his heart and tribal soul to her in that datapadd on her bathtub and carved her that ceremonial canoe. He had sent a tattooing device which Kathryn still had activated in that dinner conversation they had shared soon after. ::But then the Nexus bit down tightly. And we never carried out that tattooing ceremony. I wonder if Kathryn's forgotten?::

Deep down, if Kathryn wouldn't be his love, her being his adopted sister would be enough.

He accidently whispered aloud, "I wonder if she still has it?"

"Has what, my son?" Kolopak asked, looking up from his conversation with Tam Elbrun.

Chakotay really didn't know how much of his thoughts had been spoken aloud, "My seconah tattooing plaser I gave my captain. When,, Voyager was still trapped in the Nexus. I was visited by grandfather, Necomah who urged me to adopt Kathryn into the tribe, so that we'd never be separated again. It, I know she'll never be anything else but a soul mate to me, serving well as my family's storyteller. But we never finalized the ritual.. duty got in the way."

Kolopak placed a hand on Chakotay's arm, "Why don't you go ask her my son? She is sister to you by choice when she agreed that night to be your seconah. Nothing should interfere with any speaking you have with her. Not even your unresolved feeling for her.."

Chakotay looked sharply at his father. Was it true? Did he have feelings for Kathryn beyond familial and piety bonds? He searched within himself and found only turmoil in an emotion he could not identify. He looked at her talking with Mark and his new wife hiding the pain he knew was there. ::I should be by her side through this. Losing a heart tie isn't easy.::

He got up. "You're right, father." And he left his seat. "I should speak with her."

--------

Kathryn Janeway looked up from the uncomfortable handshake she was clasping with the woman who stole Mark away to a shadow that moved next to her. A part of her relaxed heavily as she felt Chakotay square off next to her against Mark and Yvette's unity. It felt good to be even mentally supported. "Commander, meet Mark Johnson, and his wife Yvette."

"Charmed,." the first officer said, take both of Mark's and Yvette's hands, "Welcome aboard Voyager. Kathryn and I are incredibly glad to get her home in one piece."

Mark chuckled, "I can imagine.. Well, it's nice meeting you commander,...." And the tall man dipped his head fractionally, "....captain..." They moved off to a table of their own.

Janeway wilted inside at a level even she wasn't aware of. ::The end of a chapter. Mark and I are truly done with each other.:: All it took was that simple title coming out of Mark's mouth. First time uttered past his lips to bring the idea crashing gracelessly down.

Chakotay gave Kathryn a second mug. She eyed it distrustfully in mock suspicion.

He chuckled, "Only coffee. I figured the captain drinking something other than the celebratory champagne would look, non regulation..."

Then he noticed the slender tatooing device belted next to her tricorder and speech giving datapadd she still had with her. His heart took a leap that his face did not betray. "It's near dawn. Would you like to move on with things, Kathryn?" His eyes flickered to the device in her belt. ::Are you still going to be my sister seconah to my family by taking my mark.::

Captain Janeway shook herself as if coming out of a reverie. Her hand moved subconsciously to the tattooing device carefully stowed there and fidgeted.

Chakotay did not press her into elaborating any more. He simply,... waited for her to speak.

------------------

Tom Paris took his newborn daughter into his arms as he watched his wife get reborn, of a sort herself, deep inside her father's waiting arms. It sort of made him jealous. The elder Torres seemed more moved than his own father had been in similar circumstances. ::But then again. That just may be the admiral rubbing off in Owen.::

He relaxed and began handing out cigars with the holodoc. Tom tried to sniff the aroma off his cigar and frowned. It was absolutely odorless!

The EMH looked over at him from where he stood handing out cigars from his box. "Of course they're holographic cigars! You think I'd risk my new god daughter's lungs on her very first day of life?"

Tom was about to ask how holoemitters got into the messhall when he recalled that they had been put there early on just before the Vidiians were met for the first time. He vividly recalled the EMH and Mr. Neelix frying pan beaning a Kazon in his helm logs that day in the messhall. It had been recorded when the doctor hallucinated a whole series of holofantasies that translated into the computer core by accident. ::Kes, as his wife? Now that was funny..:: Tom remembered.

Then it made sense to have emitters in the messhall. Who knew when some alien food would sit wrong in a crewman.

He hefted Miral up into a more secure hold in his arms. "Never doubted it doc." Tom said to him.

He moved to one of the windows and sat down at a table near the stars bringing up Miral near his cheek. "See that?" he whispered to her. "Those are stars, balls of light that are separated by a really large dark space called the universe.... " He said, philosophically, "Think we can see all of it before you turn sixteen?"

Miral gurgled, her eyes dancing in the starlight. Tom's eyes filled with the beauty of his daughter's and he nuzzled her bare toes with hungry lips. "Ok,.. it's a date." -----------------------------------------------------------

(attachments) Image : Chakotay takes Janeway's hand on New Earth.

Image : Janeway takes Chakotay's palm

Image : B'Elanna in a helmet, unconscious,  
with Voyager's reflection on the facepiece.

Image : Miral, Newborn baby of Tom's

Image : Tom looking at B'Elanna in a closeup.

***********************************************

From : Jeff Seltun Subject : [voyagerliveaction] Love Triangles Date : Sat, 18 Aug 2001 12:19:24 -0700 (PDT) Data nodded to Guinan that he was ready for anything Ardra could do. So far, the woman was playing it cool, sipping a tonic and nibbling on romaine leaves.

He kept one android ear attuned to the sounds of her movement while he turned back to Lal. "I did not know my friends in Starfleet would....surprise...me by restoring you, Lal. It is most..touching."

Lal looked down at the hand she had clasping her father's. "I am touching you,  
father..." she said with a small frown.

Data smiled for his daughter's benefit,  
using his emotions. "I did not mean that in the physical sense. I mean an emotional connotation."

Lal imitated a smile but clearly didn't understand the distinction.

"In time. You will grown to learn the difference, Lal. And I will help you."

The two androids continued to sit at Guinan's bar, watching the party around them.  
They saw Captain Janeway with her family,  
and Deanna Troi and her mother, Lwaxana, was with Mr. Homm eating by the dessert table.  
Chakotay and Kolopak, whom Data guessed was the Voyager first officer's father, was talking with another Betazed Data remembered from Tinman. He wondered how the emotional Betazed had fared since becomingGom Tuu's pilot and bondcrew. He no longer seemed to have any discomfort being so close to so many minds near him. ::He must have adapted.::

Q2 had his hands full. Data saw Amanda Q making moves on him like she had Commander Riker a few years ago. ::At least, Amanda is close in subjective age to Q's son. Perhaps this date will be a success.::

He noticed B'Elanna and Tom Paris's new infant making rounds among the crew. What was curious, was that Voyager's EMH was handing out cigars to everyone. There were enough of them to make Data calculate that if lit, they would moderately contaminate the air in the messhall. As if reading his thoughts,  
the EMH saundered by to give Data and Lal their cigars, "These are low calorie..." he said,  
and winked, welcoming Lal to the ship with a nod. He moved off to hand out his cigars to the rest of the guests in the messhall.

Data accepted his and Guinan "lit" it. There was smoke visually, but no smell or particulate content that he could see in it.  
Then he passed it close to a holographic sculpture of Earth, Guinan had set out as a party favor and his cigar flickered.. "Ahh,  
holographic incendiaries. These are safe for the baby.." he said.

Lal was still looking at hers. She tried to bite it.

"That is not food. It is.... a token, in this case, of celebration of a birth among Janeway's crew. In other cases, it is a chemical source for addiction that eventually leads to cancer and other toxically generated health problems."

Lal frowned, "Why would people want to harm themselves that way..?" she said dropping her holocigar as if it burned her.

"Why indeed." Data remarked.

----------------------------

Captain Picard strode back into the messhall with Reg Barclay at his side. It had been very satisfying to see Mr. Data reunited with his Lal again.  
Her passing had profoundly impacted him and all who had known her.

He was ever grateful that Starfleet had done this truly humanitarian thing for only one individual.  
::Couldn't have been a more deserving Starfleet citizen..:: "Now that, is a picture worth a thousand words.." he said aloud.

"Yes, sir." Barclay said, "But do you think I got Lal's hair color the right shade?"

Picard smacked Reg across the chest in mock dismissal. "Do you think Mr. Data really cares Barclay?"

The two men laughed and made it about halfway into the room when Picard's face fell stony.  
The angry buzz of two women's conversation reached the both of them over the happy babble of the celebrating families.

"He is not your man! I found him first!" Vash grumbled, stabbing a fingernail into Lwaxana's ample bosom.

"That is a point to be debated, thiefess!" Lwaxana highbrowed. "We could always check the Enterprise logs to find out! Besides, I don't have any criminal charges in my records. You do. I doubt if Jean Luc would stay with such a riffraff like you for any length of-- " she broke away, breaking into a charming smile.. "Why Jean Luc.. I was just meeting your.  
Vash here and we were...."

Vash was equally trying to cover their earlier snarling demeanors, "....swapping family stories..and earlier memories of you..darling.." She said, taking his arm.

Lwaxana promptly took the other one.

Reginald Barclay looked trapped in a quagmire, "Uh,  
I see you three have a lot to catch up on.  
I'll just.....pop on over to the carrot stick table."  
And he beat a hasty retreat.

Picard missed grabbing him by two inches. His safety shield against his two ex-"loves" got away.

Alone, and exposed, Picard said expansively,  
"Ladies.. how glad you could come join us." he said with a feigned grin, sweeping his hand around the room, indicating all the guests. " and take part in this historic occasion."

"Now don't get all Starfleet formal on me, Jean Luc.  
I am not some Breen diplomat to defuse." Ms. Troi said.

Vash coughed under her breath, "Oh yes you are..."

Picard glowered at the both of them, "Fine. I see you two are getting along famously.. I'll leave you to it." And he dropped both of their arms instantly. He grabbed a seat at the nearest table behind him, plunking down into it hastily. ::Any port in a storm.:: he thought.

Then he realized who's table it was. Ardra's.  
::uh oh...::

"Why Jean Luc..." Ardra purred.. "So nice to see you again. I hope these two other females know when to back off in the face of superior company."  
she said dripping honey. A twist of her wrist's ornate bracelet and a hidden transporter sent a datapadd into Picard's hands with a secret message..

SEE PIC

Lwaxana's and Vash's face turn beet red with rage.  
But party etiquette made them silence any verbal reaction.

Picard put his hands on his head, elbows on the table.  
::I wonder if I should just turn off my biobelt and let these tachyons kill me. It would be a lot easier that way for everyone concerned. Since when have I become such a Don Juan?::

-  
(attachments)

Image : Guinan and Data grinning.

Image : A close up of a datapadd saying dinner tonight?

Image: Ardra smiling at Captain Picard.

*  
From : "Cassidy Meyers" Subject : Up ante... Date : Sat, 18 Aug 2001 23:52:32 +0400 Tandem Post between "patti keiper" and "Cassidy Meyers" Via email tennis match.

Characters involved are :

MAINS:

Deanna Troi Seven of Nine Q

FAMILY:

Lwaxana Troi Vash Ardra Maribeth Vanessa, Seven's Aunt

----------------------------------

Deanna felt the tensions flow and ebb around her at the party. ::It's the usual rainbow soup rising right now, and the most sharp part is coming from...mother?!::

She saw Vash and Lwaxana squaring off, then getting hastily civil around Captain Picard, who dropped them like a hot ember, and then flaring again at Ardra who said something truly insinuating judging by the color Troi saw flashing across their faces.

Deanna took sympathy on her commanding officer and went to rescue him.

"Hello again Ardra.." she said, taking the only chair left at Ardra's five seat table. She handed a wine goblet to her mother and the other to Vash. "Why don't the five of us talk about how to behave in interpersonal relationships ...after the breakup.. Shall we? I'm sure we can work some things out." And she expressionlessly cracked her knuckles in front of her. "I feel like picking a few brains today.."

Lwaxana, Vash and Ardra shot up out of their chairs, scrambling to get away from the full blown Starfleet counselor on analyze mode. They disappeared into the crowd.

Deanna leaned over and tapped Picard's hands covering his face. "They're gone, sir.."

Picard looked about and then sagged into a puddle. He drained Deanna's wine goblet in two swallows. "Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. I was about to commit suicide." he grinned.

"Now that would've livened things up around here." Troi remarked. "Another medical call for sickbay."

Picard rolled his eyes.

"You know, sir. It's all because my mother is going through her Phases again. Her telepathic sense enflames any woman's who's in a similar romantic mind set. It has disasterous results in a party setting."

"What does?" a voice said. Deanna and Jean Luc looked up. Seven and her Aunt Maribeth Vanessa stood there over them. "May we join you?" Seven asked.

Troi and Picard gestured to chairs.

They had just been settled when a body flashed into the fifth seat. "Oh! We have five people!! How about a poker game!!!" Q exclaimed.

A dealer's visor fingersnapped on them all and a harsh spotlight lit the table which suddenly sprouted with green casino felt.

Q's hands deftly manipulated cards while a third lit everyone's holocigar's he had found and put into their mouths. "Five card stud. Nothing wild..." And cards buzzed supernaturally dealed into five neat piles in front of all the players.

Seven looked at the cards in front of her, "What is the purpose of this, Q? We're at a family reunion..."

"Exactly my fine Borg Barbie.. And this is perfect. Jean Luc played a final game with his crew at a poker table when Enterprise was decommissioned. Now why shouldn't Voy-- Wait a minute. That hasn't happened yet." Q frowned.

Aunty Vanessa laughed. "Oh! A party clown as part of the entertainment. I wonder who thought of that..."

Seven looked up, alarmed.. "Aunty,.. Shh.."

"What's the matter, Seven..?" Q said, leaning back in his chair, "She's right you know. I am a clown and I am frequently entertainment on this vessel. Well, it's entertaining for me none the less." he said ruefully.

Vanessa smiled, "What a delightful goon..." she said, not understanding Q's significance and the thin ice she was treading upon, "Can you pull magician's tricks, too?"

Seven muttered, "Uh oh.."

Q's face hardened and he waved his hands in a sharp circle. "How about this one!"

Poof!!

Auntie Vanessa was abruptly the woman in the sword box and he was the one with seventeen Arabian simitars dangling in the air. "Ladies and Gentlemen! I give you.. center stage.. A spectacle for your amusement..!!"

He leaned over to the horrified Picard table, "Especially for mine.." He whirled back to the messhall crowd, who thought the sight was all some innocent stage act. They applauded and hooted with pleasure. "The first sword....." He brandished a huge one, polishing it with one Starfleet sleeve. "Thusly!!"

Seven, Picard and Deanna gasped.

Q stabbed it into the black box holding Vanessa, who was smiling, not understanding how much her tiny mortal existance was at the mercy of a stung Q. The metal blade snicked out the other side of the box neatly.

Five other swords followed in rapid order. But so far, not so much as a hair was mussed on Seven's Aunt's head.

"Q!" Deanna yelled, "Stop this.. She didn't know any better.."

"Do any of you?" Q challenged the counselor. "I am omnipotent..!!! Don't you ever , ever forget that again... Keep your uninformed family informed. Or it's pin cushion time!!"

Poof!!

The stage act was gone. Q and the four of them were back at the card table. Q blinked mildly. "Place yer bets.. Place yer bets.. Discard, Hold or ante.. Come on.. I haven't all day.." and his hands blurred into fantastic shuffling speeds.

Deanna, Picard, Seven and Maribeth began to play poker in earnest. Q ire was a wonderful incentive for stimulating player cooperation.

Q shrugged, "Smiles everyone. I wasn't going to do anything.. All I want is a friendly game here. But the only thing we are missing,... is Worfy Poo. No one runs a bluff as good as he does."

-  
(attachments)

Image : Picard, Troi and Ardra standing off.

Image: Q and Data in a turbolift.

Audio : Picard- Counselor, at this point, I'm open to guesses about what we've just met.

Image: Seven with a wacky smile.

*  
From : "Clairissa Fox" Subject : Auntie Kathys house!  
Date : Sun, 19 Aug 2001 018:32:29 +0000

I finished my sundae real fast. I had things to do!  
I looked for Auntie Kathy and she was over by Mark,  
her old boyfriend. But I didnt know who the other woman near him was who was holding his hand.

Did Mark get married while Auntie Kathy was away?  
How mean! He didnt love her if he did that. Seven years isnt such a long time. Voyager got back real fast. And we had mail going to Earth for two years before that! I felt sorry for Captain Janeway. Now shed have to find another boyfriend.

Captain Janeways mother was talking to Auntie Kathys sister FeeBee. So I went over to their table.

Hi Mrs Janeway! Hi FeeBee! Im Naomi Wildman and I am one of the people who got back on Voyager.  
I was born while we were lost and trying to get back.

"I see." Gretchen Janeway replied to the little girl who had come up to her so confidently. "My daughter's mentioned you a few times in her letters. Are you the same little girl whom Kathryn shared Flotter and Tremus stories on the ship's holodeck?"

I am! We havent had a holostory in the great forest for a long time. Weve been so busy. We kept getting stuck looking for food and helping out other ships and fighting off robots and stuff.

"I'm sure Kathryn was very busy on the bridge." Phoebe added, smiling at Naomi.

She was! She made me Captains Assistant to help her with her coffee and getting the data pads to all the places they had to go on Voyager and a lot of things.

Then I remembered what I wanted to ask Auntie Kathys sister and mother.

When Auntie K- I mean Captain Janeway was growing up,  
what was her room like down there on the farm? I said pointing out the window to the field out there and the house Voyager stood over.

Gretchen and Phoebe exchanged looks and then both nodded. "You want to come over to my house and see for yourself? It's good Indiana hospitality if we share a visit over lemonade." Gretchen admitted.  
"But I think you should ask your own mother if you can leave the ship for a bit."

I will! Be right back!

I ran over to my mums table and I said Mummy!  
Auntie Kathys sister and mum want me to come over so I can see how she grew up! Can I go?

Samantha Wildman glanced up at the Janeway table for a moment, thinking. "Well, all right. For a little while. But I'll let you stay off ship only for a half an hour. Your father's coming remember.  
And Boothby's delivered the painting you made for him right here so you can give it to him."  
She held up a half meter high canvas of a child made portrait of the Wildman family.

Ok! Thanks mum! I love you. Ill use my com badge pin to call you when its time to come back.

I ran back. I can go! I can go!

Phoebe and Gretchen stood. "All right. How long do we have?" she asked the eager Voyager child.

Mum said half an hour.

"Goodness, I am glad I have lemonade already chilling." Gretchen said, taking Naomi's hand.  
"Q" she said addressing both Q2 and Amanda you're welcome to join us if you'd like.  
Any friends of Kathryn are friends of mine."

It felt weird knowing that Auntie Kathy had a mum like I did. And a sister! I didnt have one of those cause mum and dad havent seen each for so long! So I went with her and FeeBee and Mrs Janeway and I beamed out. And I knew that Queue and his new girlfriend Amanda would come if they wanted to.

We beamed in outside.

Wow! I ran out into the yard and looked up into the sky. Thats the moon! Im really on Earth! Then I looked down. My feet were in real grass! I pulled off my shoes.

Look at me! Look at me! Im really here!  
Auntie Kathy showed me pictures of her house and Earth but this is the first time Ive seen it forever!

Gretchen picked up her little guest's socks and shoes and said, "Would you like to come inside and look around? I'm sure that yard and corn field will still be there when we get back."

Phoebe smiled, "We have a piano in here."  
she said, leaning on the screen door of the farm house lazily.

Oh! I knew what that was! I heard the hollow doctor playing music with that in sickbay while he counted the tools there for invintory.

Im coming! Im coming! Together,  
FeeBee, Mrs Janeway and me went into Auntie Kathys house.

It was very nice inside. I ran right over to it and stood by the bench. Can I touch it?

"Sure, that's what you have to do to get any music out of a piano, Naomi." Phoebe laughed.

I sat down and played the white bars.  
Wow! This was the same piano Auntie Kathy played when she was a little girl. But I wasnt very good so I stopped. I looked up at all the pictures on the lace on top and saw a photo of a little girl I knew!

Hey! Thats 7! How did you get a picture of her? We didnt find her until I was four!

Gretchen Janeway sat down on the piano's red velvet seat and began playing a Beethoven rhapsody for Naomi, who was spell bound by her fingers created music without a computer.  
"Seven's Aunt lives just down the road from here, Naomi. And she gave me this when Kathryn took an interest in it. Her name's Maribeth Vanessa who used to give Kathryn her piano lessons both here and there."

Phoebe nodded from where she was setting out three lemonades in the historic Victorian kitchen, "My sister felt sorry that 7 and her parents were missing when she was your age.  
So she took a fancy to that photograph,  
wondering where 7 was right up to about junior high age. Then, Kathryn got wrapped up in her Starfleet academy studies, and lost her interest in it."

Seven was running into the arms of a man with gray hair there. She was even smaller than I was at that age! And her hair was very long and yellow.

Who is that man here?

"That." Gretchen replied, "Is Seven's grandfather. He died a few years after Seven and her parents disappeared in space."

Oh. Im sorry hes gone. But 7 has her Auntie right?

"She sure does." Phoebe said gently,  
brushing Naomi's bangs out of her eyes.

I got off the bench and looked down a hallway that had a real old oreental rug in it. "Is that the way to Captain Janeway's room?"

Gretchen stood up, joining the little girl,  
"Yes. We've kept two rooms for her exactly how she left them. One from her girlhood and the other as a place for her to sleep after she was grown and moved out on her own."

Lets see the first room!  
So the three of us held hands and walked to a heavy door. Mrs Janeway took out a real metal key to open it.

It was yellow inside! And the morning was lighting up the lacy curtains over a big bed that had a canopy.

I looked around.

She had trophies in a bookshelf! What are these for?

"Hasn't Kathryn told you anything about how she grew up?" Phoebe wondered.

No. Weve been real busy.

"Well." Gretchen said, "These are tennis trophies Kathryn earned at her school matches before her academy days."

Is that like a velocity game?

Phoebe and Gretchen laughed, "They're similar. But tennis has no holodeck program to create its "ball" and court."

Then I saw a toy horse on the pillow of the big bed. He was black.  
Auntie Kathy had a stuffed friend like my Flotter?

"Oh yes." Gretchen said. "That little guy was made to be like the pony Kathryn had when she was little."

Auntie Kathy had a pony? Then I remembered.  
This was a farm and that was where animals like horses and cows really lived!  
Where is he now?

"Eagle lived a long time ago. But he got old and passed on when Kathryn was a teenager."

Oh. I wanted to pet Eagle but I changed my mind.

There was an old book that had a real cover on the blanket. It smelled like chemicals and something the hollow doctor told me once was moth balls.  
I opened the cover. Wuth-ering Heights?

"Yes, Kathryn loves Victorian era romances. When she was a teen, she used to dream about being a governess in a great mansion back in that era. Which is how this farmhouse is supposed to resemble." Phoebe said.

She still does! I said. Sometimes, Captain Janeway got on a big gown and went somewhere in the hollow deck to live a holo novel when I was just a baby. She looked pretty in that dress!

Phoebe joined Naomi on the big bed and took the old book from the little girl's hands, trading it for a lemonade. "This is getting warm. Have some."

I was real happy. I was in Auntie Kathys room she was in when she was my age! I wondered what else was in the room but I waited for Mrs Janeway and FeeBee to drink their lemonade first. I could wait.

Maybe Auntie Kathy would wonder why we left the party in the messhall and come looking for us. Then Id learn more. I felt excited. I had never been on a farm before.

"Perhaps, later. We could go outside to the barn and see the livestock."

I nodded. Oh, yes. Please.

-  
(attachments)

Image : Naomi close up in sunlight.

Image : Janeway in a governess dress with Chakotay's images superimposed.

***************************************

From : "Alex Delet" Subject : [voyagerliveaction] Returning Serve Date : Sun, 19 Aug 2001 20:59:56 +0100 Janeway linked arms with Q2, and headed back for her table, in time to see Harry Kim walk away, and her Mother return to the table.  
Mark placed the tray of drinks on the table. At that point Chakotay arrived.  
Then he noticed the slender tatooing device belted next to her tricorder and speech giving datapadd she still had with her. His heart took a leap that his face did not betray.  
"It's near dawn. Would you like to move on with things, Kathryn?" His eyes flickered to the device in her belt. ::Are you still going to be my sister seconah to my family by taking my mark.::

Kathryn put the slender device between her fingers as she reconciled her memories of it's shape with the tactile response.  
She put out a hand to Chakotay, which he met with his own.  
"Chakotay..." she tensed her expression, feeling the tears manifest themselves again.  
"At Dawn..." she said, in her Captain's Voice. "I'm ready,"  
She turned back to her family, putting her arm around Chakotay,  
"Mom, Phoebe," she said, "This is Commander Chakotay," she said,  
"Voyagers First Officer," :: At the moment :: she added without meaning to wonder or worry about the future. Kathryn had kept it formal, she looked at Chakotay... Allowing herself,  
to re-entertain the emotions she'd been feeling for Seven Years. They were home... she didn't need to worry about the unspoken rule, about subordinate officers. When she'd known that Mark couldn't wait....she'd looked at Chakotay, following his example of 'Home is wherever you happen to be'. But it hadn't worked..... and she'd looked to Fair Haven, and Michael.  
Now they truly were home.... What did that mean for them? Would she ever be more than the part of Chakotays Tribe she had just agreed to be.  
"Chakotay, Q, Amanda," she turned to the two newcomers who arrived, Q2 telling her they'd like to meet her family now, "My Mother Gretchen, and my sister Phoebe," each of them exchanged greetings, Phoebe making several connecting glances, between her and Chakotay, which within them contained unspoken questions :: Is this your new Mark? :  
Janeway put her hand on Q2's Arm, and spoke to her family, "Q here, is my.  
nephew," she said, smiling fondly at him after a second. Janeway made no response either way, and saw Naomi Wildman approach and turned to Yvette and Mark, making polite, introductions, which, however cordial, were purely in the interests of being polite. Before she turned back to Chakotay, and smiled.  
Her mother approached, "The Captain's Assistant would like to see your room over at home, Your Nephew and.." the older Janeway paused, "His Friend, can come too," she said. "That Okay?"  
"Yes, Of Course," she looked over to see Naomi talking with Phoebe as they prepared to beam over.  
"Will you join us?" Phoebe demanded from across the room.  
"No," Janeway said quickly, gesturing around, "It wouldn't be right, yet, be sure to show Naomi my racket, bring it back with you," she suggested.  
Phoebe frowned, but nodded, turning back to Naomi. Janeway's mother smiled.  
"Harry had a word with me, Maribeth wanted someone to tell you about the Kathryn Janeway breed," Gretchen added, as an officer was already calling for their transport, "Molly had her puppies, adorable little things, with a rare white patch," Gretchen said, quickly, but without a detectable hurry. "It's worth allot... you have royalties of millions of credits for the Kathryn Janeway Line," "What?" Kathryn stepped forward involuntarily, but the figures were already,  
de-materialising. She remembered the work Royalties.... but had never expected it to impact her life, in any way.  
Janeway looked back, embarrassed to see many of the people in the mess hall looking at her, hearing the whole exchange, chuckling.  
Janeway looked to Mark and his wife, "Help yourself to refreshments,"  
she said, kindly, before taking his (Chakotay's) hand and stepping aside, "What's involved Chakotay...What does it mean?" she asked, looking at him, eyes wide with interest.

(attachments)

Image : Chakotay and Janeway closeup, gently smiling.

Image : Janeway taking Chakotay's palm, deeply moved.

Gif : A tennis racket!

****************************************************** END WEEK THIRTY TWO RECAP 08-20-01

.com/group/voyagerliveaction Writing site

.com/voyagerliveaction Graphic site

WEEK THIRTY THREE RECAP 08-20-01

.com/voyagerliveaction Graphic Site

.com/group/voyagerliveaction Writer's List Site

***************************************

From : "Fran Catrair" Subject : Reunions, Bombshells and Surfing Date : Fri, 24 Aug 2001 05:48:45 +0000

B'Elanna scarcely noticed Tom take Miral out of her arms.  
As she sat down at a table off to the side to talk with her father, she noticed the other father-daughter bonding going on near the window. Realized how it so closely resembled her own. Smiling to herself, she thought,  
::I can't believe I ever doubted he would be a wonderful father.:: Shaking her head slightly, she smiled at her father again. It seemed she couldn't stop smiling.

For his part, John Torres couldn't get over the changes in his daughter; how she had matured over the last ten years or so since they had last seen each other. He could sense a poise within her, but at the same time,  
could see the hint of fire behind her eyes; sure to spark at a moment's notice if provoked. Something else that reminded him of B'Elanna's mother. Sighing, he started again. "It's wonderful to see you again, 'Lanna. And to meet my granddaughter for the first time. Thank you."  
he said simply, his voice choking up slightly at the end. He had thought he had lost everything. His wife was dead. His daughter, who had not spoken to, was missing and presumed dead in the Delta Quadrant. Now, he had his daughter, a son-in-law and a granddaughter all at once. It made him feel overwhelmed. Suddenly, he started to swoon slightly and he reached for the table, his body slumping slightly as his hand misjudged the edge. B'Elanna was alarmed. "Father? What's wrong?" she asked. She reached over and steadied him, looking around the room for the EMH. She was relieved when he immediately came over. "I noticed what happened, Lieutenant." the EMH said.  
Taking out a tricorder, he conducted a quick scan over the elder Torres. Frowning, he looked at his readings and at the man again. "How long were you going to wait before you told her?" the EMH demanded. John Torres feigned innocence and looked at him with innocent eyes; his demeanor reminding the EMH of his daughter. "I don't know what you're talking about." he said defiantly. "I might be a hologram, sir, but I am NOT blind!" the doctor replied in a firm, no-nonsense tone. By this time, a small scene was being created.  
B'Elanna was confused. "What are you two talking about?"  
she demanded. Thankfully, she was relieved when Tom,  
noticing the commotion from not too far away, had returned and was standing beside her. "Mind your own business,  
doctor!", John Torres said hotly. "B'Elanna and her family ARE my business!" the EMH replied. "All right, you two, just what the h#ll is going on?", B'Elanna demanded,  
becoming angry herself. John Torres sighed. He didn't want this to come out now; not at this time. But it appeared that circumstances would indicate otherwise.  
Turning away from the EMH and the table, standing firmly in front of his daughter and Tom Paris, who both wore expressions of tight apprehension, he said, simply,  
"I'm dying."

On a beach in the same hemisphere, a woman was sunning herself.  
She was trying to relax, but found she was too angry to do so.  
::The nerve of that man!:: she thought to herself. She had been bobbing up and down in that tachyon wave for what felt like an eternity. She couldn't believe she believed he would catch her.  
She had been lucky. She might be a Q, but she had to admit she was thankful when she was finally rescued. But, she wasn't about to let those humans know she was happy to be rescued. No,  
she just had to get away for awhile. She knew she felt exhausted, so, she went to this beach in a place called Acupulco and decided to just relax for awhile.

She felt a presence next to her and glared. "Just WHAT do you want?" she asked Quince, who appeared before her, wearing an early earth one-piece bathing suit, circa 1920s. "You look ridiculous!" she concluded, taking in the snorkel and the ducky innertube around his waist. "Very funny. I thought this might cheer you up." Setting aside the duck, he knelt down in front of her, his face serious. "I thought you should know." he said. "That thanks to your husband, the council forced me to make your son mortal." he finished.  
"W-H-A-T?" she said, stunned. "When did this happen? Take me to them, RIGHT NOW!" she demanded. "As you wish, my dear."  
Quince said. Suddenly, she found herself back onboard Voyager, in the messhall. Before anyone could spot them,  
however, she quickly snapped more appropriate attire onto herself. She would NOT let these mortals see her in what she thought was less than Q grace. Spotting her son, next to Captain Janeway, made her even more angry. Striding purposely over to them, Lady Q stopped, pinning him with her eyes. "All right, just WHAT is going on here?"

-  
(attachments)

Image : OutdoorsB'Elanna in a med shot.

Image: Torres and Paris in a corridor.

Image: Quince looking distracted.

Image: Lady Q (Suzy Q) in a civil war dress,  
smiling knowingly.

******************************************

From : "patti keiper" Subject : The "Human" fan movement Date : Fri, 24 Aug 2001 06:37:15 +0000

Q dealt his poker cards around the messhall table to Seven, Maribeth, Deanna Troi, Picard and himself. He hand won five hands before it dawned on him that his favorite humans were letting him win. He set down his cards and frowned in a smiling pout, "What's the matter my fine friends? This is supposed to be a joyous occasion! If anyone should look glum, it should be me. My mate hasn't returned to the ship yet even though Vash saved her from floundering in that time wake she fell into off her Qboard." He took a huge sigh. "Just look around you!" Q indicated fancifully.

He stood, creating a spotlight over head which responded to his finger motions, "This proud Voyager crew is already moving on with their lives. Seven,.!" he indicated and blinded the blond woman and Maribeth with his spot light out of no where,.."Delving deep into her own past, finds a tie with the Janeway family through the Hansen- Janeway matriarchs. Her savior captain, perhaps, by design.. and not happy accident!"

Q aimed his light at Picard. "Jean Luc Picard, Pursued by love, " he leaned aside to Troi, "Finally, eh, counselor,.." He straightened out, "...from three eligible beauties,... er, two of them anyway.. " Q said eyeing up the circling Lwaxana Troi.

Deanna slugged him in the thigh, "Hey..."

Q looked down at her, "A little too harsh? Ok, and one very handsome eligible lady... is that better, Troi?"

Deanna rolled her eyes, setting her head into her hands.

"Speaking of love unrequitted, a new spark is aborning even now, in Chuckles! And in Kathy..! Oh, they don't know it yet, but suddenly not having a mission before them as an excuse is recreating the chemistry found on New Earth, when they were stranded together oh, so long ago..."

In honor of them, he changed them out of their official uniforms into luau clothing to last for the next five minutes.

Deanna Troi snapped her head up, sensing the captain and commander, "What?" She felt the unmistakable tendrils of secret feelings from the Commander, but they weren't new ones, and the same tenative wisps from Janeway. ::Is Q right here?:: but then discretion caught the better part of Deanna's professional courtesies and she turned off her sweep on them.

She hid her reaction to her findings from the others before any really knew that Deanna had been startled by a new emotional development.

Q went on, Sweeping his mysterious spot onto Data and Lal. "Father and daughter reunited from the kindnesses of Starfleet know how. Headed by Reginald Archibald Barclay, himself.. with the assistance from many who'd follow him.." The light flickered over Picard, Admiral Paris, Guinan among others. "Naomi Wildman, having the time of her life seeing how her mentor lived on Earth while growing up. She's having fun sitting with one of Kathy's stuffed horses in the family bedroom. Quite a cute sight.."

The three people in the Janeway farmhouse bedroom winced at a sudden bright light illuminating them but mistook it for the rising sun through the window. It left Gretchen, Phoebe and Naomi as soon as it came.

Q arose, "And then,...there's my own son." The spotlight beamed brighter as Amanda and Q2 .. "Already, his feet bear the bruises of uncertain dancing from his first official date! Ah ha! Two dates actually, They're going to meet Janeway's family together.. You don't waste any time, now do you son.." and Q winked..

"Our beloved Harry Kim, the best bachelor of them all, heart unbowed by a recent liberal Libby dumping, is now the proud owner of his own puppy! "

POOF!!

Freckles, Molly's first born son, a white, black red and gray setter of the new Janeway line materialized and began scampering around the messhall, stealing tidbits from diners plates. Harry, horrified, chased after him.

Molly, Janeway's original Irish setter, scampered after him, grabbing her errant son by the collar and disciplining him with nips and growls.

Harry found a tractor tether rod and reeled him in off diner's platter's "Sorry..Sorry.... he...must be real hungry.. sorry... s-"

Captain Picard was not amused, He said, "Q, what's your point?"

Q rose to his full height, "All right, I'll tell you."

SEE SOUND BITE

And he cut out his spotlight and his superior air to the extent that the Starfleet crewman around him actually looked at him with faint wisps of curiosity. "We've reached the end of what we know about you all. " he said simply. "And this place..." he said indicating the messhall, the ship,..the outside corn fields as their tachyon glow was overpowered by that of the morning sun rising. "..is where we reach unfamiliar territory.. We don't know what to expect next, and that is a draw greater than a moth to a candle. Quince is a sign of the first wave, coming from the Continuum's administrative angle. Next, the Qporosi and the Hfans."

"Hfans?" Deanna asked.

"Human fans.." Q said, without looking up from his politely laced fingertips. He seemed very self conscious. "I am not the only Q who ....spends time enjoying you Starfleeters. It's fairly widespread. I was only the first. It's why the Continuum put penalties on such interactions. It's why my son is now human...."

And he sank back down into his chair quietly.

Q let whomever wanted to speak next full control over their thoughts, actions and feelings. ::Here it comes...::

-  
(attachments)

Image : Q with Harry and Janeway

Audio : Picard- Q, What is it you really want?

Image: Janeway and Chakotay in leis and Hawaiian shirts.

*************************************

From : "Cory Anda" Subject : Dream Sister, Heart Sister Date : Sun, 26 Aug 2001 09:18:48 +0000

"It's near dawn. Would you like to move on with things, Kathryn?" His eyes flickered to the device in her belt. ::Are you still going to be my sister seconah to my family by taking my mark.::

Captain Janeway shook herself as if coming out of a reverie. Her hand moved subconsciously to the tatooing device carefully stowed there and fidgeted. Chakotay did not press her into elaborating any more. He simply,... waited for her to speak. Janeway looked to Mark and his wife, "Help yourself to refreshments," she said, kindly, before taking his (Chakotay's) hand and stepping aside, "What's involved Chakotay...What does it mean?" she asked, looking at him, eyes wide with interest. Chakotay frowned with a small smile on his face, "Don't you remember? You said you wanted to be my family's seconah."

He took the tattooing device from her hand and held it up. "You read the datapadd I left on your bathtub on the holodeck in our New Earth program and had a hearty laugh when you moved the canoe I carved. Did I misinterpret what you said to me, then, in your quarters that same night?"

He remembered clearly what Kathryn mentioned over their Nexus shifting glasses of champagne to tea/coffee good natured tug of war...

Their conversation replayed itself before his eyes....

::Chakotay took Janeway's hands in his own in a friendly hold.. "So.. ::You read my story.." he said selfconsciously. "I thought I made a ::pretty good storyteller in that datapadd, all things considered. ::Grandfather seems to think I have a gift... I can't see it."

::Chakotay waited for Janeway to reply to his implied question..

::She laughed at his comment and her look told him she liked ::his stories. A lot.

::Chakotay laughed along with her, but then his face grew serious ::and he gathered her attention fully with its quiet power. ::"What is your answer, Kathryn? My grandfather stayed behind to ::give us privacy.." ::For a moment. Chakotay closed his eyes and heard his grandfather's ::words in the back of his mind..

::Necomah pointed to his grandson's shiny badge.. "She is come to your ::special place, Chakotay... If she is truly yours, that which is ordained ::will come to pass. " Necomah sang in an old language to the fire... ::Dimly, Chakotay heard the echoing cry of the red tailed hawk in his family's ::woods.

::A long delay stretched into a minute behind his shut eyes.

::"Chakotay, I would be honored.' She said with a punctual nod of her head. ::Janeway stared as her coffee turned again into champagne at his will.

::Then he opened his eyes again, strangely reborn, and stared in wonder ::anew at his friend and captain.. His mug also transmuted back into ::champagne, this time, through her wishes.

::He smiled ironically."Won't be so bad..being an adept in my family.. ::Kathryn Janeway Necomah Kolopak Chakotay,.. ::Destined to be the next great family storyteller... You've a new title now.. ::Seconah... or medicine woman. And after you've studied my people's ::ways, I promise I won't make you smoke any peace pipes if you don't ::make me dance any wampahs.."

::Janeway laughed. ::"Can I meet your Grandfather now? Or is there some ritual ::for that too?"

Chakotay's daydreaming flashback wondered where that Nexus nerated embodiment of his dead grandfather was right now, travelling along with that ribbon, no doubt, with Seska, Suder on the USS Liberty, journeying with them in that world. Chakotay returned to his memory of weeks ago, back in Kathryn's cabin.

::He chuckled quietly "Nothing special for that..Necomah won't be ::expecting us until morning.. He thought we would be doing other things ::right now..along the path that COULD have been.. if you catch my drift." ::Chakotay leaned foward whispering in Kathryn's ear... "So,... tattoo ::on the wrist or not?" Then he chuckled in his warm quiet way.. and ::just as suddenly, he leaned away again, stroking his own face mark in jest. ::He drew in a large breath and let it out again. ::"I'll help you with it but that'll depend on where you choose to wear ::your tribal mark, I wouldn't want to chart forbidden territory without ::my captain's consent, now would I?" he mischieviously chinked his glass ::with hers. "Just kidding.. I'll settle for showing you how to begin this ::marking ceremony..of ours."

::He folded his hands in prayer in reverance briefly, ::in a catching silence, but then spoke. ::"This tool is better than my grandfather's iron brand.. You won't ::have the pain I did when I took my storyteller's mark.. " He took ::up the tool. "Ready?"

::"How about, one more glass of champagne first?" Kathryn laughed. ::"This is almost better than coffee." ::"I'd be delighted.. Kathryn-sabe.. My new sister in blood.." ::"If I'm your sister, does that make you my LITTLE brother?" ::Janeway said with a smile on her face, trying to hide behind her ::thin glass of transparent champagne.

::It was a true statement. Janeway was three years older than her first ::officer.

::Kathryn's "brother" didn't deign to reply but his look told her ::everything..

::First officer and captain shared refilled glasses together and ::the ghostly image of an aged Indian grandfather looked on with a ::wolf and gecko by his side from the window... ::She added fervently,.. "This is nice. But I can only think of one ::thing right now... Let's get ALL of us out of this god forsaken ::Nexus!!"

::Chakotay frowned ruefully, "Must be the champagne talking.." ::and he took away her glass. "Duty calls then." ::"We'll reschedule your tattooing before daybreak ..It must be done ::on the night of pledging answer."

But that tattooing ceremony had never taken place. And now, his living father, Kolopak, and not the Nexus created Necomah, his grandfather could stand by their sides as Kathryn was initiated into the Tribe as a newly consecrated seconah.

Again, Janeway asked her friend and first officer, "What's involved Chakotay...What does it mean?" she asked, looking at him, eyes wide with interest.

Chakotay shrugged, hefting the medical tattooing device it his palm, "I've just realized, ..Kolopak knows I've asked you to be Seconah to our family in place of a son I don't yet have."

"Is that a bad thing?" Kathryn said, quirking her lower lip.

Chakotay chuckled, "I just can't figure out how he found that out when those events happened while Voyager was still trapped inside the Nexus and out of touch with the outside world. Come on, let's find out how he knows..."

And Voyager's first officer kept his hold on Kathryn's hand as he led her over to Kolopak.

Tam Elbrun, respectfully retreated as he felt the private thoughts coming from Chakotay. "I'll be over by Guinan, I am glad we shared views, Kolopak. Perhaps, I can give you a tour of Tinman before we disembark."

"Looking forward to that, Mr. Elbrun.." Kolopak said.

Chakotay and Kathryn and Kolopak sat at the table in the corner and watched the sun rise over the cornfields. Then Chakotay spoke. "How did you know, father?" And he hefted the tatooing device while Kathryn poured the three of them tea.

Kolopak chuckled. "Now you know and I know that the dreamscape and its spirit world knows no bounds. We are related in blood my son. So our spirit guides can share their spirit soulmates with one another. My guide, Mnementh, is a wise grizzly. He's been current to the events surrounding your life ever since I decided to take you back into my heart."

Janeway was respectfully silent. She knew of the rift that had existed between father and son regarding the very tribe she was joining. ::Chakotay had to reach for the stars. It was unfortunate that those stars had Maquis ties. Looks like his time here on Earth will be plagued by his misinformed decision he made in his youth.:: she surmised.

Chakotay simply nodded. Then he took the tatooing device from Kathryn and handed it off to his father, not turning it on. "Not quite the steel brand I had when I took my mark. I figured being on an Intrepid class starship has its priviledges. Is there anything we need to do to prepare for the Taking-of-the-mark, father?"

Kathryn took in a deep breath, suddenly fully aware another step deeper into Chakotay's life was near. And how she felt emotionally was still turmultuous. ::Is he my next step as well?:: a part of her wondered.

"A dreamquest will follow naturally. This is nothing that requires privacy, unless where the mark will go decides that." Kolopak chuckled.

"Father!" Chakotay said. "Kathryn you just put the mark anywhere you'd like." He made a face ruefully. Kathryn copied a dubious look, stroking her forehead in a tease.

Kolopak merely held up a warding palm. "I was attempting humor. Unlike what you think, my first born son, this isn't a custom that must be steeped in deep mystism or formality. It is simply a way of adornment taking.."

"I see." Kathryn said, thinking.

Chakotay could read nothing on his captain's face concerning her thoughts. But he didn't think she'd take the tribal mark on her forehead as he had. That was a place of marking reserved for males of his tribe.

He leaned over and said. SEE SOUND BITE ( MP3 file)

Kolopak lit a simple pine knot he had unbundled from his meditation wrap. Inside, a wick burned with pitch, like a candle. He waved a swan's feather over the flame and then began singing softly in an old language over the tatooing device and over Kathryn's and Chakotay's heads.

The EMH popped by, slipping something onto the table before them. "Consider using this beforehand," The object was a portable skin sterilizer. "It will greatly reduce any future scarring or distortion in the design.." the hologram was gone even before his sentence completed.

Kolopak closed his eyes again without missing a beat of his song. "All right.. the blessing is done. It is up to you, Kathryn, to take your tribal mark on your body where it will reside."

He switched it on, laying the tattooing device on a soft ermine pelt of white.

Then he placed Chakotay's and his hand on the akoonah plate. "We will await you inside the dreamrealm to orient your spirit guide with our own afterwards with you as a new full sister of the tribe."

Kathryn watched as her first officer joined hands with Kolopak as they slipped into the spirit realm state.

Unaccountably, she felt alone and vulnerable as they left the present consciousness. ::How strange..::

But she knew what awaited her next and didn't hesitate with what she was about to do.

-  
(attachments)

Image: C and J smiling at each other with a nova on the main viewing screen.

Gif: Indian design beads bar in red, white and black.

Gif: Chakotay's tattoo.

Gif: Two eagles feathers intersected by a diamond ink center, a divider bar.

Audio: Chakotay- They don't teach THAT at the academy...

Image: Chakotay and Kolopak from over Chakotay's shoulder in a jungle.

Image: Chakotay smirking with amusement at his captain,  
and Janeway rubbing her forehead ruefully.

*************************************

From : "Clairissa Fox" Subject : [voyagerliveaction] The heavy racket and pigs! Date : Mon, 27 Aug 2001 05:40:32 +0000 Then I heard Auntie Kathy's voice come over the talking badge on FeeBee.

"No," Janeway said quickly, gesturing around, "It wouldn't be right, yet, be sure to show Naomi my racket, bring it back with you," she suggested.

Did she think we were still on the ship? We were in Auntie Kathy's child bedroom and not at the party.

But I saw FeeBee nod and say yes into the combadge.

Auntie Kathry has a tennis racket after so long?  
She was little when she was in the academy to win these trophies, I said.

"Not so little, Naomi. " Gretchen remarked, handing the tiny visitor her glass of lemonade in the bright yellow bedroom of Janeway's youthful days. "She was FeeBee's age right then, when she won those.."

Wow. My eyes got real big when I counted the trophies on the shelf by the bed. And Auntie Kathys racket is still here?

"Yes," Gretchen said, eyes twinkling. "Would you like to see it? Kathryn just asked me to bring it on by back to the party when we're through here."

I nodded.

FeeBee got up and opened Auntie Kathys closet.  
It smelled real old and full of paper. She pulled out a red velvet covering and handed it to me.  
It was very heavy and dusty.

So I sat down on the edge of the lace bed and unfolded Auntie Kathys tennis racket. It was white! And so big I couldn't even lift it.

How could she play with this? Its not a phaser like in her and 7s velocity game.

Gretchen laughed openly, "There were no holodecks when Kathryn was growing up here on the farm. She used a fuzzy ball and that..." she said, holding up the racket for the little girl. "Perhaps, one day,  
when you're a little older, Kathryn can show you a backhand serve with this.."

You really think so?

FeeBee shrugged, "Why not? Tennis is for everyone.  
Well, not at least, if you're looking for a sunny day.."

I laughed at that joke.  
Can we bring this to Voyager when were done looking in your house?

"Of course. You heard the com message I took."  
Phoebe said, tapping Naomi Wildman's nose.

I tried to pick up the heavy racket but I had to use both my hands. Wow. Auntie Kathy must be strong to use that. It felt as heavy as one of Belannas batleths! The paint was peeling on part of the handle and the tape there was slipping but I didn't touch it.

Ill leave this here until we are done seeing the animals in the barn outside, ok?

"If you'd like. But let's save a trip and take this now to your captain." Gretchen said, "Come, come. Take your lemonade. Don't spill. It's too good to do that."  
the older woman chortled.

I was real careful. I didnt spill a drop and we all went to the barn. FeeBee carried Auntie Kathy's tennis racket and soon, we were outside.

I had never seen a barn! It smelled like the necessary and it was dusty! There was yellow grass on the floor and in the ceiling. How did it get there? Where was the computer panels?

Then I saw them.

Puppies!! Where did they come from?!

I knelt down in a big box full of the dry yellow grass where the sun was and three whole puppies came up to me and kissed me!

Gretchen Janeway leaned over the stall wall and smiled,  
"Naomi, meet the latest litter of the Kathryn Janeway setter line. You see all that white fur? That is what makes these little guys so special." She scooped up a yelping pup from his dam and smooched it on top of his head, rubbing the snowy coat on his belly and neck. "It has never happened before in setters and is very rare. Do you know what that means?"

I thought very hard. That means it doesnt happen very often.

"That's right! And they're all related to Molly, Kathryn's irish setter we played with on the ship at the reunion."  
Gretchen told her.

You mean Molly's a grandmother?!

Phoebe plopped another puppy nearer to its dam's teat so it could nurse happily, "Oh yes, many times over.  
And make that great, great grandmother. These puppies are Molly's grandaughter's babies."

I couldnt see how old that was so I just smiled and let the red and white puppies play with my hair.  
Are they going to find starships to be on when they grow up like Molly did?

Gretchen freed a yelping pup from Naomi's jumble of hair.  
"Voyager was a special case. Kathryn knew that Molly would wait for her and now they are together at the reunion. It's something that only being a starship captain can allow. Pets on a ship! " She added,  
"No, these little fellas are going to good homes all over Earth so everyone will see their beautifully marked coats and breed more puppies for even more people who want them."

I didnt know what that meant. I hadnt seen many dogs on my ship at all. Only Molly and the hollow Molly Auntie Kathy made last year when we were in that trap with the Borg Queenie. So I moved to the next big animal box without letting the puppies get out with me.

I jumped up and looked down behind the wood wall.  
Is that a pig? Hes got spots all over him!

Gretchen and Phoebe laughed at the top of their voices. "Pigs are like that."

I read that Worfys got a pig too! A Targ! But he has horns like I do on his head. Alexander told me that last year to scare me.  
I jumped down.

Can we go back to the party now? We have to bring Auntie Kathy her tennis racket like she asked.

"All right." Gretchen said, brushing off straw from the Voyager child's skirts. "We'll go."

Phoebe shouted, "Race ya!!!" to Naomi, tickling her from behind and then dashing off, hefting the tennis racket over her head, swiping at drifting fluff in the morning sun.

Wait for me! I wanted to be there when Auntie Kathy got her racket back. I had to see. I had to see for me.

(attachments)

Image: Good close up of Naomi in the messhall.

Audio: Seven- And you hope to achieve this goal this goal by emulating me?

Naomi- Are you mad?

Seven- No. There are many on this crew who'd benefit from your example..

Image : J crouching by Naomi in her ready room.

From : "Cassidy Meyers" Subject : Wiles of women and Q, While they do what they do... Date : Mon, 27 Aug 2001 09:52:20 +0400

Q let whomever wanted to speak next full control over their thoughts, actions and feelings. ::Here it comes...::

Q didn't have to wait long.

Seven of Nine looked up from her cards and set them down with finality before her, staring at Q eyeing her up in surprise at her boldness over his wishes.

Seven didn't even blink. "Q, I refuse to partake in this activity. You are interfering with our celebration,  
disrupting this crew's morale, and endangering innocent visitors with your omnipotent powers needlessly. You will cease at once!"

Q smiled at Seven's bravado, "Finally, a human with some backbone. Or Borgified backbone at any rate. How refreshing that someone on this ship actually tried to walk all over me."  
And he began to clap solemnly in congratulations.

Seven tilted her head, "How can I? Both of my feet are still in contact with the carpetting."

Q laughed.

Maribeth leaned in on her niece, "Annika? "  
The expression on her face was a mix of fear and false ease. "W- Why don't we just leave this young er,... man... alone and-"

"Yes, Maribeth Vanessa. A wise precaution. Let us all go elsewhere." Seven of Nine rose and Troi, Picard, and Maribeth followed suit.

Quince's voice suddenly erupted from a discarded Joker card tossed aside on the table top.  
"Party pooper..."

He spoke to all around him. "I'm back.  
What a wild ride on that Borg Pyramid, I tell ya.  
Whoowee." And he took a sip from Seven's liquid supplement glass, downing the whole thing in one swallow.  
"Risha and the Primary made the galatic barrier in an hour. Took them only seconds to figure out a way through it."  
Quince tapped his shirt speculatively, "Yep.  
those guys are going to really travel far in their own time zone."

Q just made chit chatty gestures with his fingers behind Quince's back.

Quince said, "I saw that Q. I've got eyes on the back of my head." He whirled and by gosh, there were another set of blinking brown eyes set into Quince's hair. "Have a care, or Q senior will be joining Q junior in the continuum's Human for an Eon penalty box!"

Quince let the humans and the counselor make their get away from the Q poker table.

Q buttoned up, throwing a careful glance at Q2 who was arm and arm with Amanda by the Janeway table near Mark and Yvette. They seemed to be waiting for Kathryn and Chakotay to finished up something native.

Quince held his counterpart with a silencing finger while people properly dispersed around them.

Deanna Troi emitted a huff and went to her mother's side, ignoring Q under the cover of Quince's discipline hold on Q.  
"Sorry, mother. I was detained with an unexpected hand of poker. And I'm not talking about the playing card kind."

"That's all right, little one." Lwaxana said, setting her now empty plate aside where Mr. Homm scooped it up into his ample hands. "You were right shooing us off Jean Luc. Vash, Ardra and I no longer have the right to pursue him, our time is past. However, that doesn't mean I can't go after one of these fascinating letter men.." And she began to drool over the two Q's.

"Mother!!" Troi said, snagging Lwaxana Troi and Mr.  
Homm both by the elbows. "Stop it. You can control your bodily functions better than anyone I know,  
especially your cycle! You've seen six of them already.."

"Shhh!!!" Lwaxana hissed self consciously, "And I worked so hard concealing my real age from everyone so hard.."

Troi rolled her eyes, "Hardly anyone knows such a detailed fact about Betazoids here. Voyager has no Betazoids on board."

Lwaxana still looked wounded, "Perhaps. But who knows who might figure it out and then where would I be?  
Alone and without a suitor field to play on..."

"Mother!!" Troi breathed. "You are not here to find a husband. You are here as a visiting dignitary to have fun celebrating Voyager's return....ONLY.." Deanna added.

Lwaxana hushed up, but her wandering eyes still examined the messhall for male personages unconsciously.  
"But,, but..."

"No buts about it, mother." Troi sighed. "Show a sense of some decorum for Pete's sake."

Lwaxana didn't seem to hear her as she sidled near yet another male guest.

Troi cleared her throat. "That's it.. I'm getting the holodoc on board to stuff that body function of yours right n--"

"No!" Lwaxana said, covering her daughter's mouth.  
"Don't embarrass me that way. I'll get a hold on my.  
my.. little voices.. just... give me a minute..to pull myself tog--"

"Thirty seconds..." Deanna said evenly, with her arms crossed.

"Ohh...ooo." Mrs. Troi winced.. "Don't rush me. The Betazed female midlife crisis isn't all that bad. Sort of... enticing.."

"Mother..." Deanna warned.

Finally Lwaxana nodded to Mr. Homm who handed her an intrique perfume bottle that housed the Cycle Suppressant remedy she had disguised there.

Deanna didn't move until her mother applied the substance to both neckline and wrists with a shot at her face for good measure. She leaned over.. "I'll see you in three hours to see you do your treatment again, personally.."

Lwaxana threw a pouty look at her daughter and began to stick out her tongue.

"Ah, ah ah..." Deanna waggled a finger. "It's either I or Mr. Bedside manner over there next time to watch you.."  
she jerked a finger at the EMH leaning over Janeway and Chakotay's table with a device he had just placed there.

Lwaxana's eyes got real big and she snatched the cycle suppressant sprayer vase off Mr. Homm's tray and nestled it down into her cleavage for later retrieval. "Satisfied?"

"Yes..." Deanna nodded, and walked off with a nod. "Mr. Homm, I'll hold you to keep track of mother's medication at all times. Consider that an official order from the Daughter of the Fifth house."

Mr. Homm inclined his head, and began to stare.

Lwaxana grumbled, then noticed where Mr. Homm's eyes had roamed. Where her medication sprayer now lodged. "To your duties, man!! Go put the ceremonial food gong away in our quarters at once..!" she shouted,  
covering her boosies with her hands in indignation.  
"I'll watch my own medication if you don't mind.."

Mr. Homm, not at all repentant, bowed low from his towering height and did as he was bid, carrying away the gong.

Lwaxana yanked her own dress neckline up a little higher when he had gone. "Of all the nerve... My daughter sic-cing my own house servant on me as a chaperone!"

-  
(attachments)

Image : Troi, her mother, and Riker at a picnic.

Image: Seven as Annika, wither her hair down around her shoulders.

***********************************

END WEEK THIRTY THREE RECAP 08-26-01 .com/voyagerliveaction Graphic Site

.com/group/voyagerliveaction Writer's List Site

WEEK THIRTY FOUR RECAP 08-26-01

***************************************

From : "patti keiper" Subject : [voyagerliveaction] All for the sake of one tiny habit... Date : Tue, 28 Aug 2001 06:00:52 +0000 Q made the proper contrite gestures to Quince and tried not to watch as his Voyager playthings got away from him. "Aw, Quince, it was just getting interesting.. a real human starship soap opera..."

Quince was unimpressed, "Yeah,, and your shannigans were heading along the same roulette path your son stumbled along to get his current human demotion.  
You think I like handing out sentences that turn my friends into mortal weaklings?!"

Q rose to his feet and went nose to nose with Quince,  
"Are you calling my son a mortal weakling?" he said dangerously.

Quince didn't even flinch, "That's better, at least, this show of insult isn't a violation! Q, don't you see? You're headed right down humansville, too. You have no idea what I haveta do to keep the heat off ya so you don't join your boy down human de-evolution lane..."

Q's eye twitched, and his face softened out of his anger. "Am I so close to that again?" He sat down in his chair at the poker table and took up his deck of cards, shuffling them absently in one hand.

Quince flipped a chair around backwards and straddled it, "Yes,...you are. I fetched your wife back just to get attention off you long enough so I could stop you before you crossed the line."

"She's back?" Q said, confused, and troubled.

"Yes!" Quince said. "Picardy's female, the archeologist vixen, tractored her out of the riptide early. See? She's over there by Kathy's family table."

Q looked over to Lady Q who was stabbing a finger in his son's shoulder, demanding to know what was going on. Kathy's sis and mother were nowhere to be seen.  
And Janeway herself was over by an outer window table over one of Chakotay's quaint animal remain bundles, about to brand herself with a blue glowing tool. Chuckles and his old man were doing the dreamy thing again and were out to lunch.  
"What did I miss here?"

Quince noticed what Q was looking at.  
"Oh, nothing you didn't already know about.  
Kathy's suffering rebound since her future mate,  
Mark dumped her for another female. She's doing the usual female thing, being cast adrift emotionally over Mr. Wilderness over there."

He scoffed, folding his arms together.  
"How blind can she be? The perfect specimen of human male has been sitting four feet to her left for seven years and she didn't even notice him until now.  
How drawl...You know, I still don't like that ink thingy plastered across his forehead. And now, it looks like Kathy's going to do the same ugly design somewhere on herself... Yuck.."

Q smiled, whispering,, "Mine was bigger..."

"Huh?"

"Nothing, buddy. I was just...rememb--" And he broke off his line of thought. He shuddered to think what would happen if Quince ever found out that Q actually tried to court Kathy once. ::Surely the mother of all Continuum violations:  
He sighed,...Looking to his mate at Quince's cue.

Spotting her son, next to Captain Janeway, made her even more angry. Striding purposely over to them, Lady Q stopped, pinning him with her eyes. "All right, just WHAT is going on here?"

Q rose, clasping Quince by the shoulder, "Thanks for watching my omnipotent butt. Looks like it's time for me to do the same over there. I appreciate what you're doing for me, even though I feel like drop kicking yours into the nearest singularity for Pinnochio-ing my son. "

"Don't mention it." Quince said, sniffing the mug Seven had left behind again. He ran a finger around its rim, tasting what was left of the drink. "Think ol Top Hat'll give me one of these? Tasty stuff."

Q regarded Guinan who had another dinner fork up her sleeve and eyes unblinkingly aimed toward the two of them.  
"You can try, but watch out for that mean left stab.."

"Huh?"

"Never mind.. You go order that drink. I'll go head Q-lamity Jane over there at the pass..."

Quince moved off towards the bar.

Q smiled, knowing what he was in for. But two seconds later, he was at Lady Q's side.  
"Honey,.... bumpkins.... Quit yelling at our boy. You might hurt his human eardrums. He's just chipping off the old block, hanging with Kathy. I did the same thing once, you know."

Lady Q straightened her Victorian skirts, "Don't remind me.."

"Ok, I won't." Q bit his lip, regarding his mate.

Lady Q's stance showed she was going to tag along with him so Q went on, addressing his boy, "You just watch what Kathy and Chuckles and Chuckles senior does here. That dreamscape place is quaint fun!! Oh, and keep Kathy from putting that primitive brand on her face.  
I really couldn't stomach her looking so Wilderness that way. It's bad enough on Chuckles here."

Q2 looked puzzled, raising his eyebrows. "You mean,  
that inky thingy in black right there?" he said, tipping the tranced Chakotay's face back and pointing.

"Eooww, yes. How can you touch it?" Q shuddered.

Even Lady Q looked faint.

Kathy looked up from her deep thoughts at them but Q snapped his fingers and put himself and his son out of her conscious mind. He wanted things to proceed without interference.

Captain Janeway returned to her momentous contemplation as she held the glowing tattooing device before her teary eyed features.

With a pang of tenderness, Q shrouded the five of them with enough of the medicine bundle pine knot's incense to conceal them all from party goer eyes.

He pulled his son into the empty chair at her table so he could watch the proceedings as Janeway chose her next move.  
"We're going to follow them..." he pointed to Chakotay and Kolopak, "..into their pathetic little dreamquest and learn a few things." his tone then dropped his usual condescending air and he whispered, "..I think.. we're going to learn about a wonderous thing,  
son. About the malleable condition of the human soul.."

He reached out and invisibly stroked a tear from Kathy's face. "If you're to have one for a while. I could think of no better soul to study, than Kathy's..."

He added, SEE SOUND BITE above

Q2 nodded, wide eyed with eagerness. He was beginning to understand his father's obsession with humans, despite the habit's dire consequences dished out by the Continuum.  
The Human elixir was... captivating.

Q spoke again, "Well, there's another soul who is fun to watch. It belongs to Jadzia Dax. She's around here somewhere, but I haven't seen her in months.  
Now there's a fun Trill. You see, she's got this worm in her belly and boy, does she know how to come onto Woofy...You should have seen her wedding gown.."  
Q broke off, realizing he was encouraging his budding teen with raging hormones. "Well, at any rate, I'll find her and introduce you once this ...." he waved an absent hand over the tribal medicine bundles and table "is...over.. Come to think of it. I've never seen Jadzia miss a single party. She'll be here in ten minutes If I know my Jadzy girl."

Q2 nodded and he pulled Amanda to share his seat.

The human Q matched the eager look displaying on the faces of father and son. "I am going, too. I..am sort of a closet fan too,...especially since I used to be human, like Aunt Kathy.." Amanda said. " She... reminds me a lot of Beverly Crusher, the Enterprise's doctor who tried to protect me from my ...eventual folly falling in with you.." She said, smiling at Q. "If spending time with these cute people means I return to that state. So be it.."

Q2 held her hand and Q placed his on top of theirs.  
"Welcome to the club.."

Lady Q didn't deign to join the pep rally and kept a watchful eye on Quince, so her family could indulge on their human watching passion.

-  
(attachments)

Image: Janeway in a series of tender shots,  
in her apricot nightgown and long hair.

Image: Q toasting Janeway with champagne.

Audio : Q- I never did anything like that for Jean Luc..

Image : Q and Amanda Q sharing their human watching habit.

*  
From : "Cory Anda" Subject :In Kathryn's Corn Date : Thu, 30 Aug 2001 08:31:44 +0000

Kathryn watched as her first officer joined hands with Kolopak as they slipped into the spirit realm state. ::I must do this. I don't know how I feel but I know this is one thing I can't just "captain" away...::

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Chakotay knew where he was the moment he felt the light brush of feathers across his cheek. He opened his eyes, and saw his father, already upright in this dreamscape, with the darker than night shadow of his spirit guide, looming over his shoulder on all fours. He smelled dirt, and...

::Corn?:: He opened his eyes. Rahelon whistled sounded in his mind. ##You return to me with kin, my soulmate.## she said.

"How can I not come, Rahelon..." Chakotay said, sitting up and lifting his arm so his spirit guide could hop flutter onto his arm to face him. "It is time. Kathryn will soon be here."

##AHHhhh,## said a voice, grumbling with power. It was Mnementh, Kolopak's spirit guide. ##So she is come among us to take the Mark...##

Chakotay squinted in the morning sun, not quite seeing the looming bearform of his father's spirit guide regarding him with amber eyes.

Rahelon ruffled her bright plumage, her curved beak opened, emitting an arrow tongue. ##You will not be able to see him clearly, Chakotay. Only those near death can see another's spirit guide as sight in life reality. You see his shadow only because your father wishes it so strongly.##

Chakotay rose, studying the sweetly fogged landscape around him. A mist shrouded white Victorian farm house arose in the distance. "This isn't the wood, It's Kathryn's f--"

"Yes," Kolopak said, "We are in her place, or, the place she originates, son. Her spirit guide has yet to dictate a home realm for her dreamscape visiting."

Chakotay quirked an ironic smile at the two guides and Kolopak. "I am partially to blame for Kathryn not returning to the dreamrealm to establish stronger bonds with her guide. We only had found him when we were interrupted by a page."

##Easily remedied, son seer..## Mnementh growled. ##She is to be your seconah,.. for your family bloodline. As a leader of many already, your Kathryn will no doubt prove worthy of the tribe... So why have you doubts in your heart?##

Chakotay surmised Mnementh's spirit form as ursine in his mind, even though he had no way of knowing with a great degree of certainty. ::The Great Spirit Bear would honor my father if he could..:: The ghosting voice in his mind made him pause, wavering as he examined the countryside of Kathryn's birth seemingly alive around him. "An Indiana cornfield. At dawn. It is like this right now outside Voyager..." he said trying to distract the question from the moment's sharp place in the air. ::How can I answer that? Sorry, Mnementh, but I think I love my captain?? Ridiculous..::

##But do you?## Rahelon asked.

Chakotay looked up sharply to the red tailed hawk's sienna fire gaze in shock. "I....don't know." he said, turning away from the circle of dreaming near his father and the two spirit guides. He let the rising sun warm his face as it might have done outside the ship right now. "I.. haven't decided how I feel about returning to Earth let alone how I am emotionally concerning my crewmates.."

##You and Kathryn have been through life and death together on your journey. That battle to return home has kept a true bond from tying your souls in the way it was meant to." the hawk spirit whispered. "Your choice in sharing the Tribal Seconah Rite initiating her into your family line is the right choice. ##

Kolopak sighed, tilting his head, "There is no need to decide completely now, my son, on this matter. We are here in her Place, to give the Mark Birthing Rite to a new Seconah, Your chosen Kathryn... Even now, she sits at that table with the dermal device, awash with emotion and tears over the new way possible for her.. Don't push the heart. Hers, or yours. Take one day at a time."

Chakotay sighed, "You're all right. I must be reacting to the fact that I have to fight no longer, .. neither for the ship, nor her crew.. or...." he whispered to himself, "..for the Maquis. My quarrel with Starfleet in the DMZ, is over..." he said, realization dawning at just how free he really was.

As free as the wind blowing over Kathryn's corn, here in the dreamscape and the real wind flowing over the bluelanded Voyager in the waking world. Dawn was just there, too.

Chakotay joined Kolopak, Rahelon, and Mnementh by the ceremonial fire his father had made in the soft sand at the edge of the corn field. He, like they, were facing the lit up house. It was there, that Kathryn Janeway would emerge, to join them in this dreamquest, into the setting she would inherent with her own spirit guide as Seconah.

All it took was the taking of the Mark.

Kolopak blinked and a pot of boiling corn, simmered over the flame.

Chakotay must have drifted asleep, for when he awoke, fresh loaves of corn bread were warming on the rocks around the fire. Mnementh and Rahelon were a short distance away smelling the strange sight of the barnyard where other animal forms manifesting in Kathryn's memories tantilized them..

##What is domesticated sheep?## Mnementh asked his spiritmate.

"They are like deer, with curled white pelts and no antlers. Men breed them for clothing and meat in that structure over there." Kolopak answered.

##Odd. Their minds are gentled. I see others like the boar and ...new ones.. like red and white wolves...?##

Chakotay chuckled, "Those are pigs.. And puppies.. I should imagine. Captain Janeway's mother said there was a new line of Setters out of Molly, Kathryn's pet. She said they had white markings on their throats and bellies. They, too, will be Real life companions for others. The process of taking animals this way is called Domestication."

Rahelon shook her tail, ##Something none of us has seen in the tribe. Now, this corn.. I understand. It is the taming of the land, for food.##

"Earth farming people are humane with their animals." Chakotay taught his too Tribe Native Guides and sire. "They aren't cruel in the taking of their flesh or freedom."

##I think I see the concept..## the Bear Spirit growled.

Chakotay took up his river stone and held it up to the light. "Akoochemoya.. I am far from my home. I am far from the bones of my people.. But I am near the ancestral home of the one we consecrate as Seconah, a new family line into the tribe.. Great Spirit in all of us and everywhere, welcome Kathryn Janeway as sister to me, and my father, with her taking of the Sacred Mark of Oneness.." He touched his forehead tattoo as did, Kolopak. "And may You guide her onto the Path she was meant to journey with bright eyes filled heart to be One with us in the Tribe. Akoochemoya.... We await our new sister to join us at her appointed Place, for the bond link back to her spirit guide, known only to Kathryn. Peace......."

Kolopak and Chakotay, hawk and bear began to eat of the ceremonial cake crafted from the essence of Kathryn's ancestral lands slowly, watching the white farm house in the distance...

Soon, Chakotay pulled out the dark wood of his flute from his tunic.. and began to play the song he wrote for her on New Earth so long ago. It was made of the wood of a tree that had been storm fallen in his dreamscape in the deep forests.

SEE WAV FILE with attachments.

His father, joined in the spiritual music on his drum of stretch bison hide, from his spirit realm of the plains, from the Manitou who guided him to Mnementh.

Chakotay and Kolopak played to soothe Kathryn's soul, mingling with the crickets of her home realm here in the cornfields.

They did not have a long wait before a sound came from the weathered porch..

-  
(attachments)

Image : Chakotay grinning mischieviously.

Gif: Chakotay's river stone.

Audio : A Native American flute melody.  
Soft and soothing.

Gif: A diamond designed bar in Indian motif.

Image : Rahelon, Chakotay's spirit guide hawk.

Image : Kolopak, Chakotay's father, closeup.

*  
From :"Roxy Dee" Subject : Peeping through Keyholes~~ Date : Fri, 31 Aug 2001 03:16:24 +0000

~~And Q winked..

~~"Our beloved Harry Kim, the best bachelor of ~~them all, heart unbowed by a recent liberal ~~Libby dumping, is now the proud owner of ~~his own puppy! "

~~POOF!!

~~Freckles, Molly's first born son, a white, black ~~red and gray setter of the new Janeway line ~~materialized and began scampering around ~~the messhall, stealing tidbits from diners plates. ~~Harry, horrified, chased after him.

He caught the dog, who instantly obeyed him the moment he felt pressure on the tractor leash. Harry cast a frantic look around for Gretchen Janeway, wincing at her possible disapproval, but he saw that she wasn't in the messhall.

Neither was Naomi Wildman. ::Oh, good. They left for the Janeway household already. Whew! Did I luck out.::

Ensign Kim sat down on the floor and stroked the beautiful animal seated before him. "So you're Molly's first born son. You're a gorgeous fellow, now aren't you?"

Molly, Janeway's setter, came over to greet her son in fine style and the two tustled briefly before both lying down amicably together, shoulder to shoulder.

Harry looked at Q, still over seeing everything at the reunion party. "Uh, Q, could you bring uh,,.." he read the male dog's collar tag, "..Freckles to my apartment please?"

Q sighed, "What? And just leave him there all alone? He goes with you...." And Q turned his powerful attentions elsewhere.

Kim sighed, still seated on the floor. Molly got jealous of the attention her son was receiving and nosed a muzzle under his other hand. Kim scratched vigorously.

Harry jumped when another body plunked down right next to him and took over the task of petting and scratching both dogs. They rolled over to accept Reg Barclay's attentions with contented sighs.

Reg beamed, "You? Are getting a Kathryn Janeway setter sire?? Oh, ensign.. You don't know how fortunate you are..."

Kim regarded Barclay ironically. "Oh? How so?"

"Think of the breeding potential..."

Harry said, "Uh, I don't have to. Owning Freckles here gives me a part of the profits on every puppy sale, my Captain's mother assures me."

Reg said, "Think of the fame potential..." he amended without missing a beat..."A living piece of Voyager's history..."

Harry frowned, "Reg. These setters never left Earth. So how can they be part of this ship's history.."

"Oh, uh, oh. Ok, I -I mean.."

Harry bailed out the lieutenant. "I think I know what you are trying to say." He rose to his feet. "I'd make eyes turn on the street with a Janeway setter with me."

"E-exactly.." Reg sighed, fluttering his hands about.

"So," Harry sighed, clasping his hands together, "Want to cash in on a little of that doggy mystique right now? Watch em both for me until after the party.. There's a good man.."

Kim retreated, leaving both dogs under Reg's care.

Instead of feeling dumped on, Barclay warmed to the idea and so did they. They crooned doggy moans under his caresses and placed their muzzles by his cheeks in a hug. "There. there... You are so like my Neelix.. He's a Persian.. How about something to eat you two? Perhaps at the bar?"

Woof! ..woof... Came two answers.

Barclay and his four footed entourage made their way to three of Guinan's bar stools and sat down. Reg was framed by two statuelike canines when the elegant hostess turned around. Two doggy tails bobbed behind the bar stools rapid fire.

Barclay smiled, and so did they.

Guinan's eyes only half widened in surprise. She didn't miss a beat. "What'll it be?"

Barclay, "I'll have a ginger beer for me, and two beef broths for my buddies here. Complete with Wishbones.."

"Coming right up..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Geordi LaForge was in heaven. ~~He found himself lost in azure eyes. "Uh,.. hello, Leah. May I ~~have this dance?" he said mechanically.

~~As if on cue, the music change to a slow dance. A bright flush ~~of heat warmed Geordi's face as he realized he'd been trapped ~~into a slow dance by the music.

He shot an irritated look at Guinan, who was ducking away from the holo party maestro, Vic Fontaine and her underhanded ploy. The bartender hostess just shrugged a mother hen shrug as if to say.." Somebody's gotta create a romantic mood around here."

Geordi barely was able to keep himself from stiffening up under her embrace as Leah Brahams nestled against his shoulder, smelling faintly, of jasmine. "UH,.. is this all right.?" He said, barely touching her in a return embrace in their slow dance.

Leah Brahams giggled, reaching up to firmly place his hands on her waist and clasped the other one in her own. "Of course. Relax Geordi, This is just a friendly dance.. And I haven't danced in a long time. My research has taken up one hundred percent of my time for years.. " she sighed, tickling Geordi's ear, "There should be lost starships coming to port more often.. It's the only way work ever calls for a day off..." she grumbled. "Maybe I could put a spin on a tertiary singularity and find a few of those MIA vessels out there and create a few more parties here..." she purred.

Geordi laughed, "Hmmm, there are at least a dozen or so, out there right now.." His curiosity was peaked so he asked, "Just... what is your current research, Doctor? Last time we met, you and I collaborated on a way to gain propulsion momentum inside a booby trapped asteroid dampening field..."

Leah lifted her head. "It isn't ground breaking research by any means.. Reginald and his team at Project Pathfinder needed a few tweeks in the singularity window theory and so called little old me in last second, to do the work.."

"And what have you discovered?" Geordi asked.

"I've found a way to create "keyholes" along any Starfleet warp signature to any place where navigational coordinates are known." she said matter of factly..

"What?!" LaForge said, "That's.. that's incredible! For what time variable?"

"Any time variable..." she said casually, slightly puzzled by his vehement excitement.

"Don't you see? We could open a window along Voyager's old path to see where they've gone by getting here. Even if for a moment! Think of what we could learn matching real sensor readings of locations with Voyager's own ships logs and records. Why, the data accuracy possible would be leap years ahead of the latest map making technologies! It's... not like we know all that much about the Delta Quadrant.."

Leah considered, "My research, as a mapping grid supplemental techique.. Hmm.. " she considered warmly, she dropped their dancing pose and dragged him out of the messhall. "That's brilliant, Geordi! Let's find out exactly what we can do with your idea.."

"Where are we going?" La Forge said, "We can't just leave the party now.."

"Oh?.. Why can't we? We made an appearance, said our congratulations... Now, we can go.." And she yanked him out the door of the messhall to the nearest turbolift.

Geordi nodded. "Since you put it that way.."

Leah Brahams hit her combadge =^= Leah Brahams of Project Pathfinder to Seven of Nine. Would you please join Commander LaForge and myself in Stellar Cartography for a few moments? We need some feedback on a civilian project brainstorm regarding my latest research.=^=

Geordi held up a protesting hand, but Leah shushed him.. "I'm only doing Seven a favor. No doubt, she's feeling awkward trying to be social at the ultimate of social events.. Five credits she'll answer and be with us before you can count to-"

Seven's voice crackled over Leah's com badge. =^= Sounds like an intriguing problem. I'm on my way...=^=

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Stellar Cartography was unmanned, but open for guests to tour from the party. Many Starfleet heads had already toured and gone, seeing the Delta Quadrant created facility of Harry Kim's in reality for their records. It was already powered up and showing Voyager's complete journey from the Ocampan World all the way into the Nexus Ribbon, and finally, to Earth, a yellow path tracing a twisting route unerring back to Sector 001.

Leah flashed a security guard near one wall her scientist's high level clearance before manipulating controls on a particular set of panels.

Geordi noticed where her hands were hovering. "Leah, those are the holoemitter controls, not navigational matrices' libraries."

"Exactly.. " she beamed, "There is someone I'd like us all to talk to while we check out this latest brain storm of yours regarding my observational keyhole singularities." And she gave a command. =^= Computer.. Activate remote Holoprogram Janeway Beta Five. Full personality file mode initiated, minus environmental parameters. Give me the holopersona only.=^=

##Holo program rerouted. Booting specifications to stellar cartography. Do you wish the Boothby consult program to assist?##

Leah Brahams shrugged, "Why not..."

Geordi echoed her, "Sure... He'll be another mind to bounce ideas off of."

Under a section of the main overhead projection screen showing Voyager's seven year journey on the galactic star map, a piece of Leonardo DiVinci's workshop bloomed.

The maestro looked up from the frame of a hawk glider he was glueing on one work bench in front of him. "Eh? Saints preserve us.. Katherine? Is that you? And in the middle of my workshopping afternoon.."

Leah acted as if she'd known the Maestro for years. She took the holofigure by the arm, leading him out of his scenario'd workbench, which promptly disappeared once attention shifted away from it, Until only Leonardi in his robes remained by their sides.. "Forgive me Maestro. " she said, snatching the learned man's spectacles off the fading bench and putting them on his face,.."It's Leah.. Katherine is at a celebration right now.."

"Oh? " DiVinci sighed, peering at Geordi and Leah myopically.

"Yes,.." Geordi added, "Uh, Captain J-- Uh, I mean, Katherine's ship has come home to port at last.."

"Oh! What wonderful news!! " he beamed, rubbing glue off his hands onto his creamy leather tanned apron he wore over his Elizabethan robes. "Though, I'll admit, having a woman in the royal navy sounded a bit peculiar to me when Katherine admitted such a thing the last time we met. Tell me, is she well? I haven't seen her since two soltices past..."

Leah smiled at the wizened inventor artist, "She is. She's with her family now. Voyager's uh,.. moored at her home port, ...right on her very own doorstep you might say.."

Geordi chuckled.

"Oh? That is good. To be away from loved ones for so long hurt Katherine.. Even these old eyes could see that.. So,... why have you summoned me away from my work so eagerly my fine friends.. Is there another wave of invaders to conquer? Katherine last spoke to me about the eh,.. Black and silver machinized knights and the great dragons she had to sail through. It had her greatly troubled."

Geordi thought ::That must have been when Voyager was in the heart of Borg Territory and first met the 8472, in the middle of one of their battles. He remembered reading those logs in one of Barclay's Argus Array downloads a few months ago. "Oh.. she sailed that turbulent ..er, ocean a while ago. We gained a new crew member as a result.."

Leonardo's bearded face lit up spectacularly, "Oh, you mean Katherine's fair haired student, Seven of the Ninth."

"Close enough.." Geordi mumbled. "She's on her way here to talk with us about the matter we summoned you here for today.."

"Fair enough.. I will listen.."

On another screen, Boothby came online. "Guinan said I was needed in Stellar Cartography on a novel tactical technology brainstorm. Doctor. Lieutenant.. ..uh,.. Maestro... You're looking dapper." There was a hint of gruffness between the two holograms.

Leonardo stiffened his back, not meeting Boothby in the eyes. "I have nothing to say to you, gardener man.. Faugh!!"

Boothby, rolled his unreal screen eyes when both Leah's and Geordi's eyebrows rose in question. "I...sort of missed catching a few Japanese beetle larvae in the Maestro's rose garden maze program. They.. devastated the scenery in actual holotime before I could eradicate the program virus's ravages.. " He glared defensively at Leonardo, "I regrew those rose beds myself.. They're twice as numerous as before..!" he shouted at Leonardo..

The Maestro harrumphed in his throat. "But the original artistry of Queen Anne's designs are gone forever!! "

"Seasonal changes are dynamic random elements in all standard historical holoprogram matrices. No one can control them..."

"In my own gardens. I can!!" DiVinci boomed.

Leah grinned diplomatically, aiming a distracting defusing tactic at the two holoprograms. "Speaking of controlling elements. How about a way to see long distance, say,... across a whole quadrant in a live image.....?" she dangled.

Boothby and DiVinci, stopped squaring off instantly, their programs latching onto the intellectual concept immediately. Their feuding personality parameters were overwritten in seconds by the computer. They became all scientist.

Leah folded her arms.. "Good, now we just have to wait for Seven of Nine and this Quintet of Minds will be fully in attendance to listen to our novel proposal.."

Geordi grinned ear to ear.

-  
(attachments)

Image : Seven and Harry, meeting in his quarters.

Image : Janeway and Leonardo DiVinci,  
closeup.

Image: A gray, red, white and black setter Closeup of the dog's face.

Image: Geordi and Leah Brahams talking over a table.

*******************************

Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2001 01:40:00 -0700 (PDT) From: Jeff Seltun Subject: Star light, Star bright.

Data looked up at Guinan who had just finished a call to Boothby, the consult program. "Guinan, I didn't know you used Boothby at all. Usually only command crew utilize that holographic resource."

Guinan watched Reg sip his gingerale, and Molly and Freckles lapping their beefy bowls and shrugged magnanimously. "Usually,.. I don't.  
But observe Voyager's Seven of Nine over there."

Data and Lal both looked at the blond woman, standing by a punch table, not speaking, and looking around self consciously.  
She was only half paying attention to what her Aunt Vanessa was saying to her.

Guinan went on, "Not exactly a social butterfly by any means. The poor girl's in torture."

Data and Lal looked at Seven even harder,  
both wearing identical frowns of confusion.  
Lal regarded Guinan with an android stare,  
"That female's in physical pain?"

Guinan smiled, "No. She isn't. But she is uncomfortable. Seven of Nine is a newborn when it comes to human socialization in large gatherings, such as this reunion party on her ship. She, doesn't know how to fit in.  
And, Captain Janeway is otherwise occupied, so Seven's lost her best source of advice... The girl's sinking over there.  
Can't you see that?"

Lal tilted her head, "That woman is drowning?! Shall I summon the Emergency Medical Hologram?!"  
she said a little loudly.

Guinan set a hand on Lal's arm. " Easy Lal. It's a figure of speech. It describes when someone is overwhelmed emotionally or doesn't know how to feel about a situation."

"That, " Data quipped, "Is a situation I fully understand. I am there frequently."  
his unblinking gaze measured Seven's reactions to the people around her like a sponge. "In a way, both Lal and I are as new to this situation as Seven of Nine perceives herself to be."

Lal, regarded her "father". "How can we help this female?"

Guinan breathed some steam on a glass,  
bringing it's rim to a fine polish with her towel from over the bar. "Already solved that customer's needs. Watch."

All three regarded Seven of Nine, and so did two setters and a Barclay, lined up in a row from their barstools.

Leah Brahams hit her combadge =^= Leah Brahams of Project Pathfinder to Seven of Nine. Would you please join Commander LaForge and myself in Stellar Cartography for a few moments? We need some feedback on a civilian project brainstorm regarding my latest research.=^=

The bar six watched the woman stand. They whipped attention back to their drinks when she glanced their way curiously.

Seven's voice crackled over Leah's com badge. =^= Sounds like an intriguing problem. I'm on my way...=^=

She passed them by and stood, getting ready to leave the messhall, speaking a few words to her Aunt near her first.

Guinan shrugged again, a "there-you-have-it"  
gesture and Data held up a finger, "Ahh, you're using the keep them busy ploy."

"Works everytime,.." Guinan smiled mildly.  
"Excuse me while I perform some pest control.."  
And she slipped down the length of her bar.

Lal looked up to ask the hostess a question about that human expression but the be-hatted woman had moved too far away.

Data and Lal imitated a human shrug and took sips of their repulsive category drinks precisely sychronized with each other.

Both Setters cocked their heads at the odd coincidence, simultaneously.

Barclay laughed at dogs and androids heartily..

=====================

Quince had both sets of eyes on the humans milling around the messhall party and he never saw it coming. "OWWww!!!" he screamed, as four fork tongs buried themselves into his hand.

Guinan stood there glaring at him, brandishing her salad fork near her face like a cat.

"What did ya do that for?!" Quince demanded of his tormentor.

"I like the way Q screamed better. Yours was kind of....screechy.." And she tossed the fork over her shoulder. "What'll it be, Quince? I haven't all day. Waiting on you is in my starship reunions contract. Unfortunately, you being seated here is under bar guest definitions so I am stuck with you for now.."

Quince sucked on his hand before thinking to fingersnap away the bloody puncture marks.  
"What do you call this...?" he said, brandishing his once wounded limb.

"I am allowed to exterminate any vermin I see around my bar. That's in my contract, too."

Quince scoffed loudly, then squinted amicably.  
"Hmm guess you're just doing what you are supposed to then. All right, give me.....one of those fruity..concoctions.. You know.  
one of the same ones that Bar Rodent used to give my colleague Q at Voyager's luaus."

"I take it you're referring to Mr. Neelix."  
Guinan said dryly. "If you are. I'm fresh out."

Quince rolled his eyes and mumbled glumly,  
"Water will do."

Guinan's face lifted into servitude politeness,  
"One frothy mug of pond scum.. coming right up.." she said angelically..

========================

Captain Picard hugged Robert and Marie and Rene very tightly. "Oh, my.. You'd never realized that I had even visited the vineyard only two weeks ago.." he exclaimed.

Rene, his tiny brown eyed, page haired newphew, laughed, releasing his uncle.  
"Just making up for all those other years you were away, Uncle.." he said.

Marie kissed Jean Luc on both cheeks,  
indicating that he take a chair at the table they had managed to snare by a window.

Rene's face instantly glued to the window,  
his cherry lemon fizzy forgotten.

Robert chuckled, "He's still got stars on the brain, no thanks to you..." he said, without smiling. But Jean Luc's brother's voice was warm and friendly.

"Runs in the family." Captain Picard said,  
winking at Marie, Robert's wife. He took a long swallow of his Earl Grey tea and stood, shoving the steaming mug aside.  
"Excuse me a moment, I think another fascinating tale of constellation mythos is in order here."

"Bloody mystic!!" Robert cursed, with no sting. "Go flaunt your stars to the boy yet again. At least it keeps him to his books!"

Captain Picard felt his brother's affectionate squeeze on a shoulder as he got up. "There's a thing.." he muttered to Robert, in agreement.

In the daytime sky, dawn was still far enough away, that the brightest stars could still be seen over the Janeway cornfields from Voyager's outer windows. But it was definitely morning. And that gave him an idea.

He tilted his nephew's head, angling it to look in the proper direction and then pointed,  
his chin nestled on the boy's shoulder. It was an old game between them. One of the first he and Rene remembered doing together.  
"Starlight, starbright, First star I see tonight.  
Hither bent and hither glow. What's the name,  
I need to know?" he chanted singsong.

Rene regarded his uncle's face and slung a tiny hand under the captain's chin in a beaming smile, "Is it that one? The funny white star that sparkles in front of that orange cloud?"

"The very one." Jean Luc muttered, kissing the boy on the top of his head.

"Arcturus!!" Rene fired off.

"Nope. Doesn't have a rainbow sparkle."

"Betelgeuse!"

"Too high." Jean Luc said, tickling Rene's chin.

Rene laughed joyful, avoiding the fingers.  
"Deneb." He pushed away Picard's larger ones with his own, but expecting more.

"Too low." Picard said, tickling the boy's back. "Come on, a star ship captain thinks of ALL the things that might be in the sky."

Rene suddenly got caught by the naming the star problem deeply. His smile melted away into a concentrated frown.

::There. That's how it's done. Tap that intuition reservoir. I figured it out then, too at your age..:: he remembered. That deeper sense that already manisfested in the best captain's candidates by age ten.  
Picard held his breath while he watched the magic work.

Rene's expression smirked and the tiny boy rolled his eyes. "Oh, duh.. that's not a star.  
That's a planet.. And being in the east, makes it Venus." he said with finality.

Picard crowed, spinning the boy over his head in a playful wrestling. "That's it my boy,  
Elementary my dear Watson...!! By jove,  
I think he's got it!"

Robert muttered over his wine glass, "You're not english.. You're French brother."

"In name only.." Captain Picard quipped.

Marie laughed softly, "That is the running joke,  
now, isn't it."

Picard and Rene rejoined his mother and father at the table.

Jean Luc could see Rene all at a fever pitch of excitement being on a real starship.

Marie set a gentle touch on Picard's sleeve,  
"Thank you, for this." She said, indicating the messhall and all the people in it. "It's like living a dream for him. Being on a real space going vessel. Rene's been idolizing you, and a place like this, since babyhood.."

Robert grunted in protesting agreement,  
"He almost doesn't even know his own father.."

Marie tapped Robert's shoulder in discipling jest, "Hardly.."

Captain Picard waxed thoughtful.  
He studied his folded hands around his tea mug. "I...hope you don't blame me for his deciding not to become a vineyard winemaker.."

Marie shrugged, "There's still time yet.  
Rene's only eight. A long time to decide between Starfleet or Earth. Don't blame yourself."

Robert agreed, surprisingly, "I seem to remember an older brother wanting to be the premiere archaeologist in all the European Commonwealth when he was eight." he grunted around his jowls. "Seems he still indulges that first interest around all the captain's stuff.." He rubbed an ancient pin replica he wore of a familiar space going probe that Captain Picard had gifted him with five years ago.  
It was from his brother's experience surviving twenty five virtual years as Kamen, the rocket pioneer flute player of that probe's inhabitant ancestoral program.  
Marie noticed the pin and asked,  
"Jean Luc, do you still have that Ressican flute?"

Jean Luc's mind filled with a memory.  
It was the haunting melody from one thousand years ago. "I do.  
And I still remember how to play."

Q, nearby, noticed the tender moment.  
He discreetly flashed that instrument of Picard's from the Enterprise,  
to Guinan's serving tray and the hostess set it down next to the captain along with another round for the Picard table before moving away.

Captain Picard smiled in resigned tolerance at Q's unsubtle nosiness, but he raised the delicate flute to his lips and began to play.

The reunion guests fell respectfully silent while they listened, captivated from the song's beginning to end.

(Listen to MIDI)  
Captain Picard seemed surprised by the light applause he rated afterwards,  
"Thank you,..Please.. don't let me distract you any longer.."

The guests and conversation began again while Jean Luc began to compose a new song,  
tenatively, for Rene, and his precious family, while Venus shined overhead.

-  
(attachments)

Image : Rene and Jean Luc Picard

Audio: The Inner Light flute music.

Image : Lal head, very small.

***********************************

From : Cassidy Meyers ""  
Subject: From each own's particular corner of things.  
Date : Fri Aug 31 2001 16:49:09 00:00:08 PST

Lwaxana watched Mr. Homm trundle off. She regarded the festivities all around her.  
::Now this is boring. No raging Betazed Cycle hormones to make life interesting.  
Oh, well. I guess I have to make due with reading minds for my fun..::

And Mrs. Troi began to do just that.  
She was already primed mentally for romance, even if her body was already drugged into not going along with it.  
So it was natural that she latched onto the unexpected romantic tension in the Voyager captain and her first officer. "My, now this is interesting. Both are blind to their own feelings here. Oh! And she supressed those impulses for SEVEN years?! " And Lwaxana Troi shuddered in her shimmering sea green gown. She continued to talk to herself,  
"Now Chakotay is another matter. He's been boiling under the skin for the same amount of time but has tricked himself into thinking nothing could ever happen with the two of them. How gallant... I must do something about that now mustn't I?"

The extravagant dignitary strolled over to Janeway's table where Chakotay and Kolopak were locked into their dreamscape trance and with the Voyager Captain wiping away tears discreetly while she studied a glowing tube in one hand. She had not yet taken his mark nor entered the vision quest with them.

Curious, Lwaxana sat in an empty chair next to her and arrange her ample skirts.  
"They're kinda cute that way.. All sleepy and hypnotized..aren't they?" she said grandly.

Janeway inclined her head, "Mrs. Troi.."  
she greeted neutrally, all captain.

Lwaxana felt Janeway's thoughts shoot out a glimmer of intrusion protests but they were snuffed out as the woman realized she now had another to talk to who wasn't one of her crew family. ::A fair ear.:: she read.

Mrs. Troi pressed her advantage, "Oh, my.  
What's this?" she asked, holding out her hand for the dermal tattooing device Janeway was absently spinning on the table in front of her.  
She got a nod of permission and took up the glowing device, peering at it through suddenly materialized gawdy gold trifocals. "Oh, for cute.  
It's a smaller version of Mr. Chakotay's face art.  
Is this a fad on Voyager? Does everyone get one of these? I've heard that Earth people sometimes bond through crises and take a tattoo to affiliate themselves and reaffirm their crew ties. Is that what that is here?"

Janeway decided not to answer, but Mrs. Troi didn't miss the underlying thoughts. "Oh, it's not,  
something more personal. Well, honey. You've already said yes to the man and if you're afraid to brand yourself. I can do that tiny thing for you.. I've ambassadorial rank, surely high enough for these two charming Native Americans to sanctify..."

Janeway gave Mrs. Troi a flip look that wasn't unkind, just.......patient.

Mrs. Troi was undaunted, "You know.. I think this mark would look just fine on the inside of your left wrist. It won't show around the uniform and it's a discreet enough place for the casual eye to miss it. They won't pry like I am doing.."

Janeway actually laughed as the Betazed interpreted her thoughts flawlessly.

Lwaxana patted Kathryn's hand. "From one manless woman to another. I know what you're feeling.  
My daughter just enforced a treatment for my condition just to keep little ol ME out of the hunt. Imagine that.. Thank god you no longer have such restrictions.  
No crew to maintain distance from, No ship worries,  
no dangerous missions to consider, Nada. Just the ultimate freedom of Earth returned to you. How nice..."  
she said sweetly.

Lwaxana regarded Chakotay's and Kolopak's medicine bundles but was respectful enough not to disturb the two mind journeying men seated in front of them.  
"So, where do you think you'll end up in there?"  
she asked the Voyager captain.

-------------------

Deanna Troi was alarmed at the emotions she was reading at the Torres table. The EMH was beside a seated human whom the new mother from Voyager seemed to know. She accessed her crew data padd and learned the man's identity. ::Ahh, B'Elanna Torres's human father. Now I wonder what made her and her husband so upset..:: The counselor wandered closer.

John Torres sighed. He didn't want this to come out now; not at this time. But it appeared that circumstances would indicate otherwise.  
Turning away from the EMH and the table, standing firmly in front of his daughter and Tom Paris, who both wore expressions of tight apprehension, he said, simply,  
"I'm dying."

Troi winced at the emotions knifing through the contentedness of the other guests following Captain Picard's impromptu flute performance. Broken glass dispair washed over B'Elanna and Troi scooped up Miral from her arms even as the EMH lowered a reeling B'Elanna into a chair. "I've got her.." Deanna said,  
bundling up the Torres baby. "She won't fall."

The EMH sighed, "Now don't faint on us. It'll upset the baby."  
He injected a mild stimulant into Torres's arm while Tom hovered protective by her side, holding her up.

B'Elanna thought,::I am not going to faint like a spineless Patagh! It's just...shocking news, that's all.::

Tom regarded his wife's father in a new light, "Sir, is there anything we can do for you about...."

John Torres shrugged, "About my state of health? No. I've known for some time about my MS. " He turned to the EMH who opened his mouth for some medical repartee' "And no, stasis gel chamber treatments on Vulcan did nothing to slow the degradation. Merely will make things painless while I go."

Tom frowned as he ran through the course of the disease in his mind.

Troi smiled to encourage all around her. "And you're holding up remarkably well, emotionally, sir, all things considered."

"Of course I am, counselor! I guess it's just my wife's sense of Klingon fate inevitability giving me fortitude. It must have rubbed off." John Torres chuckled. "Can't change how your genes are going to tell you how you're going to go."

"We'll see about that,..." the EMH said. "Excuse me. Mr. Torres."  
he said to John. "May I and a colleague go over your case history?"

John shrugged mildly, "Sure. If you can learn something. Go for it."

The EMH went and found Dr. Bashir by the bar, talking to Guinan, but Deanna and the Torres's didn't follow what happened after that.

John slid B'Elanna's lemon grass tea over to her, carefully spooning in arsenic derivative. " Huh, forgot that this is honey to you. You like two spoons,  
right?"

B'Elanna numbly nodded, taking back Miral from Deanna Troi, and bundling her into Tom's arms.

John said, "I've got a year and a half left to me. It's not like I'm going to keel over any second. My little wobbling earlier is just me, getting hungry. And, I'm a little shuttle lagged. The moment I heard Voyager made it back, I pulled out all the stops getting here from the Sagittarius Arm to meet you. I missed her birthday anyway.."

B'Elanna sighed tearfully, "Do you think I care if you were a little late? Your health is more important to me than that..."

"Spoken like a true Klingon family member.." John hugged his daughter affectionately.."Hey, she's got your eyes.."  
He said, studying his new granddaughter's smiling face.  
"Kooche kooche coo.." he crooned.

Unaccountably, Tom and B'Elanna laughed in unexpected release at the everyday behavior from John.

Tom thought. ::So the whole world isn't going to come crashing down on us completely today. I can handle that.::

------------

Seven of Nine admitted inside in some tiny compartment in her mind that she was relieved to have left the party. It was a little disconcerting relating to an aunt whom she had dim, barely recalled memories of. ::She means well, but I will need time,.. to adapt..::

This work the Enterprise engineer and Pathfinder scientist requested would do much to raise her flailing confidence at finally having the chance to see Earth.

She entered stellar cartography crisply, "You said you had a theory to discuss with me?"

Geordi LaForge nodded but Leah Brahams spoke first,  
"Yes, Seven. Perhaps your unique background and expertise with your years spent working in Astrometrics might help us devise a quicker utilization of Geordi's idea here about my current line of research..."

"Let me see the data.." Seven said, smoothing moving to a panel with Geordi and Leah to either side of her.

A minute later, and she said, "This keyhole singularity triggering along starship warp signatures requires fine tuning. Shall we begin?"

Geordi, Leah and Seven were soon deep in analyses.

It wasn't long before Leonardo DiVinci piped up from his silent scrutiny of Boothby's image on the screen.  
"Eh? Just what purpose do WE serve here?" he asked,  
indicating himself and Boothby to the living component in the room.

"Hmm?" Leah looked up. "Oh, easy.. I need you two to see if you can discern any pattern of engine trail age with keyhole size and duration here on that map up there. We need to find a test spot somewhere along Voyager's home journey to experiment with.  
Being holoprograms linked directly to the ship, Maestro and..Boothby. You'd know her past route intimately and can find places I can't, avoiding trouble spots and areas of cultural sensitivity."

"That is true.." Boothby said.

DiVinci shuddered, "I still have trouble believing Katherine when she told me I am nothing but bits of light in a box.  
But, I do seem to have things up here.." he tapped his wrinkled forehead, "..that seem to appear like magic about this place and facts about those, like my dear Katherine, who aren't a denizen of my workshop."

"That's the computer tie in.." Leah said. "Can you help us?" she asked.

Gardener and Rennaissance man turned their attention to the map on the overhead screen. "I will put myself to the task.."  
Leonardo declared. Boothby just nodded.

Soon, Stellar Cartography was as silent as a library, filled with diligent crewmen with a new task at hand.

Seven's tension at being on Earth melted away.

-  
(attachments)

Image : Seven with a map behind her.

Image : Troi smiling.

Image : Alpha Quadrant computer display.  
Us looking at a map projected overhead.

*animated* Spinning blue vortex.

From : "Alex Delet" Subject : [voyagerliveaction] A Big Step Through Date : Sat, 1 Sep 2001 00:44:52 +0100

Lwaxana regarded Chakotay's and Kolopak's medicine bundles but was respectful enough not to disturb the two mind journeying men seated in front of them.  
"So, where do you think you'll end up in there?"  
she asked the Voyager captain.  
"I have no idea," Janeway confided, "I didn't.  
didn't explore this other realm very fully," she said.  
"I don't have a home in the spirit realm...." Kathryn confided.  
"Why is it so difficult to take the mark?" Lwaxana asked, "You promised to do it,"  
"I suppose it's a leap of faith, taking a mark, even one that won't be strikingly visible, isn't about respecting others beliefs, or about using the whole experience to better understand those who share the beliefs," Janeway said, "This is about me becoming a part of it all...." she took a deep breath.  
"A Big Step?" Lwaxana suggested after a second.  
Kathryn wondered how much of those few words reflected her own thoughts.  
"If I go in...thinking that this is a reversible, small step.  
SEE SOUND BITE "It won't Work,"  
"They'll be waiting for you," Mrs Troi reminded her.  
Janeway stole a glance upward, and held out her wrist turning it over and pulling back the uniform sleeve slightly,  
and smiled, silently thanking the Betazoid who positioned herself to direct the beam of the glowing device.  
Janeway watched, detached as the beam created the familiar mark over her skin. It wasn't painful, although she felt a great weight lift off of her shoulders, along with a slight tingling sensation. The tingling was psychosomatic. As was the weight lifting.  
Janeway nodded to Mrs. Troi, before reaching out, and gripping Chakotays open hand and closing her eyes. Shutting out the distractions of the celebration...shutting out the injustice she felt.  
Everybody was enjoying a reunion with their families...hers were off ship still, and her ex-fianc e sat on a table with his new wife. Not making contact with any of the others assembled.  
Janeways eyes opened to stare straight into Marks.  
She released Chakotays hand, and stood up, walking to the door where a crewman was preparing to show his family, and several others on a guided tour.  
"Crewman," Janeway touched his shoulder, making a point not to look at Chakotay and his father, at the table in body only.  
She smiled, "I need a favour," she smiled mysteriously.  
"Please add," she froze for a second, "Mr and Mrs Johnson to your tour," Voyagers Captain considered, "Leave them at the docking port,"  
"Yes Ma'am," the crewman enthused, "And if they.... if they wish to stay, Captain?" "Don't stop them, but ask who they wish to see....don't let them in if they don't give a name," she smiled at the crewman, "Thank You,"  
Janeway walked past...Mr Johnson, ignoring him. The way he'd addressed her earlier, the way in which he'd made it perfectly clear of his position, had made it clear that there could be no friendship between then.  
...not yet.  
Janeway returned to the table, and linked hands with Chakotay again, closing her eyes.  
She shut off concerns for Voyagers future, annd thought of her own.

As the noise ramped downward.....Janeway felt a wave of silence.  
Her eyes came open naturally.... and she recognised the gentle ambient noise that had replaced the chatter and laughter in the mess hall.  
Crickets.  
Looking around, Janeway saw the old and weathered porch, a rocking chair - rocking. The experience was exactly ass she had remembered the corn fields.  
Janeway looked around, and saw Voyager....strangely, exactly where she expected it to be.  
High above, amongst the stars.  
Still slightly overwhelmed...Janeway didn't attempt to work out the symbolism at work.  
But stepped forward.... the wood on step of the porch, creaked.  
And Janeway looked out to see many animals, presumably spirit guides. But Janeway saw the only two she was looking for.  
"I'm here," she told Chakotay and Kolopak , "I'm ready."  
Still overwhelmed, she made her way toward them, knowing that they would explain what she'd one...and what she was to do.  
Worries aside, Captain Kathryn Janeway was, for the first time in months,  
Kathryn Janeway, not Captain, not Commanding Officer, not explorer or diplomat.  
For the first time...she thought of herself as a Seconah.

(attachments)

Image : Janeway in civilian clothes.

Audio : J- It won't work.

Image: Janeway smiling broadly in closeup.

********************************

From : "Clairissa Fox" Subject :[voyagerliveaction] What about after? Date : Sun, 02 Sep 2001 15:58:52 +0000

We got back to Voyager and the big party before it got real light outside. On the way I got Auntie Kathy's tennis racket and carried it in my hands. I wonder why she wants this I said to FeeBee and to Mrs Janeway.

Gretchen Janeway smiled, "I think I know the reason why, Naomi." the white bobbed woman replied. "She most likely wants something that reminds her of her father since he is no longer with us in person. It's called being sentimental."

wow I know how that feels too! I havent seen my daddy yet forever! Mum was the one on Voyager with me, not him. Hes on his way to see us now from Mars.

"Well, have a nice visit with him." Phoebe said to the little girl from her sister's crew. "And be sure to hand off that racket to Captain Janeway when you see her. It looks like they're about to start a tour of the ship, so mum and I are going on one."

Ok. Youre going to like Voyager. Its real big!

I watched FeeBee and Auntie Kathys mum leave with the group and Mark and Yeyvet.  
They wouldnt be back for a while because I knew how big the ship was.

I said goodbye then went over to my mums table.

Mum! Mum! I did it! I saw Auntie Kathys house!  
She asked me to get this racket for her from her little girls room. I had lemonade and I got to see the barn. Thats the place where all the farm animals are. There are real puppies there! Setters that have white on them.

"You've been busy.." Samantha Wildman told her excited daughter. She hefted up the heavy white tennis racket and set it on the table in front of her. "But we're going to have to wait on returning this momentu to the captain just yet." and she pointed to where she had spotted Janeway sitting.

I looked. Auntie Kathy was with Chakoty and another man who looked like him but was older.  
She was in the dreamworld! And Luwaxanna was by her watching them all. Now why was she doing that now. Voyager was home and back.  
The partys more fun than being in a trance.

Oh well.

Then I remembered. Mum! Is daddy here yet.  
He said he would be coming from Mars.

"Yes, he's on his way. He comm'd me while you were visiting the Janeway farm. He'll be arriving with the tour group when they finish and return back here to the messhall reunion." she sighed.  
"Lt. Stvehtepdoq is his name. Remember?"

Yes. You told me before I left. But what is his first name? I and you have one.

"Rauga, love." And Samantha hugged Naomi tightly.  
"Boothby transported your painting gift here as promised the moment the tachyon glow left the ship. What's odd is that it disappeared before the two day life cycle of such a field."

I know why! That man over there, Tam Ellbrin got his Tin man ship to make it go away. He did that because that other devil woman was up to tricks.

"Devil woman?"

Yes! That Ardra! She tried to use a perfume to get Chakoty and his dad to listen to her orders.

"Oh my, a con artist?" Samantha looked around in alarm but saw both Guinan and several burly discreetly placed security guards in dress uniform,  
putting the strange black leather clad woman under surveillance. She relaxed.  
"That's another lesson, Naomi. There's always someone who takes advantage of happy occasions to do selfish things. "

But nice things happen too. Look at how Captain Peecard and Admeeral Paris and Reginald Barklay made Lal for Data. He was so happy.

"And so am I. For you." Samantha said. "Now, get your painting all set. You want your father to see it when he walks through that door now don't you?"

Oh, yes! So I sat back down in my own chair next to mums and set my portrait I painted next to my knees,  
pointing it at the messhall doors. When that tour was done, dad would see us and this real good now.

Then hed know that mum me and him were really a family even though he had never seen me at all!

I could hardly wait. This party was for families to see their families who had been lost on the ship for so long.

I could see a lot of people who were with their families.  
Captain Peecard was hugging a little boy I did not know.  
And Belanna and her new baby was by a man in yellow who was getting looked at by the hollow doctor.

I wonder what was wrong with him? But I didnt worry.  
If anyone could fix a problem it was our hollow doctor.

Data and Lal was by Reginald Barklay at the pretty lady with the tall hats bar. He had Molly and a new dog with him sitting in the high seats on both sides. Who was that new dog? I didnt know.

Then Queue came and told me.  
"He's a gift, sent to keep Harry Kim company when he gets home."

Oh. That was nice whoever gave him to Mr Kim.  
I looked around for 7 but I didnt see her at all.

I tapped my combadge pin Bootby where is 7?

The wrinkled program's face appeared on the screen at the Wildman table. "She's occupied on a task in Stellar Cartography, working with Lt. Geordi LaForge from the Enterprise and his scientist guest, Dr. Leah Brahams. Is she needed back at the party here?"

Oh no. Nothing like that. I just wondered where she was.

"Fair enough. Boothby out." and the image terminated on their screen.

Samantha turned to her daughter. "You're going to miss everyone once the party's over, huh?"

I felt my eyes sting bad and they watered. Yes. I know we are all going to our houses after this party. The ship is going to be cleaned up to go on another mission and Aunt Kathy is going to be on her going away again.  
I was born on the ship but I haven't gone through the academy so I can't be a crew member anymore this time.

"That's true. But think about the USS Enterprise. That ship's crew had children and family on board for her missions.  
I don't see why Voyager can't have them at some point either, now that we've returned to Earth. Tom Paris and B'Elanna have to have Miral with them since she's a new baby..." Naomi's mother reasoned.

I stopped being so upset. It was only a change happening right now and people going to new places. It was nothing to cry over at all. Voyager was still Voyager and Id still have a way to write everybody even if some went home or on a new mission.

Then I said Mum is Voyager and Auntie Kathy and all of our friends going to go on another assignment after the ship is ready to go out again?

"Most likely. Voyager's still a new ship in the fleet. And her crew isn't going to be decomissioned yet. Admiral Paris will see to that. I accidently over heard him saying that he'd do everything in his power to keep Starfleet from breaking up the crew over some silly notions about Chakotay's Maquis background." Mrs. Wildman said.

A sound at the main messhall doors made both mother and child look up.

Daddy!!!

I knew right away who he was. He was Katarian! Just like the picture I painted in my present for him.

Mum and I ran to him and got into the biggest hug in the world.

-  
(attachments)

Image : Samantha Wildman hugging her daughter.

Gif: Site award of a shuttle's viewer, from Voyagerliveaction.

***********************************

From : "Samantha Rose" Subject : [voyagerliveaction] Ad Astara Per Aspera Date : Mon, 03 Sep 2001 04:32:09 +0000

"To the stars through difficulties..." Owen let his voice trailed off as he remembered the dedication plaque from the Prometheus. His mind had been wandering since he entered through the doors of Voyager's mess hall. At first, the Admiral thought of the case he was mounting against Starfleet HQ and then he tried to use philosophy in his arguement which led to his remembering dedication plaques.  
"You look like a man with something on his mind." Guinan's gentle voice broke Owen's train of thought, which was a welcome change. He looked up at the El Aurian with a smile. She returned the smile with one of her own.

"Care to tell me?" she offered.

"It's a little complicated." The elder Paris needed a fresh view on his case, but wasn't sure that Picard's bar tender could provide it.

"Oh, I'm sure that I will understand." She folded the cloth in her hand and lay it on the bar. Leaning forward she gave the Admiral her undivided attention.

Owen sighs, "Starfleet Command wants to sentence the former-Maquis officers on Voyager...what that sentence is, I don't know. Admiral Henson is insisting to let one of his own take over, but I don't think that's the right step to take now." he taps the PADD on the counter, "My proposal to Command, hopefully I can change their minds about those officers." he slides the document towards Guinan. She picks it up, quickly scanning the material.

"A strong premise, good if you want to convince Starfleet Command of "what" they are." slides PADD back over, "You need to convince Starfleet of "who" they are. Try to get to know some of the crewman, you'll be surprised what you find out."

"True, but how will I get the information...I...need..." he looks up to find Guinan gone as quickly as she had appeared. Owen shakes his head in minor disbelief and goes back to his case.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I know a girl who's tough but sweet She's so fine she can't be beat She's got everything that I desire She sets the summer sun on fire"

The lyrics of a popular 20th century song floated around in Q2's head as Amanda Q smiled at him from across the table. It was one of the many 20th century milestones that Lt. Paris had introduced to him during his last stay on Voyager.

The celebration was still going strong around the newly formed couple. Those of the Voyager crew who passed by smiled in approval of the pairing. The ones who knew nothing of the Q legacy or were ignorant of past happenings, just glanced at them with quickly passed question. Q was soon upon the two.

Q smiled, knowing what he was in for. But two seconds later, he was at Lady Q's side.  
"Honey,.... bumpkins.... Quit yelling at our boy. You might hurt his human eardrums. He's just chipping off the old block, hanging with Kathy. I did the same thing once, you know."

Q2 looked at his father with a faint anger, it soon faded. It was a relief to be rid of his mother's "nagging." A small smile crossed Q2's face as he stifled a laugh. The mere thought of the motherly nagging had triggered yet another human emotion in the mortalized Q teen.

After Lady Q had moved away, Q gestured for his son to take the seat next to him which lay adjacent to where Aunt Kathy sat next to Chakotay and his father. In one spontaneous moment, Q2 pulled Amanda onto the chair.

The human Q matched the eager look displaying on the faces of father and son. "I am going, too. I..am sort of a closet fan too,...especially since I used to be human, like Aunt Kathy.." Amanda said. " She... reminds me a lot of Beverly Crusher, the Enterprise's doctor who tried to protect me from my ...eventual folly falling in with you.." She said, smiling at Q. "If spending time with these cute people means I return to that state. So be it.."  
Q2 held her hand and Q placed his on top of theirs."Welcome to the club.."

A sort of warmth grew inside the youngest Q. Amanda Q, once his father's pupil in Q-dom, would risk her omnipotence? This was amazing! No, more than amazing, phenomonal! Q2 was so taken with the prospect of his new found love that he forgot that there was still a possibility of her regaining his immortality. A gentle squeeze of his hand brought Q2 back into the present time.

A sly smirk from a nearby Lwaxanna Troi, a look to Aunt Kathy, and the Q family soon joined in the native ceremony. A familiar aroma invaded Q2's sinuses and he let out a violent sneeze. Frozen in the moment, Q2 opened one eye and then the other. He straightened his posture and used his sleeve to wipe his nose. Looking around Q2 took in the scenery, an ominous Voyager loomed in the distance. It was Aunt Kathy's farm. Amanda came up behind him, taking his hand in hers and smiling. They stood there together looking at the "view" of the Indiana countryside.

-  
(attachments)

Gif : Admiral's rank pins.

Image : Beautiful shot of Voyager near a blue double star.  
Audio : (305k),

Image : Q and Q2, his son.

Audio : (39k) ********************************************

END WEEK THIRTY FOUR RECAP 09-02-01

.com/group/voyagerliveaction Writer's Site

.com/voyagerliveaction Graphic Site.

WEEK THIRTY FIVE RECAP 09-02-01

*****************************************

From : "Cory Anda" Subject : The Becoming..... Date :Tue, 04 Sep 2001 09:04:24 +0000

Still slightly overwhelmed...Janeway didn't attempt to work out the symbolism at work. But stepped forward.  
the wood on step of the porch, creaked. And Janeway looked out to see many animals, presumably spirit guides. But Janeway saw the only two she was looking for...

"I'm here," she told Chakotay and Kolopak , "I'm ready."

Chakotay felt Kathryn's presence near him and he let the flute's song trail away into the cricket's song around him.

The night air was sweet, and made sweeter by the fact that she was here at his side, full in heart as his Seconah. He stood, as did Kolopak and turned to face the porch.

Mnementh the spirit bear and Rahelon, the spirit hawk cried out and the tattoos on their men's faces began to glow with a gentle warmth like the sun.

The mark on Kathryn Janeway's wrist, too, began to glow in golden fire and from out of it stepped her spirit guide, Lancelot, the speckled gecko.

Kolopak and Chakotay began to sing in the old way as the newest spirit guide in the World moved to his Kathryn and crawled onto her shoulder.

Lancelot spoke ##I am with you, Kathryn, newly reconsecrated to this world and to our Tribe family with you as Seconah, sacred storyteller, origin, Earth. Come! Sit by the fire and eat the food I provide. I designate our realm to be this, here, the maize fields under the night moon in perpetual summer. And let the ship you command be always in the heart of your sky. She will always be here to comfort you to the very depths of your soul. As will I...##

In the starry night, Voyager's silohuette above them all glowed with a brilliant blue pulse, raining comet showers behind her as she orbitted there, in front of the full warm moon.

Chakotay saw the blue fire of her ship reflect in Kathryn's tears and he made his way over to her and helped guide her from the porch. He, with hawk and her, with the newly born gecko on their shoulders, made their way to Kolopak in his white buffalo's pelt cloak by the fire. Behind the elder man, the great spirit bear arose on hind legs and roared in joy and kinship. ##Welcome! New sister of the heart, to our Tribe. Welcome Lancelot, spirit guide newly returned. The spirit world accepts this new realm of the corn with open heart and mind. May the gentle winds sing here forever!##

Lancelot, the gecko leaped off onto a rock and Kathryn's hair fell into long locks, kissed by the warm moonlit breeze and she wore the dirt stained dress from New Earth, smelling of the garden of beans she herself had planted by her own hands. ::So this is how I am to appear here in this world.:: she wondered.

Chakotay, was in a simple tunic of rawhide fawn, adorned with beads of red and blue and the feathers from his Spirit Guide. ::I can see them..::she thought joyfully. ::I can see them all..:: And her last tears of doubt fell away and was absorbed by the ground.

Kathryn was silent as she listened to the song he and his father were singing. The language was new, but the meaning of it was gently nestled into her very soul by Lancelot. She stroked the tattoo glowing there on her wrist and the tingling went away. The song's voice was beautiful beyond words.

..........................

"deora ar mo chro

Ba dheas an l go o che Na gl rtha binne i mo thaobh 'S aoibhneas i gach it gan gruaim thas ar mo chro go deo He-a-ro He-a-o-ro

Ma shi laim na laetha beo An ghrian 's an ghealach ar mo ch l Nil uaim ach smaointe mo shaoil Deora ar mo chro go br n He-a-ro He-a-ro He-a-o-ro "

.............................

"Tears on my heart

How beautiful the day and night; the earth is singing in the wind, the voices rise and touch the sky telling all the earth's believing, and in the night sighs fall down, and from the skies sighs fall down on me.

And when I move away from view my voice is singing in the wind, it rises up to touch the sky telling all that I believe in, and from the night earth shall sing, and from the night earth shall sing, and from the night earth shall sing again. "

..............................

OOC- from Enya's album, A Day Without Rain. Track Five

..............................

The song ended and the last of the setting fog wafted away on the gentle wind, giving way to warm moon and the peace of night. The crickets turned to the soft chorus of frogs, from the moonlit pond.

Kathryn was led on soft slippers to the fire where steaming corn bread lay on boulders and a simple bean soup, from her New Earth garden.

She laughed at the sight of an iron pot on a grill over the fire. Its rising aroma left no doubt in her mind what it was. "Coffee? Here?" she asked.

Chakotay smiled, "Of course. It is the new Seconah who chooses her new spirit realm's drink to go with the food your Guide chooses."

He poured it out into three stone mugs, decorated with the design of the river stone. "Shall we eat? Afterwards, Lancelot will help you choose the beginnings of your medicine bundle. You will choose the items that are closest to you to be your totems for future journeys back here to the Spirit World." He took an expansive breath, drinking in the sweet warm fog of the cornfields. Beside him, a sleepy Rahelon shook a light dew off of her feathers. "You picked a beautiful place, Kathryn. I don't think I've ever seen its like among any of the Tribe. And night, too. There is a special peace here, that heals right away. It is a sign of great strength. That essence glyph is manifesting early." He pointed to a white poppy opened to the moon, its milky petals drifting mist from their soft pollen stems.

So they ate, overseen by the three Q forms rocking in rockers on the janeway farm porch, watching them. Amanda, Q2, and Q did not disturb Kathryn's first hours in her spirit realm. They kept to the shadows and analyzed the humans' souls from where they were.

"You will never hunger here, Kathryn. Your spirit guide will provide for you anything you need while you are in this trance. And that coffee will never get cold.." he joked.

Kolopak smoked his sacred pipe, offering it to Kathryn."Your powers as Seconah will allow you to keep this moment, this night, from changing shape. It is because your stories to the Family will be the only things changing, as you record and create our oral history for the children."

"It is an ability I and Rahelon do not have. Sometimes, when I come, I come into a blinding thunderstorm and have to find us a cave.." Chakotay murmured, sipping his tea.

Kolopak stroked his spirit guide's rich musky bear's coat thoughtfully while the Guide dozed. "I once came into a plague of forest fire to Mnementh's wood. It was my own mind, keeping it ignited because of my own emotional anger at the time. It did not burn or choke. No one come is ever harmed in the World. But it wasn't beautiful that whole vision quest."

Chakotay rubbed his fingers, "I hope that anger wasn't because of me back then."

Kolopak laughed low and his spirit guide rumbled with him in his doze and the older man leaned against his back. "Not at all. I never entered the World at all after I denied your memory. Ironically, I am almost as new here as Kathryn is.."

That surprised Chakotay. He had been coming to his people's Sacred Spirit World for years. First, with Matseyeho, the wolf, and now with Rahelon, his new guide. ::This wonderous graceful raptor.:: It was she that filled the void when his wolf's sacrifice to the other side to be with the other Chakotay in the other universe won Voyager's freedom from the Nexus.

And now they were home. To Kathryn's Earth. The end of a journey.

Kathryn read Chakotay's thoughts through Lancelot. ::But the beginning of a new one.:: She took Kolopak's and Chakotay's hands and squeezed them.

Lancelot's yellow tongue captured a moth to keep it from hitting the flames of the campfire and released it to fly into the moon. ##It is time. The first lesson. The choosing of the Bundle and the telling of the Sacred Wheel.##

That struck a memory in Kathryn, She had seen the Wheel before. When Chakotay was brain dead and stripped of all his neural energy in sickbay the first year she had known him. His abilities as a spirit traveler allowed Chakotay to move the stones into a starmap, that found a path for her ship to safely warp away from the mind aliens attacking her crew. ::I had almost lost him then. ::

Then she laughed. She remembered B'Elanna being indignant when she moved those Wheel stones improperly, almost directing Chakotay into the Mountains of Endless Pleasures. The EMH had corrected that oversight.

Chakotay caught the wisp of Kathryn's musings. ::Now that's a thought. I wonder if B'Elanna will come back here to the Spirit realm. It is a wonderful place for a baby. One of your first duties as Seconah would be to help find a spirit guide for Miral, so she can visit. Even if the Paris's only come here for meditations and nothing else.::

Janeway saw something else by the farm's lake. Chakotay's carved canoe. His gift to her from the holodeck. Near it, was a perfectly modern sailboat. The one from her childhood that she had lost to a storm when she was fourteen. The quarry diving satchel she always stowed with it was visible on the deck, by the sailboat's wheel. ::Oh my God. I did that?::

"You did." Chakotay smiled. "Anything you ever wanted in any place in your memory, will be here. And that's not all." He pointed.

In a tiny patch of meadow by the moonlit beach clearly visible in the night air was a bathtub. The same one Chakotay carved for her on faraway New Earth. It was already filled with steaming water to the brim.

Janeway quipped, "Don't tell me. That will never get cold, either." Then a second thought. "Tell me. Is our house here?"

Strangely, Chakotay looked to the ground, not meeting her eyes. "No. For that element of Place is a matter unresolved." Unspoken, he thought. ::It is a matter of the heart. A place where I cannot go unless you allow it. ::

Kolopak opened his medicine bundle of soft albino buffalo hide and Kathryn saw the sacred totems he had chosen so long ago. A sprig of white sage. A nugget of turquoise. A shell of rainbow lake oyster.

And Chakotay's own bundle. Of fawn skin, with its crow's wing, carved river stone and its trance inducing akonah device.

Chakotay's father held up his hands and the healing mists from Kathryn's night poppies lifted away from the fire. "Kathryn Janeway Kolopak Chakotay, sister to my tribe and the tribe of my son. It is time for you to go out into your chosen realm with your Guide, to find your totems and items you wish to have in your medicine bundle."

"You will know when you come upon these things. They will speak to you. As will the sacred blanket that will wrap them in the real world. Go. Take Lancelot. And go into the field. Feel your world. Feel your heart. With all your senses as Seconah. And this World will begin to Speak to you in the Old Way and will provide the fullness of her wealth to you. Acoocheemoya. You are close to the lands of your People. You are near to the blood of your new family. Never forget, that no matter where you journey, we will always be here for you. In this Place and by this Fire..under your ship's showering orbital fire and this full moon. Even beyond Death itself..."

He and Chakotay rose to their feet, waiting for Kathryn to do the same. Mnementh and Rahelon were respectfully silent as the wind washed the mane of Kathryn's long hair away from her face and dried the last of her real world tears.

The Voyager captain who was captain no longer in her new Place stood, taking the gecko to her shoulder and moved off into the night, into the heart of her cornfields.

-  
(Attachments)

Image : Chakotay-Close in Canyon

Gif : A Native American glyph representing a gecko

Image : Janeway looking at her spirit guide gecko

*animated gif* A lone star's twinkle

*animated gif* A wolf pair, surrounded by will o the wisps.

Audio : A delicate Native flute, playing spiritually.

Link: Leads to the Celtic singer, Enya's song, Deora Ar Mo Chroi.  
From her year 2000 album, A Day Without Rain.  
This hauntingly beautiful piece is on track five.

**********************************

Date: Wed, 5 Sep 2001 01:06:42 -0700 (PDT) From: Jeff Seltun Subject: The Big Chair--

It wasn't long before Jean Luc noticed his nephew glancing often to the main doors of the messhall. He smiled. "Tell you what."  
he said to Marie and to Robert, setting aside his flute. "I can do one more thing for this future ship's captain right here..." and he reached down to tickle Rene in the stomach,  
breaking the boy's concentration of the brightly twinkling Venus in the morning sky.

Rene used his stunning child's intuition once more and immediately guessed what Jean Luc was up to. "Oh, yes. Please ask him."  
he said excitedly, and tapped a tiny hand on Captain Picard's own combadge. The slender boy couldn't wait for his uncle to voice his request, so he did, boldly.  
=^=Mr. Rene Picard esquire to the bridge=^=

Captain Picard smiled, biting his lip as he anticipated the officer of the day's surprised reaction to getting a com from a reunion guest.  
His worry, was for nought. A deeper timbre voice of a calm Vulcan replied.  
"This is Lt. Commander Tuvok on the bridge."

Jean Luc could almost hear the puzzlement in the Voyager officer's voice. Not resisting temptation. He explained things for Tuvok visually by hitting a toggle on the Picard table's local computer screen. A tall Vulcan, still in uniform and seated in the command chair, appeared.

Picard demonstrated the situation by hefting up his nephew into his arms and pointing to the activated two way communications link to the boy.

Rene smiled, "Oh. Hello there."

=^=Greetings, young man.=^= Tuvok said, angling his head and steepling his fingers before him. Captain Picard said nothing, almost laughing with the nearly palpable waves of curiosity coming off Voyager's Tuvok.  
Lt. Tuvok went on. "What can I do for you? I trust the celebration in the messhall is proceeding well.."

Rene beamed, "Oh yes, sir. Very well.  
In fact, this is the first time I've ever been on a starship. It's admirable that you helped return her to Earth in one piece."

Tuvok's eyebrows went up as he got an inkling of just how intelligent his little comm visitor was. "Thank you. It would have been illogical for us to waste such a valuable resource. Have you gone on a scheduled tour just yet?"

"My Uncle has only come over from the Enterprise following his medical leave rest, sir." Rene said politely.

Tuvok turned to Captain Picard on the screen. "Captain. I would be honored if you escort your nephew here to the bridge. We are just about to power down for the refit crews to board Voyager."

Rene's eyes just about popped out of his head at Tuvok's words. But he kept quiet and only showed his excitement by grabbing Picard's uniform tunic and tugging on it eagerly.

Jean Luc chuckled. "Thank you, Lt. Commander. I know you must be busy with landing protocols."

"On the contrary, captain. I was just about to leave to attend the party myself in a half an hour. But, as my family has yet to arrive from Vulcan. I chose to remain here while I waited." Tuvok admitted. "Feel free to tour the bridge with your family anytime before then."

"I'd appreciate it.." Picard said.

Tuvok nodded an elegant nod to both him and Rene, "Tuvok out."

The second the comm went black,  
Rene whooped and hollered, "A bridge,  
Uncle? A real bridge! Am I going there for real?"

"Of course, you heard the officer of the conn."  
Jean Luc smiled, scooping him up into his arms. He winked at Marie and Robert seated at the table. "We won't be long."

Marie smiled, "Take your time. This is a special occasion. And Rene's school is off on holiday in honor of this great ship returning home.."

Jean Luc threaded his way around guests and swung his babbling burden past the dessert table.  
He and Rene got a wink from Counselor Troi as they went by. Picard nodded to her with a mouthful of cookie that his nephew suddenly inserted there. Angling for the messhall doors, captain and future captain left for Voyager's Deck One.

-----------------------------------

Meanwhile, at the bar. The stand off continued.

Quince rolled his eyes and mumbled glumly,  
"Water will do."

Guinan's face lifted into servitude politeness,  
"One frothy mug of pond scum.. coming right up.." she said angelically..

Quince didn't bat an eye as the hostess poured a perfectly sound glass of ice cold Aldebran Spring water into a wine glass and slid it over to Quince using not her hand, but a pole she normally used for reaching off high on the shelf drink bottles. He didn't touch his glass until he used a bit of Q power to analyze it.  
Then he said, "You, know, it's funny.. I haven't a clue why your people and my people are mortal enemies... I can't seem to recall even running across other Al Aurliens."

Guinan smiled slowly, not blinking. She still looked like a cat, about to strike to Quince. "That's because the Borg your elders introduced to my planet did a fair job and scattered my people to all corners of the known Local Group. I'm just about the only Al Aurlien still hanging around this galaxy."

"Can't blame me for something my superiors committed." he said.

"No, but I can show them through you, how I feel about the whole incident.  
Maybe they'll actually pay attention to the atrocities they cause to their play things. A little demonstration of protest may deflate their high and mighty egos long enough to rewrite a few Continuum Rules of Conduct.."

Quince waggled his finger and took a tenative sip of his pure ice water. He nodded appreciably when he didn't keel over from a toxic reaction.

Guinan noticed, "It's in my contract not to kill my customers too." she murmured.  
"But leave this bar, and our truce is ended."

Quince reached over and nibbled an olive from Guinan's drink garnish bar. "How very civilized..." he purred.

"Just remember that, Quince. Being civilized is a high virtue. Maybe it's a lesson I can teach that Continuum of yours before they devastate some other poor unsuspecting Race like my own People." Guinan said,  
the smile washing off her sculpted face.

"You know I can't undo what was done.."

Guinan didn't blink, "I know. That's why I like using your kind to practice my salad tossing techniques..." She said, slamming down her salad fork she had used to impale Q's hand with earlier on the counter.

Quince jumped in his seat anyway.  
"Point taken..." he murmured.."Quite literally..." he whispered, rubbing his healed hand thoughtfully. "Well,  
you've converted this Q at any rate.  
If I encounter any of your kind, I think I can use a few tricks I picked up from Q to... tweek certain outcomes...if you know what I mean. I can hook you up with them so you don't have to look for them any further from the Enterprise."  
he dangled.

Guinan picked up her nonexistence eyebrows in surprise at Quince's unveiling of her true purpose in bonding with Picard and his crew. No one knew her true mission.  
No one had even ever asked her what it was before. But she smiled her best cheshire's smile and topped off Quince's glass with the rest of her chilled spring water decanter. "I'll believe that when I see it.."

-----------------------------------------

The bridge was still fully manned when Captain Picard and his ten year old nephew arrived in the turbolift. The corridors conversely, had been nearly deserted except for the tour groups a few Voyager crew volunteers were leading for pleasure.

Rene hung back behind his Uncle's leg,  
almost not daring to look around it to see the place of his dreams.  
Jean Luc chuckled and held out a hand expansely, showing Rene the way to the lower command deck.

Tuvok rose silently and stood in front of Chakotay's vacant seat, addressing the boy.."Would you like to "try her out"?"  
he said, with that odd Vulcan tendency to butcher human euphemisms.

Rene was speechless, staring up at the tall, dark officer before him in awe.  
Then he whispered..."...oh, yes.. Please.."

The boy wiped sweaty hands on his tan trousers. Tuvok picked him up as he would any of his own younger children and set him in the captain's seat. He made the boy's eyes bug out further when he tapped up the tilting computer panel to display for the boy on full sensor captain's scan from the arm rest there.

Rene pointed to that screen. "Wow. That's the tactical display gridding all local traffic around the ship here. It's showing where we are on the ground on Earth. Indiana from the looks of it.  
And this.. is a holo computer tie in with my Uncle's Ship.. But I don't know what a Boothby consult command mo- module is, sir.." the boy admitted.  
"I am sorry.."

Picard ruffled Rene's head affectionately,  
and roared in laughter, "He reads scans better than a second year cadet and he apologizes.."

Tuvok lifted his left eyebrow, but his version of amusement was evident on his face.  
"It is a captain's command program, that's seldom used, Mr. Picard." Tuvok told the boy. "Captain Janeway and Captain Picard most likely felt the link was needed because of Voyager's earlier rendevous with our guests from the future.."

Picard thought in his mind. ::I remember the real Boothby. The one I met at at the Academy who challenged me so thoroughly to be the cadet with the right stuff.. Perhaps, one day, Rene will get the priviledge of being allowed to weed alongside Boothby..:: and he smiled.

His attentions were drawn back to the present.  
Rene gaped, "I know. I saw them on the news vid at school yesterday. Was that really a Borg/8472 vessel escorting Voyager?"

"Yes." Tuvok was puzzled, "But how did you know about Species 8472. I realize you already knew about the Borg through your Uncle's past experiences."

Rene gaped again in disbelief. "Who doesn't know about them? It's all over the Solar System Internet. Your EMH has been telling stories and sharing images of them on the Children's Literature sites in the Library net. He's also posted some of his holoimager photo slide shows of Voyager there, too. I've even got a life sized poster of one in my room!"

It was Tuvok's turn to raise his eyebrows.  
"I see... " he said with what passed for warmth in Vulcans.

Captain Picard shrugged. "Your EMH gets around.." he quipped.

Tuvok admitted. "He did use a Hirogen communications array to get to the Alpha Quadrant two years ago to rendevous with the Prometheus. I assume the EMH Mach Two was...shall we say persuaded to go along with his older counterpart's hobbies..."

Picard grunted, and watched Rene activate the switch which turned on the main viewer.

It showed a stunning view of the surrounding corn fields on the Janeway homestead.

"Wow...." Rene sighed.

Picard and Tuvok exchanged looks of wonder true to their roots and different, but sharing the same deja vu magic for both men.

They, both, too, had been little boys sitting in captain's chairs once ..

-  
(attachments)

Image : Tuvok and B'Elanna by the science console.

Image: Picard and Boothby in his garden at the Academy.

*******************************

From : "Fran Catrair" Subject : [voyagerliveaction] The Waiting Game Date : Thu, 06 Sep 2001 04:55:59 +0000

As she continued to watch her father showering attention on her daughter, B'Elanna sighed.  
::How things change.:: she thought. There would have been a time when she would have reacted to her father's news angrily. She would have been suspicious of his motives.  
But being in the Delta Quadrant for the last seven years had changed her outlook on many things. Of course, being married and a mother had not been part of her plans, either.

Suddenly, she felt tired. The stimulant the EMH had given her had helped her overcome the initial shock of her father's announcement,  
but the strain of the recent events had done in even her most resilient Klingon constitution.  
Stifling a yawn, B'Elanna stood up slowly,  
mindful of Tom's protective arm around her shoulders. Smiling up at him, she said,  
"You know, it's been a REAL long day. I think I'm going to turn in." Noticing the concern on his face, she smiled up at him.  
"I'm ok...really. Just tired. Stay...and enjoy the party." she finished. Turning to her father, she held out her hand. "I was able to arrange quarters for you onboard.  
I can take you there." she said. "How were you able to do that?" her father asked,  
incredulously. "Well, sometimes it's nice to be the chief engineer!" she replied, grinning broadly at him. Shaking his head, he accepted his daughter's invitation.

As the two of them were leaving the room, she stopped over by the bar, where the two doctors were deep in conversation. "I think I'm going to turn in." she announced. "And, I'm taking my father to his quarters. We'll talk to you tomorrow?" she said, questioningly. She knew she was placing alot of faith in them, but she thought if anyone could help her father, these two doctors could. "Sleep well, Lieutenant. I'll see you in the morning. Gotta give Miral another check up you know." the EMH said, winking and smiling down at his goddaughter. Nodding at the EMH and Bashir,  
the Torres' made their exit.

-  
Lady Q was fit to be tied. ::It's a conspiracy:  
she thought to herself, angrily. Just when she thought she could get through to her son, her husband had to come over and screw things up. She couldn't understand what was going on with him.  
::Why must he always play these games?:: she thought.  
It was because of Q's games that had resulted in their son being punished and made mortal. ::Guess it beats him being reduced to an amoeba.:: she concluded grimly.

She shook her head when Q decided to observe Janeway's vision quest. ::His obsession with THAT woman.:: she mused.  
She was about to go over and see the fascination herself.  
She knew she would have no problem getting through Q's privacy field. Knew she might actually enjoy the show of Janeway and her second in command. But, as much as she hated to admit it, she knew Q had not invited her along for a reason. If anyone could keep Quince occupied, it would be she. They had had....a history, some might say.  
But looking over at the bar, she noticed that Quince was already deep in discussion with that strange woman with the tall hat. What was her name? Oh yes, Guinan. She was far away from her family as well. Sighing, Lady Q leaned up against a wall, observing the people in meditation in front and her; and, keeping an eye on Quince. Now, she would have to play another one of Q's games; the waiting game. ::Ooh...you just wait,  
'sweetie'.:: she fumed. She knew that when he least expected it, she would get even. For making her wait.  
For influencing their son against her. For his mistakes causing their son to be punished. Picking up the remains of a drink Phoebe had left earlier, she sniffed it, and took a sip. ::Hmm...not bad.::

-  
(attachments)

Image : A nice B'Elanna shot with a blue background.

Image: Tom and B'Elanna in civvie clothes

*animated* gif: A rotating Voyager combadge

Image : Lady Q in civil war dress, looking peevish.

***************************************

From : "Cassidy Meyers" Subject : The Dating Dice, and Everything Nice-- Date :Sun, 09 Sep 2001 21:47:59 +0400

Tandem Post between "Cassidy Meyers"  
and "Roxy Dee" via Email tennis.

Characters Involved:

MAINS-

Harry Kim Geordi LaForge Seven of Nine Counselor Troi

FREE USE-

Boothby The computer Montgomery Scott Leonardo Di Vinci Molly Quince

FAMILY-

Lwaxana Troi Freckles- (Janeway's Irish Setter, Molly)'s, son.  
Guinan Dr. Leah Brahams

-----------------------------------------------------

Harry only felt a little guilt sticking Barclay with the two setters by the bar. It seemed they were having fun with him. Freckles and Molly were lapping up beef boullion with the best of them while Barclay had his usual ginger beer. ::The idea has to grow on me:  
Ensign Kim mulled. ::A dog? That's almost fifteen years commitment! Longer than one to a girlfriend.  
Wait a minute.. I've never had a girlfriend so what am I saying?::

He shrugged and was content that Reg was enjoying shaperoning his canine buddies. In fact,  
Molly was growling at Quince a little further down the row of barstools. Guinan slid a Wishbone biscuit down the bar to her, "Good dog!!"

Freckles caught on the moment he saw his mother crunching up dog cookie. He, too, rolled back freckled lips and began to growl at Quince.

Guinan watched her two fellow Q watch dogs and flipped a second set of biscuits to doggy mouths.  
::Isn't positive reinforcement great?::

Quince just rolled his eyes. "Oh. Ha. Ha. Turn the beasts against me? What about the Bar Truce my fine finicky barhostess?"

Guinan laughed, "We're on these humans planet,  
remember? Freedom of speech, baby. It's in the First Amendment.."

She got out a bigger box of dog cookies.

Ensign Kim laughed when he overheard Guinan's quip. ::Oh, does she have it in for the Q's today:  
he thought.

Then he looked around, he saw the edge of Lwaxana Troi's evening gown sticking out of an opaque privacy shield around the Chakotay table.  
He double taked. ::Wait a minute, weren't Chakotay and his father doing a vision quest or something over there a little earlier?::

Curiosity getting the better of him, Kim hit his combadge.  
=^=Computer, Who's at table nine beta by the window?=^=

##Occupants read as First Officer Chakotay, Captain Janeway,  
Guest : Kolopak and Guest : Ambassador Lwaxana Troi.##

::Huh. So they're still over there.:: Then Harry counted heads again. ::Now where's Seven of Nine. Usually, she sticks to Captain Janeway like glue in new social situations.::

Again, he tapped his combage, =^=Computer, where's Seven of Nine?=^=

##Seven of Nine is in Stellar Cartography with Guest:  
Lt. Geordi LaForge and Guest : Dr. Leah Brahams..##

"What?!" Harry stood, making heads turn. "Uh, sorry, he told them. ::Seven's giving tours of the lab without me?  
Gotta fix this..:: he chuckled.

=^= Computer, what are they doing?=^=

##Navigational charts of the Delta Quadrant along Voyager's recorded course are being scanned. Theoretical data concerning the Keyhole Singularity Windows and warp drive signatures.##

"Really."

##Affirmative.##

"Thanks.." he said absently, forgetting that he was talking to the computer. "I wonder if this is some secret mission Starfleet crafted up through Dr. Brahams.  
Seven would be a good choice to brainstorm such a thing.  
And if this keyhole thing is expanded, just picture what Voyager's crew would think if they knew scientists were mucking with wormholes leading BACK to the Delta Quadrant...This, I have to investigate."

He looked around the messhall and spotted Montgomery Scott, nursing a whiskey. ::Well if you can't beat em, join em..::

He walked over to the bar and said, "Hello Mr. Scott. Buy you another?"

The burly man looked up, "Oh, hello there. You must be Voyager's Ops man. Charmed..." and he vigorously shook the hand Harry held out. "I'd be honored.."

Guinan nodded and immediately duplicated Scott's drink twice. One for Mr. Scott and one for Harry.

"Likewise, sir.." Kim said, "Listen,, looks like this party's winding down. How would you like to have a tour of some of Voyager's new sections. I've designed a research room,  
an offshoot of Stellar Cartography that isn't in Voyager's original specs designs.."

Commander Scott whistled. "You did that?"

Kim blushed, "Well, yeah, with the help of Seven of Nine.."

"Oh, that's the Borg lass. I remember.. Pretty one she is.  
But why the acronym for a name?"

Kim was still puzzling over Montgomery's comments, ::Seven?  
Pretty? I knew she was...was...curvy. But pretty? Maybe something's wrong with my girlfriend radar even worse than I thought:  
He snapped back to the present. "Don't know. Her real name's Annika, Annika Hansen and her Aunt is right over there.." he pointed but adding quickly, "Listen.. would you like to see my lab?" he said clearing his throat."

Scott drained his glass and set in down with a slam.  
"Do Klingons shave? Lead the way..laddie."

Harry celebrated, ::Heh. Safety in numbers. Now,  
when Dr. Brahams picks out the inefficiencies in the lab's designs, I'll have Scotty here defend me.  
Nice how sharing a drink sways support to your side.::

Engineer and Ops officers left the party.

Over by the cloaked Chakotay table, Lwaxana's skirts moved. Mrs. Troi stood, attracted to Harry's thoughts about girlfriends. ::How sad. He's berefit a girl? I must see to that right away..:: she said, rising.  
She addressed the tranced Janeway, Chakotay and Kolopak through the privacy field verbally,  
"Have fun kids.. Duty calls.." she burbled excusing herself from the vision quest ceremony.

She followed Scott and Kim a few corridor turns behind, lifting her skirts and stalking them.  
She projected her telepathy ahead and learned about Leah Brahams. ::Now there's a likely prospect for the ensign.. Intelligent, pretty.  
and devoted to science.. Can hardly wait to meet her. We've a lot to discuss about cute little old Ensign Harry Kim.::

Lwaxana paused in her steps and thought.  
::Wait a minute. Can't have a dog without his master, now can we?:: She gave a sharp whistle, through fingers in her teeth.

Freckles came bounding out of the messhall eagerly panting and wagging his plumy freckled tail from side to side as he approached the woman who called him. He opened his mouth to bark playfully..

"Shhhh..!" Lwaxana said, clamping Freckles doggy jaws shut. "Or you'll give us away.  
Come on.. We're tracking your master.  
Go find him.. Go on..Go. Go. Go."  
And she took off one of her many bejeweled necklaces to use as a tracking leash for the Janeway setter.

Montgomery Scott and Harry Kim had no idea that a hundred fifty pounds of determined Betazed dignitary was barrelling down on them.

-------------

Back at the reunion party, Deanna got a bad feeling. She felt her mother's hide and seek mood and groaned, "Oh no.. maybe I should have left mother's Cycle untreated. She was a lot easier to keep control of then.." she muttered

She excused herself from the Torres's watching as John Torres and B'Elanna Torres left for bed,  
handing Miral back to Tom Paris before urgently following her mother.  
::This feels like one of Captain Picard's Dixon Hill holoprograms with all this sneaking around:  
"Now what is mother up to?"

Deanna left the party.

She asked Boothby to put a track on her mother and relay to her where she was going while she followed in the corridors.  
::I have a feeling all my counseling abilities will be stretched to the fullest thwarting mother's latest plans, whatever they are..::

-------------------

Seven of Nine looked up from her console and said bluntly, "Dr., I believe your data theory, is flawed."

Geordi's face got a horrified look even through his visor, ::uh oh...::

Leah Brahams went toe to toe with the tall ex Borg and said, "Oh? How so?"

Seven was unaware of the threatening air coming from the researcher and merely folded her arms behind her back to deliver her analyses.

Boothby and Leonardo DiVinci looked up from their own heated stare at each other in surprise..

Leonardo attempted to defuse situation even before it began.. "Ladies,,. para miso.. We are at a conference only. Surely.. It is not good manners for such two exquisite visions of loveliness to share heated words.."

"Can it Tubby.!" Leah Brahams interjected, before turning back to hear Seven's explanation.

Boothby swiped an invisible score point in the air with his left hand, grinning hugely. "I haven't had this much fun since the Rototiller was invented."

Seven of Nine, blinked, still not seeing Leah's personal affront and went on. "The mechanics you are outlining here concerning tracing along warp core signatures based on computer data poses some severe inaccuracies.  
Most of Voyager's navigational logs were recorded as they happened. Wouldn't it be logical to assume that that same warp signature Voyager left behind would drift in the solar winds being, days, weeks, even years old? This map of Voyager's warp trail emissions no longer serves us."

Geordi's jaw dropped. "She's right you know. I hadn't considered ether drifting factors."

Leah sputtered. "Who's side are you on?!" she said.

Seven neatly added, "But I have, ensign. If you'll permit me.." Seven stepped forward shoving LaForge gently back from his controls over the large projected viewer over their heads. Seven punched a few sequences and tied in a link with her Borg Alcove in the cargobay. "There. I have calibrated for such changes in the warp signatures,  
Doctor. You may proceed with your theory.." and she moved off to another panel to work on something else.  
She looked up considering something else Leah had said,  
"And the Maestro's designation is not Tubby. It is Leonardo.  
As a holoprogram, he will not answer to any name except the one given him. It would be efficient for you to learn it."

It was Dr. Leah Brahams turn to drop her jaw.  
She went speechless.

The doors to the lab snicked open. Harry and Commander Scott walked in. With the Enterprise officer rubbing his hands together.. "Ah, laddie this is indeed a fine laboratory.  
And look at the resolution on that overhead! "

He noticed the folks already in the room. "Hello there.  
Scott's the name. Mr. Kim here wanted to give me a little tour. Don't let us interrupt your work."

Harry crossed his fingers, hoping for a miracle.  
Then it happened. Montgomery's eye fell on the computer screen showing Dr. Braham's work.  
"Ah, now! I know this theory. Keyhole singularity windows using warp core trail emissions as a focusing medium? Impressive..."

His enthusiastic endorsement made Leah sputter all the more.

About that time, the stellar cartography doors zipped open to reveal a beaming Lwaxana Troi and her escorting setter. She looked like a painting out of an Erte' gallery.  
"There we are dear..! " and she released Freckles dramatically from his improvised diamond leash.  
"Your master's right over there...."

Harry's eyes got real big as Freckles came thundering down on him in all his full grown Janeway setter glory.  
"AHhhh!!" He was hit in the chest with happy dog and four feet.

Kim went down on his back and felt his breath whoosh out of him. Freckles began licking his face happily.

Boothby flashed out of his monitor screen and became fully corporeal hologram. He knelt by the Ensign, grinning.. "Do you need medical assistance, my boy?" he asked.

Harry just wheezed the tiniest peep.

Then Deanna Troi came through the doors seeing and feeling the high emotions in the room ::Oh boy. I am too late.:: "Mother..Just what have you done now??" she demanded,  
crouching by Harry Kim's side as he struggled to breathe. Even further embarrassed, Kim made gestures of "I'm ok.. I'm ok.." at her trying to regain some shred of dignity as he waited for his wind to come back.  
::This is so embarrassing!:: he thought.

The Maestro began fussing over the young ensign.."Perhaps a spot of brandy. That'll set him to rights."

Boothby said, "The EMH is far better qualified to see to this man you blast from the past.  
Surely you see that alcohol is a nervous system depressant."

Harry waited a few more seconds, but his wind did not return..

The four began arguing over what would be best for the ensign while he groped around beginning to panick for want of air.

Deanna had seen enough. "Oh for Pete's sake!  
Move aside.. " And she knelt by Harry.  
"Forgive me ensign, but you can hate me in the morning later..." And she promptly gave him a big breath of air mouth to mouth,  
breaking Harry's stunned solar plexus paralysis.

Harry sat up, sucking in air as his breathing returned, redder than the Maestro's cloak,  
but eternally grateful that he now had a pair of working lungs again.

He shot to his feet and rushed out the door a total picture of mortification.

Freckles joyfully ran after him.

Lwaxana Troi frowned watching the doors close, "Little One, was it something I said?"

-  
(Attachments )

Image: Geordi and Leah (19k),

Image: (29k),

Image: Lwaxana au (28k),

Image: harry_ (35k),

Image: Molly's son, (162k) *****************************

From : "Samantha Rose" Subject : [voyagerliveaction] Lessons Date : Mon, 10 Sep 2001 02:22:53 +0000

The guests of the party were starting to thin out and soon only a few handfuls of families occupied Voyager's Mess Hall. Owen glanced around the room looking for any of the former Maquis. He had heeded Guinan's advice and no needed a "client", so to speak. Most of the former outlaws had left the party or were accompanying friends and family on guided tours of the ship.

"Henson may get his way if I don't get some sort of evidence..." Owen trailed off as he took his previous chair from earlier. The aforesaid bartender was serving up some doggy delectables and a drink to Lt. Barclay.

Looking around the room, Paris notices some sort of force field blocking a corner table. His question of who they were was answered by nearby Harry Kim who wondered the same thing. Quickly bringing up Commander Chakotay's service record, Owen read of his native heritage. It was also noted on the quest list of the Commander's father being on board. Admiral Paris stowed this information away and stood from the bar. Walking over to his son, he decided that a talk with one of the ex-Maquis could wait, there were more important things to do.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Q2 took in a deep breath of the cool night air. Below them the soft lyrics of the native music lifted to their ears. Neither of the Q or mortalized teen knew what the words meant, but there was no desire among them to find out.

"It's so beautiful." Amanda's quiet voice brought the young Q back into the false reality of Aunt Kathy's dream world. Her eye's sparkled in wonder and the reflected light of star and moon only added to the effect.

"So are you..." Q2 trailed off in surprise of the words he had said. ::Oh no, I didn't just say that. Did I just say that? I did just say that:: He quickly averted his gaze from Amanda who was looking at him.

"Thank you." she smiled and in reaching over squeezed his hand. The elder Q looked on as he witnessed a love blossoming before his very eyes. It was a shame Lady Q wasn't there to see it.

(attachments)

Gif: Paramount's logo in blue.

Gif: A datapadd with a schematic.

Image: Q and Q2 standing in a white room.

Image: Amanda Q and all in a cargobay of the Enterprise.

*animated gif* A blooming rose in red.

From : "patti Keiper"  
Date : Mon, 10 Sep 2001 03:49:36 +0000 Subject: Pests in the Nest.

Q rocked quietly in his rocker on the Janeway farm porch next to a similarly rocking Amanda and Q2,  
his son. "Ah.. Now isn't Chuckles native american mystical mumbo jumbo fascinating. And that obsession with the body art is simply primitive!  
Eh,, what was that called again?"

Amanda turned her head, "It's called a tattoo."  
she said sweetly." I sort of like where the captain has placed hers. "Sort of ...." she lowered her eyes. "..Romantic.. that she even took his mark."

Q2 just squeezed Amanda's hand tighter.

Q smacked his hands together grandly. "Shall we have some fun here in this oh, so wonderful unreal dreamscape place? Say, Q2, you're human now. Why don't you go,..chant by Chuckle's daddy's fire and see what "Spirit Guide", comes for you. We have to do something around here while we wait for Kathy to assemble her own medicine bundle. I don't think it'll be easy for her.  
Nothing but corn out there..."

Amanda laughed. "Oh ye of little faith, Q."

"What do you mean?" he said, hurt.

"I read about these things and the beliefs of Chakotay's people when I was still human.  
Beverly Crusher was quite a fan of the True American people. Guess her horizons were expanded when she was dating Odan."

"Who?"

Amanda pressed a thumb to her teeth. "Oh,  
just some man with a worm in his stomach who became a woman last second.."

"Huh?" Q coughed.

"Never mind. You don't care for the romantic exploits of anyone but but but... Kathy anyway.  
Now do you.."

Q pursed his lips and crinkled up his eyebrows.  
"I have no idea what you're talking about.."

Amanda, "Sure.." she said knowingly. She stood,  
brushing some of the misting moss flowers pollen off of her lilac and pink uniform dress. "Come on Q2. It's a full moon.. Aren't you going to take me for a canoe ride?"

Q crowed with laughter. "That's right. Chuckles carved one earlier. And it's right there in the lake.  
Oh, how romantic, son. Why don't you go with Amanda and howl at the moon some.."

Q2 blushed.

"I'll just stay here, like a quiet little mouse, and just watch this quaint little dreamworld of Kathy's unfold.." Q said. He made the shadow on the porch even darker over himself.

Amanda waited for Q2 to respond. "So how about it?" she said twirling a blond curl around a finger shyly. "I won't bite."

-------------

Q had a sudden thought and said,  
"Excuse me.. I have an idea I can use to keep Quince out of our "collective" hair. Au voir.." And he fingersnapped himself next to Kolopak and Chakotay.

Q appeared before the two seated men, who were meditating by the sacred fire with their spirit guides nearby.

Both hawk and bear began to fuss over Q, the bear growling and the hawk hissing most aggressively.

"My,. my, my.. I didn't know factitious animals created in the human mind share the same dislike for Q that Earth dogs do.."

Kolopak didn't even leave his tranquil pose nor opened his eyes. "As you have just implied, Oh, Deceptive One.  
These animals aren't real. Only mine and my son's mind is at work here."

Q wasn't offended, "Don't forget Kathy's brain too.  
She, at least, has a sense of style. Just look at that glowing cinder in the sky."

Kolopak did open his eyes. "You mean the Moon, up there?"

"Of course, you dolt! Does Earth, even in the spirit realm,  
have any other satellites in orbit. Geesh!"

Kolopak heard splashing by the lake. A paddle.  
"There is a disturbance, my son. It is not she."

Q laughed, and reached for the pan of warming corn bread that had made the ceremonial meal the captain commander and the chief had shared an hour ago.  
"Oh, let the kiddies have some fun.. I promise, they'll put that canoe back right where they found it."

Kolopak slapped the hand away.

Q raised his fingers to snap them in anger, then remembered Quince's undisguised threat regarding his future as Q's continued existence as an omnipotent being and thought better of it.

Only Kolopak's eyes showed the extent of his displeasure.  
He did nothing to ruin the sanctity of Kathryn's realm verbally, "Do not profane our ways with your selfish thoughts and narrow views of Life. For all your power. I do not think your People have understood what Life truly has to offer."

Q scoffed. "What more is there to see? I've done it all, seen it all, heard it all...before.." he said simply.

Then Kolopak handed Q his pipe after gesturing to Chakotay to relax and let him do it. "If this is true. Then why are you here?  
Why are you watching Kathryn and my son. Is it perhaps you wish to learn of the sanctity of a Seconah? Kathy is one newly born. The Great Spirit would smile on you if one of your kind were to embrace such a soul journey.."

Q backed away from the pipe as if it could burn him.  
"Eh, heh heh.. You just keep that thing away from me."  
And he zapped himself back onto his rocker on the Janeway porch.

Kolopak chuckled softly as he waved sacred smoke from the pipe over where Q had sullied the night air. Then he set it down on the fire's rocks again. "The rat, has fled."

Chakotay smiled, "How did you know he would leave when you offered him our Tribe's pipe, father?"

"What man who is still single, accepts any sort of commitment from another?"

##But that one has a mate and son.## Rahelon the hawk added.

"Ahh, but it is still the same. Q, is not married, even in the eyes of his own people. Why else would they scorn him and his son so much unless he had an illegitimate offspring?" Kolopak suggested.

That was food for thought. Chakotay had pondered the whole Lady Q, Q, Q2, Quince fourway battles ever since Voyager got back. Now, his father's simple reasoning suddenly made it all clear. ::Watching us humans is just an escape for the Q to not deal with personal problems.. I think I can use that observation.:: He looked around. ::I wonder where Lady Q is? I don't see her here. She'd better not interfere with Kathryn's gathering quest.::

Mentally, he sent Rahelon aloft, to soar in the night sky, to protect and guard his new Seconah's sanctity and peace as she went on Search.

-  
(attachments)

Image : Q senior with a huge face tattoo.

Image: A beautiful heavenly star with blue gases swirling around Voyager.

Image: A collage of Q in various guises.

*

END WEEK THIRTY FIVE RECAP 09-19-01

.com/voyagerliveaction Graphic Site

.com/group/voyagerliveaction Writer's Site

WEEK THIRTY SIX RECAP 09-19-01

**************************************

From : "Cory Anda" Subject : Deep Under Date : Wed, 19 Sep 2001 21:24:29 +0000

It did not take long for Chakotay to learn where Q had retreated. He gave a reverent gesture to the sacred fire and rose to his feet. He could still see Rahelon against the moon, circling over Kathryn's invisible position in the fields. He could tell by the angle of her wings that Lady Q wasn't yet around. ::That's good. Kathryn must find the things she needs without outside interference.::

Part of Voyager's first officer wondered what she would find for her medicine bundle. But that kind of speculation was pointless. Sort of like asking the wind which way it would blow the rain in the sky. He said to his father. "I'm going to do a little prying of my own.." pointing to the three rocking forms on the Janeway porch.

Kolopak added while he bit into a corn loaf, "Respect all living things, Chakotay. Even the Deceptive One and his young charges."

"Q's deceptive. But I think I know enough about him now to trust his noninterference in our minds. This is our spirit world and he is under duress not to interfere with our tiny humans lives according to that policing Q, Quince."

Kolopak scratched a white eyebrow, "That much is true. And the son is now human. Him I am worried about. How does a "god" react becoming mortal?"

Chakotay laughed, "I don't think the Q think themselves as gods, father. More like...interlopers in the grand scheme of things with occasional trips to the sideline to mingle with those humans who fascinate them."

Kolopak "I still want to get one of them into the tribe. It is always good to get a wayward god back into his place on the Great Wheel.."

Chakotay smiled softly, "One thing I am certain about. Q thinks he is no god. But I'm not so sure about his Lady Q. She's got a fair measure of arrogance that neither Q nor his son share."

He left his father in the glow of the night fire and walked to the porch. Amanda and Q2 were giggling and holding hands, but broke apart when he approached the three Q, they were ringing out the water from the pond they had on their pants legs.

"Did you have fun? I should give you paddling lessons for the next time."

Amanda and Q2's faces frowned but they weren't angry.

"You forget I can spy on you in here just as readily as you can. This is my own mind here. And Kathryn's, and my father's."

Q generously fingersnapped another creaky rocking chair to the commander and invited him to sit without saying a word.

Chakotay sat, after pulling a blade of grass from near the steps. "This must all seem a great mystery and an object of curiosity to the three of you.." He looked up into the sky, too. "And I mean you, too, as well Lady Q...." he said loudly. "I know you are there. Rahelon is ruffling her wings in her flight."

Q just chuckled. "Human brains are so clever, son. Look how it keeps track of us." he mentioned.

Q2 looked up from his love fog, "Huh?"

Q just rolled his eyes and waited for Chakotay to speak again, lacing his fingers across his Voyager's command uniform.

Chakotay didn't disappoint him, " I am referring to this Spirit World. Now why would simple ephemeral beings such as humans come up with such a place?" he said.

All three Q shrugged.

Chakotay leaned forward, suddenly all serious, "Because we seek to be in touch with ourselves in mind and body. If we have focus we don't intrude upon the lives of others in malice.."

Q threw an oh-please gesture at Chakotay.

This angered the commander, "Believe me, that's a trait the Q are good at. Always interfering. Always in the way of "lesser" people. Don't tell me that doing so is a normal Q pastime."

Amanda sighed, looking up from chewing the rose stem Q2 had given her, "Oh, it's not, commander. Simply "our" Q thing." she said twirling the bloom and inhaling it's delicate fragrance. "It's only when we step over history boundaries that Quince gets a little spikey. Like when Q ressurrected that Tasha Yar and Dax.." she frowned, "Though I wished Q would've kept Yar around instead of the other one. I haven't seen Jadzia around since Aunt Kathy's ship got back..."

Chakotay clearly remembered Yar being returned to her place and shivered. "And how do you explain Q2 here? He didn't play Lazarus...so how come he's human?"

Amanda's mouth angled in a thoughtful quirk that she shyly turned, "That was for getting in the way of a race's history. He used a comet for a baseball and unintentionally caused them to go to war when their "messenger star" failed to reappear in their skies."

"Oh."

Q2's face fell as he remembered his own vulnerability. He hugged Amanda only that much more tightly.

Chakotay sat and rocked a bit in his rocker and drank in the night sky and scented fields of corn. He didn't even notice when Amanda made the squeaky wood of their chairs stop so they could listen to the crickets and frogs sing in Kathryn's dreamscape.

Then Rahelon gave voice, the long peeling cry of the hawk. It was time.

Chakotay got to his feet, throwing away his blade of grass. "Do I have your word that you won't interfere here? This is Kathryn's time, and her mind for that matter. Don't sully it."

All three Q inclined their heads, but kept rocking in their eerily silent rockers on the Janeway porch.

Chakotay rose and went into the next phase of his quest.

He stripped down to a loin cloth and entered the water of the moonlit lake, swimming towards the place where Rahelon wheeled in the sky..

He paused when he neared the farther shore, whistling a short cry, like a loon..

On the shore he heard Kathryn turn her head out to the water and he ducked under, leaving only waves.

Rahelon landed on an oak and watched thoughtfully. ##Awaken her senses. Yes. She must be fully aware of her new dream realm..before she can proceed.##

Chakotay held onto his breath and moved under the lily pads, reemerging among them silently. He gave another song of a loon, this time mournful and questioning.

He saw her nose flare at the rise of the scent of algae from the water. A new change.

Kathryn's silouhette was clear on the moonlit beach the silver light glowing in her hair. She was looking for the source of the sounds she had heard. Then cocked her head as she listened to the gecko on her shoulder but was frustrated when her spirit guide stayed silent.

Chakotay made sure his head wasn't visible and floundered about, as if he were an animal in distress under the water.

He saw Kathryn close her eyes, concentrating on her new mind's senses, her forehead furrowed in concern, "I hear you.. ..I'm coming..." she said simply at last. "Don't struggle.."

She dropped her outer dress to her inner shift and entered the lake. Knowing something was amiss out there. But not knowing why or who was involved just yet.

Chakotay stopped splashing and waited for his captain to use a Seconah's sight to find out the truth about the noise which attracted her attention.

He stopped calling the loon's call, and ducked under the waves. Down underneath, he would not need to breathe and he moved to the center of the lake, waiting. He entered a trance, projecting an emotion of one drowned.

He sank well below the level where a swimming person could safely dive. ::Now...:: he thought. And gave up his mind.

-  
(attachments)

Image : Chakotay clasping Janeway's hand over a carving table.

Gif: An Indian beaded necklace.

Image : Janeway returning the handclasp to Chakotay.

Gif: A feather dangle

*****************************************

Date: Wed, 19 Sep 2001 16:14:47 -0700 (PDT) From: "Jeff Seltun" Subject: Through the mousehole..

Data looked up from his place at the bar.  
He cocked his head at Reginald Barclay and asked, "Lt. where has the younger canine gone?"

Barclay looked up from his active scrubbing of Molly's ears. "Yes.. you're such a good girl.. Yes you are... Huh? Oh... Freckles went with Mrs. Troi about five minutes ago.  
I think she had her radar attuned to Harry Kim to play match maker again..."

He caught Data's expression granted to him by his emotion chip. "What? He's a smart dog. He can see to himself. Don't worry about him.." and he turned back to his ginger pop and Molly's head scratching.

Lal asked, "Father..what is a match maker?  
Doesn't Voyager have phasers to light flammable materials? And why would someone want to manufacture matches when there is more suitable technology available for utilization?  
Why--?"

Data cut off his android daughter's stream of questions when he caught an amused non eyebrow raising on Guinan. "Why indeed.  
In this case, match maker refers to the custom of spouse seeking, not fire starting. Only in this case, I think Mrs. Troi started quite a few already..."

Lal was very confused and scratched her black haired head, "I don't understand."

"You will, Lal. You will.." Guinan sighed.  
"So..." she pegged Data with a stare.  
"You going to do something about Mrs.  
Troi or Quince? Or am I going to have to break out my gigantic golden gun again.."

Data held up his white hands, "Shooting off fire arms at a social gathering is against Starfleet regulations. I highly recommend another course of action."  
he told her.

Guinan "Of course..." she said thoughtfully,  
"I can always just polish it for effect..."

"Guinan.." Data glared warningly.

"All right. All right. I'll just think about it.  
Party's winding down already. It's dawn."  
she said, pointing out to the cornfields drying off their mist in the growing daylight.  
She said, "Looks like the Torres's are calling it a night. Poor Tom over there's practically asleep.."

Data looked. "Are you referring to Voyager's helmsofficer?"

"Yes. Tom Paris. His wife just had a baby last night. Didn't you see her?"

Data and Lal looked at each other. "I am afraid I was distracted with the birth of my own daughter,  
Guinan." he said, holding Lal's hand.

"That's sweet. But get that Q infestation away from my bar. He's scaring away my customers.  
He can leave. He's got no more water left in his glass..." the hostess said passionately.

Data nodded, reluctantly. "Come on, Lal. Time to teach you a lesson on "rousting bullies"."

"What's a bully father?"

"Someone who isn't very nice to others and gets enjoyment out of harrassment."

"Why would anyone want to harm another?"

"I don't know, Lal." Data replied.

---------------------

Captain Picard yawned.

And so did Rene in the center seat. The boy's head dropped to his chest as he inadvertantly snoozed in Voyager's captain's seat.

Tuvok raised an eyebrow, hearing a tiny snore come from the boy.

Taking the subtle hint, Jean Luc scooped up his nephew into his arms, cradling the limp boy as he slept. "Looks like this captain's ready for some R and R... Or, a good measure of at least the first "R"..at any rate."

"That would be prudent, captain. It is morning. Human children do not function well without adequate sleep during the night."  
Tuvok replied.

Captain Picard nodded, "Thankyou for letting him have the seat, Lt." he said.

"I remember the appeal of such a thing from childhood, Captain Picard. Far be it from me to deny him that fantasy."

Picard turned from his slow trudge to the turbolift with Rene in his arms.  
"Vulcans admit to having fantasies,  
Tuvok? Why that's extraordinary.."

"I was referring to the human propensity for doing so, Captain. I did not int--"

"Of course, Tuvok..." he laughed,  
interrupting.. "Carry on.. You have the bridge.."

And he left with Rene to the quarters assigned to Marie and Robert on Voyager.  
It was the guest quarters right next to the Torres's. He could clearly hear John and B'Elanna Torres talking inside them as he walked past to the next set of doors and entered.

He carried Rene to the back bedroom and laid him down on the sheets there.  
He pulled off his nephew's boots and covered him with the silver blanket.  
"Sweet dreams, my boy.." And he kissed Rene on the cheek.

Rising Captain Picard left him.

He met Marie smiling in the doorway.  
"He's a similar pea in the same pod,  
I'll have you know, Jean Luc.. He reminds me a lot of you.."

"Rubbish.." Jean Luc denied, "Rene's just got stars in his eyes, that's all.  
It'll pass."

"Will it?" she said, smiling.."Seems like a certain brother in law of mine's still got a healthy dose of stardust in his own eyes even now...." she teased,  
hitting him on the arm.

Picard smiled and slid past Marie to the replicator, calling up an Earl Grey.  
"Want anything, Marie?"

"Jasmine tea, please.." she said, sitting down on the couch.

Captain Picard retrieved their two steaming mugs and a cream and sugar set that materialed next to their beverages.  
"Where's Robert?"

Marie stretched, "Oh...." she yawned, "He's still at the Party.. He's going to go over wine tasting with that tall elegant bartender who was at the reunion.."

"Wine tasting with Guinan? Robert? Oh, ho!"  
Picard crowed. "Better alert sickbay right now.  
Guinan can drink any one under the table without even breathing.."

"Do you think Robert's out to get drunk again?" Marie laughed.

"Why not? Voyager's return is quite an excuse for a celebration. The Vineyard can wait.  
The harvest's done for the season, is it not?"

Marie laughed, "You still remember the schedule we keep, even after all these years.." she said,  
thoughtfully. "Even after the call of those stars of yours took you away from us.."  
she waxed a little regretful.

Picard took his sister in law's hand, "Come on,now.  
That Borg business was the only difficulty I've had since being Enterprise's captain. One unfortunate encounter in eight years is quite a track record."

Marie smiled again. "I know.. I know.. Risk comes with the pips.." she said, straightening one on his collar. "I just can't ...imagine...Rene growing up and taking the same risks you do, Jean Luc,  
without ....some bit of worry.. Can't blame me,  
part of being a mother in law.."

"Oh." he scoffed, mock rubbishing her admission.  
"But look at the accomplishments, too. I've seen more, done more, learned more than anything I could have ever possibly dreamed of had I stayed on and found an Earthbound career like.." he broke off.

"Like being a partner wine maker with Robert?"  
Marie finished.

Picard said nothing.

It was Marie's turn to dismiss his unspoken thoughts.  
"If Rene's dream is to captain a starship. Who am I to stop him.. After all, I did marry into the line.  
Sister in law, to the great Jean Luc Picard, captain of the USS. Enterprise....." she spelled out into the air with her hands as if they were on display before their eyes. "Has a nice ring to it.." she said, nestling her head on his arm.

Jean Luc chuckled. "Perish the thought.."

Their reverie was interrupted by a call from Boothby.

##Boothby to Captain Picard. I think you'd better get down here to stellar cartography right away.  
We've discovered something that might interest you, captain...##

"Oh?" Picard said. "I'm on my way.."

He left Marie's quarters and went to Deck Eight.

He entered the star lab to come face to face with Dr. Leah Brahams, Montgomery Scott,  
Geordi LaForge and others standing before a huge galactic map displaying Voyager's return route to Sector 001 and something else.  
"Oh, my.. is that really a wormhole singularity window I'm seeing in the middle of the room?"

Leah Brahams looked up from her computer screen, her hair waving in the atmospheric effect of the very real wormhole just over the floor. "It most certainly is.. Have a look, captain.  
We've centered on a very interesting part of regional space Voyager's been by on her way home.  
Tell me.. what do you know about Hirogens?"

Just inside the vortex peeping window, a skull suspended on chains, swayed there inside a net of bones.

-  
(attachments)

Image : Enterprise in orbit over Earth.

Image: Data over a console, working hard.

Image : Jean Luc Picard with Rene on a green leafy path.

**************************************

From : "Roxy Dee" Subject : Bones and milk~~ Date : Sat, 22 Sep 2001 16:26:02 +0000

"Is he going to be ok?" Geordi LaForge asked Boothby about Harry, once the lab doors closed behind him and Freckles, who was leaving with him and nipping at the embarrassed, wheezing ensign's heels.

"He's going to be fine, lieutenant. Only thing truly bruised was his ego." the program said, "The ship's bioflag system hasn't even been alerted. Didn't even have time to activate."

LaForge chuckled, looking to Deanna Troi, "How long do you think he'll take to work off that blush of his?"

But before the counselor could answer him, both she and Seven of Nine dematerialized in a transporter effect.

Tuvok's voice came over their pins, "Counselor Deanna Troi has been ordered back to the Enterprise by order of Admiral Komach. Reason unknown. Seven of Nine has been beamed to Star Fleet Headquarters. Reason unknown. All personnel will be notified if Voyager is ordered into a return of active duty. Current granted leave for the ship's crew is still in place. I will keep you informed of any new developments. Tuvok out."

"Whoa.. Think I should report back too?" Geordi said.

Leonardo scratch his forehead where his hat's feather itched him, "What would be the point of doing that young man? Did your captain give you orders to that effect asking you to go?"

From the far side of the room, Captain Picard gave a small shake of his head to Geordi that told him he was just as in the dark about why Troi was beamed away as LaForge was.

Geordi frowned through his visor. "No." he said quite frankly, "But what do you make of that..?" he said, moving nearer the singularity window spinning with its view locked onto the eerie net of bones. He pointed to something deeper inside the spinning image in the singularity.

The initial atmospheric wind caused by Leah Brahams opening up the peephole in the lab had died away. It's energies were fully contained in the forcefield erected around it so all in the lab could gather quite safely and close to see better.

In the background, around the macabre skeleton, was a moving figure of armor showing its back, working over a vat of fluid. It was not aware of the "spying" singularity from Voyager behind it.

Geordi went on with his thought, "I wonder if that is truly Hirogen hunter? Leah.. do a DNA analyses."

"Already done." Boothby said with finality. "My sensors have been probing that rift ever since your scientist began her experiment. That being is what he appears to be."

Then the figure in moulded armor turned around. It had a Borg spine in its clutches, with clearly visible Borg implants still embedded and slowly dying among the vertebrae.. And its face grimaced a full array of needle daggers for teeth.

Leonardo DaVinci cried out, "My god. He is a demon! He has the bones of that poor soul brandishing like a trophy! Saints preserve us!!" The ancient inventor hastily crossed himself.

Montgomery Scott leaned over the console, addressing the holographic inventor, "Don't worry. That beasty man canna see us. The window is one way according to my readings. Nice touch, Miss Brahams.." he said to Leah. "Though, I'll admit. This Hirogen does seem the very picture of a devil, now doesn't he.."

Geordi sighed, "Yeah, and our resident Voyager crew member who knows any about these people over there has just beamed to Earth." ::Seven of Nine.:: he thought. ::Hang tough. I know how brutal an innocent Starfleet debriefing can be. No doubt Admiral Paris has something to do with all the new orders Tuvok received. Looks like Voyager's crew are going to be examined under the microscope from all angles before they are even considered for reassignment together. I wonder if Voyager's past Maquis ties fired off these fly by night orders?::

Boothby stepped forward, still in his fully corporeal interactive hologram form he had adopted when Ensign Kim was tackled to the ground by the over exuberant canine, Freckles. "But I know everything she does.. Well, at least. Everything she has put into her alcove logs and files. Believe me, Seven of Nine has a lot of entries concerning these Hirogen Hunters. One entry even speculating on whether or not a Hirogen Hunter ship could hold its own against a Borg Cube.."

Geordi pointed back to the window and the Hunter cleaning his kill. "Looks like we have the answer to that one.." and he winced at the sound of hollow bone as the Hunter scraped off Borg implants from his trophy's spinal column. "Look do we have to have the window focused on this particular place along Voyager's past journey?" he said in disgust. "I could think of a lot more pleasant vistas for us to view."

Leah, all scientist impartial, had none of Geordi's squeamishness. "This Hirogen vessel's fascinating. I didn't know they were a race of nomadic predators. And the fact they're hoarding trophies shows a colloration to a rudimentary tribal honor code. Now that's rare in a Reptilian bipedal species. Captain .." she addressed Picard. "Permission to keep the window focused on this subject.."

She waited for his reply.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Harry Kim made it to his quarters and flopped onto the couch. "What is it with me and women these days?" he complained, annoyed at his still blushing reactions.

A muffled bark followed by an impact against the door distracted him. Harry frowned. "Computer, open cabin doors."

Freckles came rocketing inside, top speed and braked, rippling up Harry's oriental throw rug stretched before the couch in his eagerness to get to Harry.

The rug flopped over Kim's head and he irritatedly pushed it off. He groaned a long suffering groan. "Hiya boy."

Freckles wagged his tail, knocking off a few datapadds off Harry's glass table, licking Kim's face playfully.

Kim shoved his muzzle away. "I've had enough "kisses" for one day.." he grumbled.

Freckles tail drooped and he sat, ducking his head.

Kim felt immediately guilty. "Hey.. I didn't mean it that way.." and he began running fingers through the black, gray and red setter's fur ruff on his neck. "You're a good dog. I know you didn't mean to knock the stuffing out of me.. But when we get back to Earth, I'm going to get us enrolled in a few obedience classes ASAP.."

Kim rose, going to his replicator, "Tell you what? If we're going to be dog and master for the next fifteen years or so. We should toast to it, right?"

Ruff!!

"Fair enough.." Harry smiled. "One carafe of milk, coming right up..."

Soon, dog and master were side against side, beside two empty bowls, snoozing the sleep of the best of companions with legs, arms and a tail hanging off the edge of the couch. Identical milk mustaches were worn by both.

Quince snuck in to Kim's quarters unawares and grabbed a snapshot of them for his human souvenir book. ::Oo hoo , this will make a great poster in the Continuum Carnival Hall.::

-  
(attachments)

Image: Trophy bones on a Hirogen ship wall.

Image : Geordi and Deanna Troi in chairs.

Image: A Hirogen hunter in closeup

*SCREENSAVER* Featuring the Next Generation cast.

******************************************

From : "Fran Catrair" Subject : [voyagerliveaction] Tete for Tat Date : Sun, 23 Sep 2001 02:21:18 -0500

B'Elanna walked silently alongside her father, lost in thought. She had went through so many changes in the last 48 hours; she couldn't even keep track of them. Wearily, she shifted her daughter to a more comfortable position. John Torres noticed his daughter's fatigue and put out a hand to stop their walking. Then, he gently removed his granddaughter from B'Elanna's arms. B'Elanna smiled in gratitude at her father, and they continued on down the corridor in comfortable silence.  
They finally came to the door of his assigned guest quarters and went inside. John carefully laid Miral on the floor, and retrieved a blanket from the living area to put around and over her. He had remembered B'Elanna's mother doing the same thing over 35 years ago; stating how female Klingon babies needed the sturdiness of a hard surface after they were first born. Something about a genetic spinal defect they had.  
Turning back to B'Elanna, he noticed she was nodding in agreement with him; approving of the arrangements for Miral. "I'm surprised you remembered." she remarked casually, but with no sign of hostility. "And why wouldn't I?" he replied. Finally, they both sat down, and John noticed a discomfort in the room. This was the first time in many years they had been alone together. The first time since....that awful argument they had had nearly ten years before. Shaking his head, he refused to think about those memories.  
"Are you all right, father?" B'Elanna asked him, uncertainly. She was worried he might be suffering from a side effect from his illness. Smiling at her, and her ease at using the term, 'father', John shook his head. "I'm all right, 'Lanna. I was just remembering our last conversation alone." he replied. Shaking her head, B'Elanna remembered the conversation. "Alot has changed since then, father. We have both changed." she added, softly. "And, it appears to be a change for the good, my dear...for both of us." he added, warmly. B'Elanna agreed with him, but then her eyes misted, and she changed the subject. "Why didn't you tell me you were ill, father? When were you planning to tell me?" she asked. "How long...before you slipped away from me again?" she added softly. John had to get used to his daughter abruptly changing the subject. ::Some things haven't changed.:: he thought. Instantly, he felt overwhelming sympathy for his daughter, and moved over to the couch she was sitting on to console her. "I'm sorry, 'Lanna. I didn't mean to hurt you. I just didn't know when I could tell you. I didn't want you to think my illness was just a trick; to get you to talk to me again." he concluded, his tone soothing. "You know." B'Elanna said, a slight smile on her face. "There might have been a time I had thought that. But not anymore." she added, looking at him. Returning her gaze, John felt the last pieces of their world righting themselves. Hugging his daughter, he whispered, "I love you." and pulled away to look at her. She met his gaze evenly, with eyes that matched his own, and their gazes locked. Suddenly, before John knew what was happening, B'Elanna de-materialized in front of him.

Lady Q was annoyed that the human with the tattoo on his face could sense her. ::Just WHO does this human think he is?:: she thought to herself, her eyes narrowing. Even as he was 'calling' her out, she refused to acknowledge him. She would show herself when she was good and ready, dmnit! Continuing to observe everything happening in this 'dreamscape', she decided it was time to make herself known to her mate after all. ::Might be good to make him uncomfortable.:: she thought to herself in satisfaction, snapping herself into the chair that Chakotay had just vacated. "Hello, honey! Did you miss me?" she asked, reaching over to pat his cheek in a soft, but not so gentle, manner. Q looked over at her, slightly surprised. What seemed to surprise him, and the other Qs assembled on the porch, was that Chakotay had been actually right about her presence. "Oh, the tattoed man was right, 'dear'. I am here. Couldn't let you have all the fun now, could I?" she concluded, looking at him. She was amused he couldn't keep eye contact with her; his usual bluster and bravado was gone. She sensed he was distracted by the recent events involving his 'Kathy'. Turning her attention to the two youngsters, she said, "And, just what do we have here? If you wanted advice on how to court a woman, you should have asked me, son. After all, your father really didn't excel in that department." Noticing her son's blush surprised her. "Oh that's right, you're human now. Well, come with me, my son. Let me give you some pointers on the proper way to court a woman. Let's hope I can help you before any of your father's bad habits have kicked in." she concluded. Before anyone could react, she snapped them over by the lake. A campfire was going, with a log sitting in front of it. "Here we go, my son. Now, we can speak privately, and are near enough to observe everything nearby. Wouldn't want you to miss any of your 'Auntie Kathy's' dreamquest now, would we?" She noticed Q2's stunned expression. Looking around her quickly, she noticed Chakotay's strange antics in the lake. Frowning to herself and shrugging her shoulders, she turned back to Q2, taking his hand gently and sitting him down on the log. Taking her place next to him, she turned slightly and looked at him expectantly. "Ok, where do we start? What would you like to know, son?" she asked and waited for his reply.

-  
(attachments)  
Image : Belanna promo with a blue sky background.

Image : Relaxed B'Elanna in engineering.

Image : LadyQ_Q smiling smugly in period costume.

Gif : A logo of Voyagerliveaction, showing a lineup of the STV cast's heads ******************************

From : "Samantha Rose" Subject : [voyagerliveaction] Realizations Date :Sun, 23 Sep 2001 22:26:13 +0000 Admiral Paris scanned the room taking in the changing scene beyond the viewport. The golds and purple's were fading as the sun rose over the horizon sending rays of light across the floor of the Mess Hall. His gaze flickered back to his fatigued son. He gently placed a hand on Tom's shoulder and nodded towards the doors. The younger Paris took the hint, said good-bye to his father and headed to his quarters.

Tuvok's voice came over their pins,"Counselor Deanna Troi has been ordered back to the Enterprise by order of Admiral unknown. Seven of Nine has been beamed to Star Fleet Headquarters. Reason unknown. All personnel will be notified if Voyager is ordered into a return of active duty. Current granted leave for the ship's crew is still in place. I will keep you informed of any new developments. Tuvok out."

Owen furrowed his brow at the sudden announcement.  
He quickly tapped his own commbadge and directed the link to the bridge.

"Mr. Tuvok, please open up a communications channel to Starfleet Headquarters. I will be on the bridge in a few moments." the Admiral was already walking out of the Mess Hall and towards the nearest turbolift.

"Aye, sir. I would also like to inform you that Lt.  
Torres has just been beamed off of the ship. Her destination is unknown at this time, but I am attempting to triangulate her position." the cool Vulcan tone responded through the pin.

"Understood. Paris out." he tapped his badge to close the link and entered the lift. He had a suspicion that Komach was behind this, and that suspicion was confirmed.  
::What does Komach want?:: The question stayed fresh in his mind even as he came to face the viewscreen where the face of Admiral Komach appeared.

"What is the meaning of this, Komach?" Paris wasn't in the mood for pleasantries at this moment, especially after the "flack" he was getting from Starfleet Command.

"It's good to see you too, Owen. Now, what you are talking about, I do not know." there was a hint of annoyance in his voice which only angered Owen.

"Don't play dumb with me, you just transported one of Voyager's officers without notice. Is it me or has there been a change in Protocol I wasn't informed of?" the sarcasm seeped between every word.

"Seven of Nine is being debriefed and questioned," Komach leaned forward, his voice a hoarse whisper, "her intimate knowledge of Voyager and her crew is essential to our investigation of the Maquis." daggers seemed to shoot from one Admiral to the other.

"The Maquis no longer exist, there is no sense in pursueing a sentence for those on Voyager who used to belong to that group." Owen tried to stay calm, and it was working so far.  
Admiral Komach began to become even more annoyed with Paris.

"We've rid the quadrant the Maquis threat, but not wholly.  
Commander Chakotay and his crew are the only factor we are missing. Once those rebels are dealt with, that threat will be eradicated. Now, I have a debriefing to conduct. Komach out."

That was the last straw, Komach had ruffled his feathers for the last time. Admiral Paris turned to Tuvok with a stern gesture.

"Will you please arrange for a transport, I am going to be returning to Starfleet Headquarters." Tuvok raised an eyebrow and nodded in acknowledgement.

"May I speak freely, Admiral?"

"Of course."

"It seems to me that Admiral Komach's logic in pursueing this task is flawed." Tuvok folded his hands behind his back and stepped to face the Admiral.

"How is that, Commander?" Paris' curiousity peaked.

"It would have been logical to sentence the former Maquis,  
had Voyager made it back to the Alpha Quadrant earlier.  
Needless to say, the two crews have combined successfully and now it is safe to say that the Maquis no longer exist."  
Tuvok raised his eyebrows slightly to emphasize a hidden point. Admiral Paris looked at the Vulcan and then smiled.

"Absolutely true, absolutely true." nodding to the officer,  
Admiral Paris left the bridge as Tuvok arranged for the transport. There was no doubt now that Tuvok's "advice" had helped him make a stronger case for the former Maquis.

--------------------------------------------------------------

Q2 followed his mother in the daze the entire time. He had left his father and Amanda on the Janeway homestead both seemingly as dazed as he.

"Here we go, my son. Now, we can speak privately, and are near enough to observe everything nearby. Wouldn't want you to miss any of your 'Auntie Kathy's' dreamquest now, would we?" She noticed Q2's stunned expression. Looking around her quickly, she noticed Chakotay's strange antics in the lake. Frowning to herself and shrugging her shoulders, she turned back to Q2, taking his hand gently and sitting him down on the log. Taking her place next to him, she turned slightly and looked at him expectantly. "Ok, where do we start? What would you like to know, son?" she asked and waited for his reply.

"What I want to know? I don't want to know anything." Q2 looked over at his mother with a little disbelief. He couldn't believe that after being away from him and his father for so long that she was here trying to play "mommy".

"Well, I'm sure I could give you a few pointers on..." Lady Q began, but was quickly cut off.

"I don't want any pointers!" the sudden outburst surprised even Q2. Lady Q was taken aback by her son and placed a hand on her chest to calm herself.

"I just want to help you..."

"Help me?" the embers of a growing anger began to glow,  
"I don't need any help, I've been doing fine without it so far." the rising volume of his voice tapered and Q2 stood up.

"Wh-where are you going, my son?" Lady Q tried feebily to sound motherly but it wasn't working.

"I'm going back to sit with Amanda and my FATHER." he emphasized father with such force that his mother fell quiet.  
She watched at the retreating form of her son with a feeling of guilt. After all, whether she excepted it or not, he was right. She hadn't been there when he needed her most.

--------------------------------------------------------------

A muttering teen greeted the gazes of both Q and Amanda as they watched Q2 walk up the small hill to the Janeway porch.  
Amanda left her rocking chair and went to his side.

"What's wrong? What did your mother want?" she had a worried look on her face which he did not notice.

"Oh, she was just trying to be a mother...she failed miserably." he sat down in his chair in a huff. Before any of the crew trio could speak Q2 disapeared from the dream realm.

Q2's eyes opened with a start as he saw the real Janeway farm shimmer away in a blue haze. The next thing he know there were two armed guards on either side of him. Without a single word between them, he was led into what looked to be a briefing room.

"Please have a seat Q." Admiral Komach stepped forward and motioned to a chair at a long table. Q2 looked around at the faces of those seated at the table. He recognized Seven of Nine and Lt. Torres, both of which were as confused as he was.  
Admiral Komach nodded to the guards who stood by the door and then took his own seat.

-  
(attachments)

*animated gif* The United Federations of planets logo

Image : Barclay and Admiral Paris at Project Pathfinder

Image : Tuvok in a dark place, looking intense.

Image: Q and his teen son, side by side, in a close shot.

Image : Q and Amanda Q talking leisurely while leaning on a lab counter on a Starship.

Gif: (out of character) A God Bless the USA banner in red white and blue colors.

Audio : (out of character) Lee Greenwood, American singer singing, "God Bless the USA.."

From : "patti keiper" Subject : [voyagerliveaction] Beware the Fury of a Q scorned.. Date : Mon, 24 Sep 2001 02:29:52 +0000

Q just sat there with his mouth hung open. He sat there and he sat there. Still stunned,  
until Amanda Q broke the silence.

"What? Woman got your tongue?" And she laughed like there was no tommorrow.  
She stood, and walked around where Q was still gaping like the preverbial fish at the all stops off whirlwind visit of his mate.  
"Oh, come off, Uncle Q-Y. Don't tell me your lady still has the ability to surprise you.  
Although, mind you, I am more than a little curious to see exactly what she meant by "not excelling in the courting department".

Q snapped out of his mate inflicted shock. His eyes actually got red and smoked a bit, "Mind your own beeswax!!" Before they drifted blue , the color of a Q entering a serious state of depression. "Boy, I wish Counselor Troi were here. I could really use a good counselor right about now.."

Amanda Q looked around the moonlit night on the Janeway porch. "So,... where is she?"

Q sank a chin on his hands, "Indisposed.. And so is Seven of Nine.. Oh, Kathy's going to be so steamed when she learns her prized personal reclaimation project has been nabbed to Earth for an interrogation. Troi, on the other hand,  
is getting drilled by the 25th century equivilent of the Spanish Inquisition.. Ever heard of Section 31? The unknown, tieless Faction that will do anything to keep the United Federation of Planets flying forever free?"

Amanda blinked twice and said, "Is that anything like Quince and his lot wanting to keep the Q continuum flying forever human free?"

"Yep."

"oh."

"Only this Section 31 business is bigger than the both of us,.. " he reconsidered that estimate,  
"Or bigger than the whole continuum for that matter.  
You see, it's like this....." And he pulled his chair closer to his son's "dumped" date before she had a chance to be insulted by Lady Q's rejection of her for his son. "Admiral Paris was ordered by the Federation powers that be to fully investigate the ex-Maquis element left over on Voyager. He has since been swayed... Babies do that, you know.  
And now I fear that this Section 31 has designs on chewing up Voyager's sense of family and spitting them out again when they're finished making sure no one came back with intent to "undo" Federation ideals.. They've nabbed B'Elanna just a second ago.  
And I'm sure Admiral Paris will learn of the disappearances off Voyager VERY soon. I knew his stand of bravado against Admiral Komach's debanding committee was a little flimsy.. I should have given him better pointers."

"Q" Amanda said.

"What..?"

"You're rambling.."

"Oh," Q said, "I guess I'm a little upset. The one good thing I've ever done of any significant permanence in my life is having the notion and going about having a son.. And now,.. Lady Q wants him all to herself.  
I- I- It's really quite depressing...."

Amanda handed Q her wilted rose bud. "Here."  
She said, "If it'll make you feel better. Your son is quite sweet. And if your mate thinks she can keep him from me, she's got another thing coming.. Courting works two ways you know.. "

"It does?" Q said, looking up with genuine surprise.

Amanda slapped his shoulder in affectionate amusement.

Q laughed and snapped his fingers so the rose in his hands was revitalized and he handed it back to Amanda. "So go at it, my dear... Win back my son.  
If not for me,.. for yourself.. I,...am going intelligence snooping. It's about time I learn whether or not Quince knows of these humans Section 31. It looks like that covert group is about to crash our human ship party.."

"Here. Here.." Amanda said, "I'll just pop over and keep an eye on Lady Q and my date and also, on Auntie Kathy's dreamy thingy for you. It's getting rather interesting.  
Anything can happen inside this mind scape of theirs."

"Exactly.." Q said, "It's why I brought you and my son,"  
he rolled his eyes adding,"...and indirectly, my mate...to join in the fun.. " He brushed a gentle finger down the bridge of Amanda's nose, "If I and my family are to be the enemy of Quince and straight laced Q Continuum band like the potential Maquis on Voyager are the "enemy" of this Section 31,.. I might as well knock em, cause I can't join em.. Time for some Quince bashing!!!!"  
his voice boomed out over the still moonlit lake where Janeway was swimming, looking for the noise maker that had disturbed her so deeply.

"Shhhhhh." Amanda shushed him, "There's a sacred ceremony going on here. And I'm trying to watch.  
No talking in the theater.."

"Oh,... uh,, right.." Q said, And he snapped his fingers to the last place Quince had been..

---------------

Q materialized inside Harry Kim's quarters, seeing the young ensign and young male canine snoozing away with milky grins on their faces..

And, the object of his stalking.  
::Now.. I got him fair and square and by Continuum rules of fair play..::

He snuck up onto Quince, who was lining up another shot of the two snoozers with his Qcam and gave him a sound boot on the rear.. "I Caught ya red handed!!" Q announced in triumph.. "I knew there was a human lover deep inside that tough Q spy interior..."

"AHh!!" Quince said, fully guilty and highly frightened that he had been found out and he fingersnapped himself out of the cabin to the bridge of Voyager.

Tuvok was just sending out an alarm, He had seen B'Elanna Torres's bioflag disappear offship without warning and had raised shields all over the ship. He was currently running a scan on the whole ship's complement to see if any other Voyager original crew were missing.  
He discovered Seven of Nine was no longer on board. The Vulcan was not yet alarmed enough to call for a yellow alert nor inform his commanding officers, preferring to wait until he had more information to offer before taking any action.

Q followed Quince.

Tuvok didn't look up, nor did he raise an eyebrow from where he sat in the command chair. "Q, did you have something to do with the disappearance of B'Elanna Torres and Seven of Nine off Voyager?"

"NO." "No." came simultaneously denials from Q and Quince.

"Then I suggest you take your omnipotent argument elsewhere.  
I am trying to concentration on the matter at hand."

Q gaped again.. mouth flopping open for the second time in as many minutes. ::First my mate's inadequate father/suitor insult and now this straight laced Vulcan dismissing us as if we were miscreant school children..::

Quince intruded upon Q's thoughts easily ::We ARE miscreant school children..::

Q looked at Quince with a grateful look of the ironic and said out loud, "Oh, that's right. We never finished Q School, now did we?" But they took their argument to the messhall just to get away from pesky Tuvok..

Q and Quince poofed in on the messhall party, which was nearly empty because of the night being over. Full daylight streamed into the windows, and Voyager's clean up crew were already hard and work cleaning up the party decorations and leftovers.

Q pushed Quince against the wall, finger snapped a mustache onto Quince's face, and took that mustache one side in each finger and twisted it, effectively holding Quince hostage.  
"Ok,.. Admit it, Q. I have you over a barrel.. All these days and weeks following me and my family and Voyager around,  
playing the all mighty Q cop when behind the scenes, you were just another Q touristing these humans, now weren't you?"

He gave a tight twist of Quince's newly Q sprouted mustache.

"Ahh.." Quince said, freezing as the hair on his face smarted under the submission hold.."What makes you so sure that I am a human touri-- AHhh"

Q reaffirmed his grip on Quince's mustache and went nose to nose with him while doing it.. "Like this trick? I saw another favorite human captain of mine, Kirk, do this to another man named Harry Mudd who was just as devious and snivelling as you are.. Don't try to fool me.. What do you mean you aren't a human tourist like I am,.. what do you call this???"  
And he time warped Quince's Qcam he was hiding under his shirt until the film developed into a row of plastic-ed photos which he accordianed like a human showing off a string of credit cards.  
"You took these photos on this ship behind everyone's back in secret now didn't you?  
Harry and Freckles.. snoozing on the couch.. Guinan sleeping in her quarters with a mud pack and..eooww,  
cucumbers over her eyes?? " Q shuddered,  
"Tom Paris's Captain Proton Holoprogram slides? Now Quince,.. how un Q cop of you.." He looked down the row of pictures.. "And ...Hey.." Q's face materialized in fury.." I don't think I like this one... What were you doing in Kathy's quarters.. I thought I was the only one who knew what color her Pajamas were.."

He slammed Quince back up into the wall and coiled the photos up around his arm.."I think I'll just keep these photos in a safe place.. Might make good evidence against you when I turn you over to the Continuum for Impersonating a Q cop.."

"Oww. Oww. Q! Q! Listen to me.. Buddy, don't do that?? I really I can explain..."

Q smiled dangerously.. "Try...me....."  
"You'd better give my son back his powers in two nanoseconds or I think I'll get a first hand view to see if a Q cam can really fit up a Q's--"

"Ok.. OK.. " Quince wormed a hand free and finger snapped,, "There... your son's fully Q now.. Heeh.. I was... I was.. only funning.."

Q let him go.. suddenly mild and smiling. "I know that. I knew something was fishy the moment Q2's sentence was carried out in the Continuum on that mock up of the Primary's Borg Pyramid without the head adjudicator displaying the typical flaming Q scroll of death.. "

He leaned forward to a still quivering Quince,  
"They love theatrics Quince, almost as much as I do.. But you missed that telltale detail and FLUBBED it up badly.. " He rubbed fingernails on his Voyager command uniform.. "But I forgive you, Quince.... Really I do.."

He finger snapped away his ex-nemesis's restraining mustache and even conjured up shiny lapels on Quince's Voyager uniform just so he could dust them off.. then he let him have one right across the kisser with all the Q power he could muster..

Quince went down like a sack of human's potatoes,  
out cold and real shrunken stars floating about his head.

Q shook his fist in pain, and mumbled, "For about one microsecond... Gosh, that felt ssSSOOOOooo good.."

He stepped over Quince's KO'd form, leaving him for the Voyager cleanup crew to deal with.

Q did a victory dance around Quince's unconscious shell and adopted a song and voice of his favorite android to celebrate.. He changed the song to fit what he thought of his family.. Pretty life forms.. and kept dancing..

SEE SOUND BITE WITH ATTACHMENTS heh.. :)

He returned to Janeway's dreamscape and rematerialized inside a bunch of cattails under cover of darkness to watch for the moment when his mate and son discovered Q2 had his powers back.

::If that doesn't prove I'm a good father and mate to my family.. then NOTHING will:  
he thought proudly.

-  
(attachments) :

Audio: Data singing You tiny little lifeforms.. song from one of the Next Generations movies.

Image : A close up of Amanda Q in purple and pink, smiling.

Image: Q and Quince debating inside a blue lit shuttle.

Image : close up of a very pissed off Q.

Image : Q and his tiny Q baby son.

From : "Clairissa Fox" Subject :[voyagerliveaction] Something isn't right any more Date : Mon, 24 Sep 2001 03:04:22 +0000

Naomi Wildman was over joyed that her father had returned from Mars to her. She gave him a great big hug and then handed over the portrait she had spent long hours painting of him and her and her mother proudly.

Her father picked her up and rubbed his forehead horns with hers in her first Caltarian greeting and accepted the gift.

"How's my Naomi? Miss me?"

"And how" Naomi said, "I worked so hard as Auntie Kathy's captain's assistant. And we waited and got by so many troubles, I thought I'd never get to see you ever."

"I didn't have my doubts at all, Naomi. Your mother's been telling me what a wonderful ship Voyager is and her crew. When I look at you. I can see that there's no better place I'd rather have for my daughter's home than here."

"You mean it daddy? Can we stay?"

"Why not?" Naomi's father said, "There are families on the Enterprise overhead. We go whereever your mother's tour of duty lies.. Deal?"

"Oh, yes, father..!" Naomi said.

But then Samantha Wildman and her husband felt their little girl tighten up inside their embrace. She pulled away from them and looked around the nearly deserted messhall. "What's wrong, dear?"

"Something's changed.." Naomi mentioned, walking slowly around and feeling the air with her hands as if she could sense something invisible. "I know.. Our shields are up...! I have to tell Auntie Kathy.."

Samantha Wildman watched her daughter rush over to where Captain Janeway was in a trance with Chakotay and Kolopak and the little ten year old started to shake her... "Auntie Kathy! Auntie Kathy! Something's not right on Voyager! Our shields are up.. Wake up!!"

But Samantha pulled her away before the captain could awaken.  
"Honey,, don't disturb the captain.. She's obviously in a trance for a very private session here.. It should be all right.. Only the bridge can raise shields, so someone's still watching after the ship.. right?"

"I guess so." Naomi stopped shaking Janeway but whirled around at a sound. "There! There's the bad feeling I am getting.." she said.

It was beings that Sam knew as Q.. And they were fighting..

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Q and Quince poofed in on the messhall party, which was nearly empty because of the night being over. Full daylight streamed into the windows, and Voyager's clean up crew were already hard and work cleaning up the party decorations and leftovers.

Q pushed Quince against the wall, finger snapped a mustache onto Quince's face and took that mustache one side in each finger and twisted it, effectively holding Quince hostage.  
"Ok,.. Admit it, Q. I have you over a barrel.. All these days and weeks following me and my family and Voyager around,  
playing the all mighty Q cop when behind the scenes, you were just another Q touristing these humans, now weren't you?"

He gave a tight twist of Quince's newly Q sprouted mustache.

"Ahh.." Quince said, freezing as the hair on his face smarted under the submission hold.."What makes you so sure that I am a human touri-- AHhh"

++++++++++++++++++++++

The horrified Wildman family witnessed the whole fight. Hearing about Q's theory of Section 31 kidnapping Voyager crew for interrogations,  
right down to the tale of the Q species long term spying on human ships.

Samantha did the only thing she knew.. "Come on, Naomi.. Dear.." she said taking the hands of her family.. "Let's get out of here."

"No! NO!" Naomi said.. "I have to warn Q (son)! He's next! He's next!  
They are going to take him.."

The brave little girl ran back over to her Aunty Kathy's table and took up her hand and touched the trance device Chakotay was using to enter the spirit world before Sam nor her husband could stop her..

--------------------

Naomi awoke in the night. But she knew where she was going.

"Q!! Q!! " she shouted for the young teen Q.. Then she saw the fire and ran closer to where she saw Lady Q.

Before she got there, the worst happened..

+++++++++++++++++++++

"Oh, she was just trying to be a mother...she failed miserably." he sat down in his chair in a huff. Before any of the crew trio could speak Q2 disapeared from the dream realm.

+++++++++++++++++++++

"no!! Naomi shouted running near.. Then she saw Q appear, victorious from his fight with the lying Quince.

She ran to him, and said, "They took him! They took him!!"

Q senior picked up the human child..."What? Not to fear my darling. My son can take care of himself. I got his power back for him."

Q senior decided to protect the child while she was in Chakotay's trance world against any subversion from either Quince or the Section 31 and he crouched back down into the cattails, to wait for his Lady to find him, demanding answers.

Naomi knew the wisdom of being silent, even inside her captain and Commander's minds. She chose to go with Q whereever he went in the dreamscape.

-  
(attachment)

Image : Naomi Wildman looking small and scared in low light.

**********************************

END WEEK THIRTY SIX RECAP 9-23-01

.com/voyagerliveaction Graphic Site

.com/group/voyagerliveaction Writer's Site.

WEEK THIRTY SEVEN RECAP 09-26-01

**************************************

Date: Wed, 26 Sep 2001 09:51:38 -0700 (PDT) From: "Jeff Seltun" Subject: Full Circle

Leah, all scientist impartial, had none of Geordi's squeamishness. "This Hirogen vessel's fascinating.  
I didn't know they were a race of nomadic predators. And the fact they're hoarding trophies shows a colloration to a rudimentary tribal honor code.  
Now that's rare in a Reptilian bipedal species.  
Captain .." she addressed Picard. "Permission to keep the window focused on this subject.."

She waited for his reply.

Captain Picard eyed Geordi's subtle disgust with the sight of the Hirogen hunter scraping the kill of what was once an intelligent bipedal person.  
"I think discretion is the better part of valor.  
Anything Starfleet scientists need to learn about Hirogen culture could easily be learned through Voyager's records and sensor readings from the main computer core. Let's reconfigure your window to another point along Voyager's journey and leave this poor unfortunate character alone to his Borg harvest."

Leah almost started to protest, but it was starship men like Picard who usually paved the way with the brass for her experiments funding. She decided to hold her tongue.

Montgomery Scott helped her finetune the spinning singularity window on a little closer to the beginning of Voyager's warp core signature trail meandering on the overhead starmap from the Alpha Quadrant back to the Delta Quadrant.  
Feeling daring, he turned a dial that took the "spying" window of energies to the very beginning point where Voyager had first been cast by the distortion wave which had carried her so far from Earth. The blip on the Stellar map on the viewer overhead slid to the end point of the warp signature and halted.

Leah Brahams began to smile. "The very beginning? Hadn't thought of looking there with my window yet.."

Geordi LaForge, Captain Picard, Boothby,  
Leonardo DiVinci and Scotty all leaned in as a vista before their eyes unfolded.

Lwaxana Troi, standing a little ways away from the console the others were working at spoke up, "Well, this is all very fascinating all. But since my daughter's been called away,  
I think I'll return to my quarters for a while."  
She concentrated, feeling the thoughts of a lot of Voyager guests filing off ship.  
"Seems like the coming home party has ended."

Captain Picard nodded, "Good night, Mrs. Troi.  
If I hear anything of significance surrounding Deanna's relocation orders, I'll let you know."

"You do that, Jean Luc. I wouldn't expect anything less from the commander of the granddaughter of the Fifth House, Holder of the Sacred Chalice, Keeper of the Holy Rings of Betazed..." she said grandly as she swept her flowing sequined skirts behind her as she exited stellar cartography.  
Picard just chuckled at her grand departure and so did Geordi.

Leah was oblivious as the singularity window using her experimental energy field focused on the point Scotty had programmed into the console.

A glowing planet was there. And, the beginnings of something else. A huge lattice of conduits and metal in orbit were forming themselves into place. "Oh, my...such a castle!" Leonardo exclaimed, "And among the stars, too!"

Boothby elaborated, "Now this is interesting.  
I thought the Ocampa's babysitting period had ended. Looks like the Caretaker is retaking up residence in orbit.."

As they all watched. Glowing pulses of light began to shoot from the newly reconstructed Caretaker Array, arching down to the planet below.

A face formed suddenly, looking back at them from the window's view of space into the lab.

Boothby took a few steps back, "Sospiria!!"

The girl like face in front of them pulled herself through the singularity window as if it were a real one. She stepped into the lab and Voyager's intruder alert automatically sounded.

##Intruder detected, Deck Eight, Stellar Cartography Lab.##

An an amber bar and klaxon quietly kicked on along the ceiling margin overhead.

Instinctively, Scott produced a phaser from underneath his civilian tunic.

Captain Picard waved him to caution's side,  
motioning for him to point it down away from Sospiria.

Sospiria didn't even seem to notice that a weapon was even aimed at her. She raised her hands, playing with the energies swirling around her from the window and she stayed inside the protective forcefield containing it. She asked questioningly,  
"You have returned in part, to the site of my mate's death. Why?"

Just then, Tuvok and a security team rushed into the star lab, armed with phasers.  
He saw who it was that had invaded Voyager and gestured for his flanking guards to lower their weapons.

Captain Picard moved to Tuvok's side, "She hasn't done anything more than ask a question. Something about her dead mate..."  
he informed the tall Vulcan.

Tuvok nodded, setting his own phaser back into his holster and spreading his bare palms out even with his shoulders as he neared the female Caretaker. He sized up Leah Brahams experiment and its purpose with careful glances about the room. Then he added,  
"This is a civilian experiment. A way to look along any warp signature trail to places ships have previously visited. We mean no disrespect. Our coming into contact with you again was accidental. We did not know you were rebuilding the Array over the Ocampa homeworld."  
he said advancing slowly, but peacefully.

Sospiria angled her blond head "What is the purpose of this seeing?" she asked.

Tuvok raised an eyebrow in significance to Leah Brahams.

Leah cleared her throat nervously. She did not need to be told that she was in the presence of a very powerful being with underlying hostility towards Voyager's crew.  
"It's a way to learn and study places we've travelled through. You see that graphic we're projecting overhead. That's what we call a star map, a navigational tool. The window you are standing in is just that, a window to see places once visited. It is a one way view. From over there to us. It will not disturb those in the Delta Quadrant." Then her fear emboldened her. "Quite frankly, I am surprised you even noticed we were peeping at you. I thought Scotty and I had reconfigured the visual parameters to prevent--"

Sospiria flung back her head and her blond hair framed her face dramatically, "I see all."  
Then she waved her hand, adjusting the pulses of energy being delivered to the Ocampa down below so they came more regularly as her reconstruction of the once long dead Array completed. Then she regarded the humans and holoprojections around her thoughtfully.  
There was no malice in her gaze, "I honor the memory of my mate by taking up his pledge to care for these beings in the ground.  
But I wish to know more about the ship which once carried his remains so ignorantly. They,"  
she meant the Ocampa on the planet, "Will be fine without my guidance for a time.."

With that, Sospiria closed the window on her own and pushed through the force field over the test area easily.

Tuvok and Captain Picard backed up letting her come nearer the console to look around.

Geordi LaForge piped up, "Uh,, Leah.. I think our little brainstorming experiment's over for the day."

"You got that right.." she muttered, keeping her hands neutrally away from her body.

Captain Picard turned to Tuvok, "I think this situation warrants the presence of one of Voyager's commanders, don't you think?"

Tuvok nodded, motioning for the security guards to take up positions neutrally on either side of the lab doors to maintain vigil. "That would be logical.." He tapped his combadge,

=^=Lieutenant Tuvok to Commander Chakotay and Captain Janeway. Respond. We have a situation in stellar cartography. The Caretaker's mate, has returned..=^=

:: First B'Elanna Torres unauthorized disappearance, and then Deanna Troi and Seven of Nine's sudden relocation orders to Earth. I wonder if these events and the Caretaker's mate setting up shop on Voyager, is related.:: the vulcan thought.

He waited for new developments to occur.  
::Let's just hope that the Q stay away.  
Somehow I think that Q and Caretaker aren't on the best of terms with each other.::

Beside him, Boothby had come to the same conclusion. Already he was running a scan to see where the Q family's lifesign signatures were manifesting. All still in the messhall, with four of them showing brainwaves in a trance state. I wonder what they're doing up there?::

-  
(attachments)

Image: A smiling Picard promo closeup.

Image: Sospiria, the caretaker's mate.

Gif: A Lcars computer screen showing a red alert.

*  
From : "patti keiper" Subject : Home turf.. Date : Mon, 01 Oct 2001 02:13:48 +0000

Chakotay stopped splashing and waited for his captain to use a Seconah's sight to find out the truth about the noise which attracted her attention.

He stopped calling the loon's call, and ducked under the waves. Down underneath, he would not need to breathe and he moved to the center of the lake, waiting. He entered a trance, projecting an emotion of one drowned.

He sank well below the level where a swimming person could safely dive.

Q looked up from where he was holding Naomi, "Thanks, my dear precious thing telling me about my son, but you can't keep a good Q down. Q2 will rally whereever he is.. Now,.. how would you like to see something interesting? Hmm?"

He saw Naomi smile and nod.

"All right.. Just look over there.." And Q pointed to the peaceful nighttime lake just beyond the carved canoe Amanda and his son had pulled onto the beach.

There was no sign of Kathryn. But that wasn't what interested Q.

He saw the tiny human girl squint in the darkness of the dreamscape and he gestured at the spirit world moon to brighten it a bit more so Naomi could see where he was pointing. "There, is a test going on, a lesson in the power of the human mind. It can be understood even in the mind of one still so young.. " he said, tweeking Naomi's nose. "Guess who's under there?"

But before the girl could answer, Q drifted off his feet, floating through the moonlit skies, just over the pines to settle into the water. He teased Naomi, "Don't worry about us taking a swim, this is Kathy and Chakotay's minds. Nothing can be harmful in here... Ahh,, there he is.."

Q found Chakotay crosslegged on the bottom of the crystalline lake in a trance and he reached out and tapped the first officer on the shoulder.

Chakotay opened his eyes in surprise at seeing Q and Naomi with her hair fanning all around from the imagined underwater..

Q said his piece, "Chuckles, my dear man. Kathy's not going to find you here. She's greener than the hills with this dreamquest stuff. Her mastering even the most basic Seconah skills might take her longer than you think. So let's have off of this dreamrealm, Chakotay and attend to matters really at hand."

Q held out his hand to Chakotay blowing bubbles to chase away the spirit realm trout darting around them. "Things are happening out in the real world that need your attention. Seven of Nine and B'Elanna Torres, among some, have been transported off Voyager, without their knowledge. Even Odd Owen's feeling a little surprised by whomever did the feat. Voyager needs at least one of her commanding officers again."

Naomi was still marvelling at the underwater lake vista around her.

Q noticed Chakotay's questioning look about Captain Janeway's little assistant being with him in his arms. "Oh, you're wondering why little Naomi's with little old moi?.. Well, she heard about the unauthorized transports taking her Friends, Seven, Counselor Troi, B'Elanna away and like the little dear she is, wanted to tell me that my son's been taken to Earth along with them... "

Q floated in the water, starting to swim to the surface of the lake towards the moon. "I am ending this little dreamscape vacation. Time to be a hero again, Chuckles. Voyager needs a leader, there's something afoot."

Before Q and Naomi broke the surface to leave the spirit world summer night, Q added, "Oh, and by the way.. The Caretaker's mate is in Stellar Cartography right now and she isn't in the best of moods. Sospiria? I think her name is? It seems Geordi's old flame, Leah Brahams accidently got her attention through an experiment of hers.. Oh, You don't have to hurry out, Mr. Wilderness.. You can tell Kathy about all this, or I can. There is a Captain present in the star lab with them. Good old Jean Luc's taking charge there until one of you takes over.. tah.."

And with that, Q senior left the lake, taking the Wildman child with him back out of trance to the messhall.

When they arrived, the red alert was sounding. Q said, "Run along, Naomi.. I'm sure there's somewhere you have to be during one of these.." he said, pointing to the red alert bar flashing over their heads. ::I wonder what's going on now..:

He turned to look at Kolopak and Chakotay and Janeway still locked in trance at the table. ::I just hope they hurry up a bit. Things are going to get interesting, I'm sure..::

-  
(attachment)

Image : Big grinning Q at a luau..

******************************** From: "Fran Catrair"  
Date: Mon Oct 1, 2001 6:33 am Subject: The Inquisition TANDEM Posting between "Samantha Paris" and "Fran Catrair" via email mini-golf! LOL!

MAINS:  
Q2 Admiral Paris B'Elanna Torres

FREE USE CHARACTERS:  
Seven of Nine Admiral Komach Security Personnel -  
"Please have a seat Q." Admiral Komach stepped forward and motioned to a chair at a long table. Q2 looked around at the faces of those seated at the table. He recognized Seven of Nine and Lt. Torres, both of which were as confused as he was. Admiral Komach nodded to the guards who stood by the door and then took his own seat.

B'Elanna was still in a daze. One moment, she had been having a heart-to-heart with her father, and the next, she was sitting here, in what appeared to be a conference room. She recognized Admiral Komach, concluding she was at Starfleet Headquarters.  
Glancing behind her, she noticed the security personnel standing behind and watching them. She felt uneasy. Come to think of it, she hadn't felt this uncomfortable in 8 years.

Sighing, she glanced over at Seven, who was sitting 2 seats away from her. The guards had insisted the space be maintained.  
"So, you were here before I was. What's going on?" she whispered at Seven. Seven looked back at her and shrugged. "I don't know,  
Lieutenant. I got here shortly before you did." she replied.  
"Enough!" Admiral Komach sternly interjected. "I am in charge here. You will speak only when spoken to." he finished. Glaring a him, B'Elanna's temper flared. It was bad enough she had been taken away from Voyager. Away from her family. She would not be treated in this manner. Sitting up straighter and looking him in the eye defiantly, she decided to wait and hear what the Admiral had to say.

Seven eyed the two warily. She was uncertain what was happening herself. Komach hadn't said a word to her; had just mentioned waiting for another arrival. Then, B'Elanna had suddenly appeared, and surprisingly, so did Q2. She had an idea what Komach's real agenda was, but she decided to wait until he completed his questioning. She waited for Komach to begin.

Admiral Komach was impressed with the Torres' attitude. It appeared reports he had read about her were accurate. Pushing that aside, he dove right in to the interrogation. "So, 'Lieutenant'"  
he said, placing a slight emphasis on her rank, "How long before you and your friends planned to resurrect the Maquis, huh? I have to admit, you laid out a masterful groundwork. Chakotay would become the loyal, by-the-book first officer, allowing you and others to quietly plot the revival. Although I have to admit,  
marrying Admiral Paris' son was a nice touch. Who would guess the leader of the Maquis would be working and sleeping under Starfleet's nose?" he finished forcefully.

B'Elanna was stunned. Several emotions had flashed through her during Komach's impassioned accusations, but she had no idea how to respond to them. She opened up her mouth a couple times, but nothing came out. Finally, she regained her composure and glared at him. "You-have-got-alot-of-nerve,  
'sir'." she stated, slowly and succintly, lightly emphasizing the title as he had done to her earlier. One of the security guards stepped forward and levelled a phaser at her back. "Show some respect, Maquis scum." he said, coldly. "I am the Chief Engineer of the Federation Starship, Voyager. AND, that's Lieutenant to you, crewman." she replied in kind. He moved back his arm to strike her when Admiral Komach's voice intervened. "All right, that's enough from all of you. Crewman, resume your position." he commanded. The guard stepped back, but his eyes remained on B'Elanna's back.

It was at this time that B'Elanna sadly realized she could probably never resume her career with Starfleet. Starfleet would never give her the chance. Glancing at Seven, she noted the apprehension and concern in Seven's features.  
"Relax, Lieutenant. We'll figure out something." Seven said,  
encouraging. ::Seven giving comforting advice?:: B'Elanna mused, now I have seen everything. Looking at her surroundings again, she noticed that Admiral Komach was now standing in front of Q2. It would be interesting, to have Komach explain why he had brought Q2 here.

This was all confusing to the teenaged Q, the fact that he was at Starfleet Headquarters and under guard. It eased his mind somewhat to see a few familiar faces. While taking in his surroundings, a strange tingling sensation overtook Q2's body. He shivered slightly causing a guard to take a cautionary step forward.

"I'm so glad that you could join us, Q. Although I was expecting a little more of a fight from your companions." Admiral Komach walked behind the unknowningly revitalized omnipotent. Q2 watched the Admiral from the corner of his eye. "How can you expect Q to "fight" if he does not know where his son is?" Seven broke into the one-on-one interrogation, bringing Komach to look her way. "I have read the reports on the Q encounters, both from Voyager and the Enterprise. I almost missed finding out about your young friend's recent mortality." a cynical smile creeped across his lips as Komach leaned in to face Seven of Nine. She met his gaze defiantly. "What do you want with me?" Q2 was growing impatient by the second.

"Simple, you have spent ample time with the Voyager's crew. You, my dear boy, know things that I don't." Komach circled the table from where Seven sat and approached Q2.

"I have no idea what you are talking about..."

"Don't play games with me!" the Admiral was practically yelling in his ear now, "While on Voyager you got to know some of the crew,  
including the ex-Maquis, like your friend Lt. Torres here." "Maquis? Who are the Maquis?" Q2 was genuinly confused by the question asked of him. Before the question was answered, voices were heard entering the room. Admiral Paris emerged soon after followed by a number of protesting guards.

"I want to know what's going on and why you've beamed two of Voyager's officers off the ship without authorization!?" Owen stopped short when he saw that there was one other person there save the two mentioned.

"This is an investigation, I don't need authorization. Now, if you'll excuse me I have to..."

"Stop with the act Komach. This has more to it than just the Maquis." Paris stepped forward, coming to a stop behind Q2's chair. Q2 didn't raise his head from the table where he had placed it after Owen entered. This was too much, even for him. Standing up he stepped back to stand between the two Admirals.

"Stop it! I can't take this anymore!" everyone turned to look at him and the guards pulled their weapons. "I have no idea why I'm here or what you two are fighting about."

"Take your seat, boy." Komach tried to keep his voice normal but firm.

"No," Q2's temper flared, "If I wasn't mortal I would turn you into the coniving weasel you are just like that!" he snapped his fingers and in a flash of white light, Admiral Komach was reduced to just that. The two guards and everyone else stood stunned. The guards finally came back to their senses and grabbed the equally stunned Q by each arm.

"Wh-what just happened?" Admiral Paris stepped up to the twittering weasel that lay where Admiral Komach once stood.

"It seems that Q has regained his omnipotence." still seated, Seven informed the shocked officers. Q2 looked from Seven to B'Elanna and gave them a smile that told them he had a plan. With another snap of his fingers, he reverted the weasel, Admiral Komach, back to his original form. The stunned Admiral did nothing but stutter.

-  
B'Elanna and Seven looked at each other, the look on their faces was basically an 'uh-oh'. They both knew well what the Q were capable of when they got 'that' look on their faces. B'Elanna began to feel like things were looking up. She welcomed that the Q were going to help them. In fact, she had a wild idea creep into her brain. Action she thought needed to be taken. Starfleet would never leave her and the former Maquis alone. All indications were the crew would be split up anyway. Something HAD to be done. Looking at Seven, and unbeknownst to her, the same kind of smile was crossing her features.

(attachments)  
Image: Torres with Seven of Nine over a console.

Image: Nice close of B'Elanna in Maquis outfit.

Image : Q2 in a close up looking lost.

Gif : The UPF symbol filled with mist.

*animated gif* The UPF Starfleet logo, spinning in blue.

********************************

From: "Alex Delet"  
Date: Mon Oct 1, 2001 4:14 pm Subject: Fw: A Crack in the Lake Kathryn kept her gaze fixed on the point of water, where she expected her head to pass under. Clamping her mouth closed against the in unflux of foreign water she expected, breathing slowly through her nose.  
The water felt like a soft silk... not warm, slightly cool - but to the perfect point.  
The Indiana night was not cold, but slightly warm, and Janeway revelled in the relief that the water gave.  
Without a conscious thought, her eyes opened to see.... and found the water as clear and clean as she remembered.  
Falling Slowly, Kathryn forgot to think about breathing...and settled softly to a level that just felt right.... she could see below her.... but didn't want to tread to the bottom of the expanse.  
And she started to walk.  
Her eyes bright as she gazed ahead, unaware of the serenity of her appearance,  
head up, cloths billowing in the current.  
Suddenly she felt a sharp change in temperature, and reached down to rub her arm,  
involuntarily stepping back. That was when she felt it.... Drowning.  
Lifting her feet from under her, Kathryn began to swim as she let her gut guide her. Nothing but intuition told her to head in the direction she turned to... it was a new feeling.  
A sharp stab in her foot reminded her of the real world... and she looked pointedly at her shoe. A stalk of wheat stood upright, caught in her shoe. She lifted it up, and twirled it in her fingers, feeling the resistance of water.  
Kathryn had her first item.  
In an instant, her vision cleared, and she saw a dark figure hunched in the water, seemingly balanced on a sheet of nothing.... just as Kathryn found herself balancing perfectly still.  
"Are you here?" she asked the figure, who, in an instant seemed to be facing her. Eyes looking behind her.  
Knowing that the answer she sought was not behind her,  
Kathryn glided down to meet the figure.  
Then she understood.  
She reached out, and grasped the hands of the figure.  
But caught glimpse of a spinning silver and gold shape in her peripheral vision.  
Wrestling her attention away from the shape that suddenly seemed to be the only thing that mattered..... Janeway gripped the hands of the drowning figure.  
She felt his mental state relax, felt the image of drowning float to the surface.  
And finally, furious with herself....she let her gaze find the silver and gold shape that had so rudely invaded the moment.  
A Starfleet Commbadge glared back at her, somehow glistening in the moonlight.  
Was this her second item?  
No...something was going on. A huge aura of light stood around the shape,  
and something Janeway would later grudgingly call a 'sixth sense' told her that the badge was a link out of the moment she had come to enjoy.  
Still gripping the figure...not allowing herself to recognise him, she let go with one arm, to reach for the badge, which was just past her range of movement.  
"My moment is not over!" she protested vainly.  
=^=Lieutenant Tuvok to Commander Chakotay and Captain Janeway. Respond. We have a situation in stellar cartography. The Caretaker's mate, has returned..=^= It wasn't speech she heard, it wasn't words he saw.... Kathryn Janeway suddenly knew what was going on.  
"I will return to this place," she admitted, "But something needs me.....and it's no dream,"  
Finally, she grabbed the badge, and closed her eyes. Suddenly the gentle silk had gone, suddenly it was a cool flow of air that was familiar across her brow.

"Welcome Back, Captain," :: Who said that? :: Janeway opened her eyes, and felt a her hand itch with perspiration as she was once again Captain Kathryn Janeway, in Voyagers mess hall,  
hands linked with Kolopak and Chakotay.  
:: I *knew* it :  
Keeping her hands linked, Janeway hope Chakotay could understand why she'd left the dream world so suddenly. Hoped that he would wait...or would allow her to retake that moment.  
Being a Starfleet Captain was not a job she could shelve.  
Releasing the grip carefully, Captain Kathryn Janeway lept up as soon as she was clear, and headed briskly out of the mess hall, grabbing and securing her uniform jacket that had somehow begun to billow in the displaced air as she headed forward.  
The Turbolift ride was short.... and Janeway thought briefly of her neglected family. But as Captain, she had to make sure every one else was reunited... and before she could pay attention. And it was taking time...after many years as a solitary figure..to get used to it.  
Janeway entered Astrometrics and grinded to a halt, "Where's Seven?"  
she asked.  
"Seven of Nine was ordered to Earth," someone filled in.  
Janeway was looking at the holoscreen... the caretaker array that had been a focus for the frustration over the years, complete with energy pulses.  
"Report," she asked anyone.

(attachment)

Image : Janeway looking concerned in a close up.

Gif: Pips, of captain's rank.

*  
END WEEK THIRTY SEVEN RECAP 10-01-01

.com/voyagerliveaction Graphic site

.com/group/voyagerliveaction Writing site

WEEK THIRTY EIGHT RECAP 10-02-01

**************************************

From : Jeff Seltun Subject : [voyagerliveaction] Gearing Up Date : Mon, 1 Oct 2001 23:36:05 -0700 (PDT)

=^=Lieutenant Tuvok to Commander Chakotay and Captain Janeway. Respond. We have a situation in stellar cartography. The Caretaker's mate, has returned..=^=

Picard watched Tuvok finish the communique to his first officer and to his captain.  
Then he stepped forward, while the Caretaker's mate's attention was drawn to the computer console where Leah Brahams and Montgomery Scott were standing.

He leaned over significantly, and pitched his voice so Tuvok could hear him, "Commander, if I may..."

The tall Vulcan motioned for his security guards to discreetly cover the lab with their surveillance from either side of the entryway doors. Then he said, "Captain. If you are referring to establishing contact with this being. Please, do so. She does not know you and that, perhaps, is an advantage we have that will defuse any potential hostile situation.."

That took Jean Luc back. He indicated to Geordi LaForge to get tricorder scans on the girlish seeming being. "Hostile?"

"Yes. She may harbor resentment towards Voyager's crew, still. It was her mate, the Caretaker, whose displacement wave carried this ship so far from Earth seven years ago. One event led to another and the stresses of his duty towards a people he had unintentionally harmed, eventually caused his premature demise. Voyager was involved in that conflict which resulted in the Caretaker's Array being destroyed after his death by natural causes.

Two point five years later, we had an encounter with the Caretaker's mate. Voyager became the object of her aggressions when she learned that Captain Janeway had beamed aboard the Caretaker's remains and had them stored in sickbay. We very nearly were destroyed. She is a very powerful being, with supernatural abilities that rival the Q."

That caused Captain Picard a bit of consternation.  
Quite a bit. "Now, she's back. And on Earth.  
Your caution is noted. I'm upgrading your yellow alert. " He addressed the computer.  
=^=Computer, this is Captain Jean Luc Picard of the USS Enterprise. Command authority code Alpha One One Sigma. Go to red alert.=^=

##Authorization recognized. Red alert is initiated.##

The status bar ringing the walls flicked on and leisure time crew hastily scrambled to their duty stations. Voyager's homecoming break, was over.

He tapped his own combadge on a thought =^=Mr. Data. Report to Voyager's stellar cartography at once. Research all data concerning the Caretaker and his mate in Voyager's library, then proceed here.=^=

--------------------------------------------

Data, from his place at Guinan's bar, looked up from where he and his daughter had been helping the hostess clean up the party.  
=^= Understood. I am on my way.=^=

The android turned to Lal. "Lal, do you remember what a red alert is?"

"Yes, father. It is a defensive condition where starship shields and weapons are brought online by command crew in preparation for possible conflict or disaster."

"Yes, Lal. In this case, it may be the first situation you have mentioned. I want you to round up all non Starfleet personnel to secure areas.  
All family, visiting dignitaries, everyone who isn't the crew of Voyager or the Enterprise. "

He saw his daughter begin to fidget with anxiety,  
"This is only a precautionary alert, Lal. As yet,  
there is no active threat. Now, go."

Data watched Lal go over to the messhall tables where worried guests were standing. He nodded with satisfaction when Lal calmly directed them to follow her to the nearest cargobay.  
::That is good. Perhaps there will be a time when Voyager will drop her shields and beam all of her civilian guests off the ship. Keeping them all near a transporter is the logical precaution.::

Data made his way over to the nearest computer port and touched its screen. As his hand did so,  
Boothby came online. "Come on, give me your cranial lead, commander. And I'll give you the information your captain needs."

Surprised, Data opened his mouth to speak.

Boothby cut him off, "I've eyes and ears,  
everywhere, remember? I am a consult program. My main matrix is in the star lab with the others, so I am monitoring this Sospiria as well."

Data nodded popping open his wire port.  
He plugged its receiving end into the wall access plug. "I am ready to receive your information."

Boothby nodded, "Sending it on through.  
Stand by.."

Data's yellow eyes began to shift "Accessing.... Accessing.."  
About a minute later, he was through and Boothby cut off the link to the library.

Data withdrew his cranial lead and folded his head port shut once more. Then he blinked, going over the slew of data Boothby had downloaded to him.  
"She is an anaphasic telekinetic biped with an extraordinary grasp on energy manipulation technology.  
And temporal mechanics. It could explain how she was able to use the singularity window in the lab to come to Voyager from the Delta Quadrant.  
Thank you." And he turned to leave.  
"Please help with setting up the potential evacuation of Voyager's party guests.  
Lal is already attending to it."

Data headed out the door.

Boothby's facsimile called out after him. "Already underway, Commander."  
from his computer screen.

Boothby grunted as he saw Q and Naomi Wildman appear in front of his sensors.  
He saw him shoo the human girl out of the mess hall to attend to the red alert. "Well that's a first.." he mumbled. "He's not getting in the way...." But then, the consult program monitor made a decision.  
"I think I'll watch him and his lot anyway,  
just to be on the safe side. Who knows how he'll react with a being his own equal in power in the same playground."

--------------------------------------

Data entered stellar cartography and was admitted by the security guards after telling them his ident code.  
He got over to Captain Picard's side.  
"Captain. I have the information you requested."

"Good." Jean Luc said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, "Now...how do you think Sospiria might react now that she's here on board Voyager? Use every record and sensor log in your memory and extrapolate."

Data raised his white eyebrows, "In Voyager's first encounter with Sospiria, they had inadvertantly disturbed the Ocampan colony Sospiria was protecting. A crew member, Kes was involved when her mind powers were encouraged by colony citizens. Sospiria only reacted in rage, when Voyager interfered with the colony's right to govern its own people. She, to her credit, did little to harm Voyager's crew directly, even with the remains of her mate in her grasp. She let Voyager leave unharmed soon after recovering them."

Jean Luc mulled over this new information.  
He sorely wished Deanna Troi was by his side to sense out this female Caretaker.  
::But she's on the Enterprise, with no way to beam back down here. I'll have to make due without her.::

It, too, disturbed him that on Boothby's priority status screen, that two Voyager crew were reported missing.. Seven of Nine and B'Elanna Torres. They were too far away to register on Voyager's sensors,  
whereever they were. Their com signals and life signs had simply.....vanished. He toggled a switch on his tricorder and read the type of the energy which had taken them. "Starfleet covert transporter wave bands.. Only the upper echelon Admiralty uses that top secret long distance transporter frequency. Any use of it is instantly classified:  
"Another mystery..."

"Sir?" Data said.

"Mr. Data.." Picard said thinking hard,..."Would you see if you can discreetly, learn the where abouts of a Seven of Nine and a Lt. B'Elanna Torres? They've been taken by Starfleet to an undisclosed location. It's an internal development that may hinder what is happening here.."

"Yes, sir.." Data moved off to another computer panel and began to work, linking his authorization as Enterprise Bridge crew to use Earth's circling satellites to locate B'Elanna and Seven of Nine's com badge signals. He was surprised to find Q2's combadge signal in San Francisco, too.  
He put a monitor on their lifesigns but could do nothing further through Starfleet's blanketting security measures.

Captain Picard stepped forward to Sospiria's side, watching the youngish woman curiously poke computer buttons and played with Leah Brahams singularity window and with the star map of Voyager's homeward journey projecting over their heads. "Quite a curious thing we humans do, isn't it?"

Sospiria angled her little girl's blond head,  
inhumanly, and didn't blink, "I don't .  
understand your reference. You lead these others.." she said simply.

"I am a captain. But not this vessel's captain.  
I meant this woman's" he pointed to an apprehensive Leah Brahams standing a short distance away. " bold exploration of the places and events Voyager encountered in your part of space. She is alot like you, Sospiria, curious about what's out there.. " he indicated the map Sospiria was looking at, "and.. the people in it.  
She's even curious about you. As we all are."

Sospiria smiled a smile that wasn't exactly friendly, "Is that why you have raised this ship's defenses in my presence? You are all still a predatory species, incapable of civilized behavior.. You act first and ask questions later. It wasn't I who interrupted your lives. It was you who interrupted mine."

And she looked at Leah Brahams, who cowered behind a security guard. "I only wanted to see...."

Picard shut her up with a silent finger to his lips. He had to tread cautiously.  
"Sospiria. We are together, in this place, right now.  
It would be a civilized thing to do if we try to learn about each other's cultures and people.  
In fact, " he smiled, "That is the goal of Starfleet in general. To reach out and to explore.. beyond Earth to know... and to learn with whom we share the same stars.. That was the purpose of this vessel, when you first encountered Voyager and her crew."

Sospiria's attention seemed to be drawn towards what Commander Data was doing by the computer console. "I will exchange information. But it is you who need to know your own race. Even now,  
there is a group of your own, going against society.  
It is they who have your two females and the teen god."

That worried Picard. Sospiria knew a lot more about Earth and its inhabitants than he could have ever imagined. He asked, "What do you mean?"

"The group designated by a number and feared by your upper command structure. They do their work even now." she frowned. Picard wasn't sure if she did it in malice or friendliness.

Then, with absolute certainty, he knew.  
::Oh my god. Is she referring to Section 31:  
Unconsciously, his eyes shifted to Data.  
::I have to tell him about that possibility.  
But not right now. I have to deal with Sospiria.::

Captain Picard remembered what Tuvok had told him. He smiled in turn, "No society's perfect. Not even your own. Or else your mate wouldn't have been stuck in his long vigil to restore the Ocampa people he harmed in his atmospheric experiments."

Sospiria reacted, by laughing. "Touche, captain of the other vessel over my head. You speak eloquently. All right. We will all talk. And we will all listen. Have this ship's leader name your time and place and I will go with you."

Picard sighed internally, ::Whew.. First hurdle down. We were lucky..::

He waited to see what happened next.

Soon, it did.. Captain Janeway entered the room,  
demanding,

Janeway was looking at the holoscreen... the caretaker array that had been a focus for the frustration over the years, complete with energy pulses.

"Report," she asked anyone.

Picard chose to remain silent for Sospiria turned to face the red haired captain with a look of fury on her face.. She raised her hand and power built around her.

"You are the one who should report to me, murderer of my mate. Explain yourself!!"

-  
(attachments)

Image : Data promo shot- Small.

Image: Nice Patrick Stewart Image in a gray turtleneck.

***********************************************

From : "Roxy Dee" Subject : Fire In The Hole~~ Date : Tue, 02 Oct 2001 19:12:35 +0000

Janeway was looking at the holoscreen... the caretaker array that had been a focus for the frustration over the years, complete with energy pulses. "Report," she asked anyone. Picard chose to remain silent for Sospiria turned to face the red haired captain with a look of fury on her face.. She raised her hand and power built around her.

"You are the one who should report to me, murderer of my mate. Explain yourself!!"

Geordi LaForge saw his captain go silent in the face of the threatening looking action from the widowed Caretaker. And he was certain, harm was about to come to Voyager's.

The lieutenant put himself between Sospiria and Captain Janeway, who had also gone silent and frozen in her tracks to calm the girl being. "Hey, hey. What ever the problem is, I am sure we can work it out." Geordi said, setting his tricorder on the floor and spreading his hands, open and away from his body. "Look, I've seen the images from that time when you last met this ship and her crew, I saw what happened. It was a noble thing Banjoman did providing for that Ocampan planet before he died. I saw that you were separated from your mate and weren't there when he passed on. Now, Voyager's presence back near to you through the singularity window opened old wounds again. Made them sharper. You feel like getting revenge, most likely. You feel mad and upset for your loss, and want to end your grief."

He stepped nearer, making sure the Caretaker did not have a clear field of view of Janeway. "But killing isn't the answer. It won't make you feel any better. I've been in your place."

"You cannot possibly know my pain......!" Sospiria flung her head back, looking angry with a terrible light encircling both of her hands. She threw verdant fire in two spheres at Geordi and Janeway with a cry..

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Harry jolted awake at the sound of the red alert klaxon and fell off the couch. Beside him, Freckles scrambled to keep his place on the rumpled cushions, whining.

Kim cried out at his bunged shins but rose right away, tapping his combadge. =^=Computer.. report.=^=

##Intruder alert in astrometrics, Deck Eight. Red alert has been activated by Picard, A., Jean Luc, commanding the USS Enterprise.##

Harry ran for the door. ::Uh, oh, There's big trouble in Little China.:: He got there, only to grapple with his new pet. "NO!! Stay boy.." and he shoved the Janeway setter back inside until the doors closed between them.

Kim grabbed a phaser from the nearest locker on his way and got there in under three minutes.

He rounded the corner leading to astrometrics and bumped right into the intruder security field that had gone up automatically, falling onto his butt. ::That was brilliant, Kim, real brilliant. You know these things go up around the effected area.::

He scrambled to his feet, moving over to the wall panel entering access codes to get by it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Geordi, by some instinct, didn't move. Sospiria's searing energy flew right by both of his ears and Captain Janeway's, on either side of them, making wisps of smoke rise from their clothes and hair which they desperately snuffed out on each other.

Tuvok did not get out of the way fast enough. One energetic mass impacted with his chest, throwing him backwards through the air and he fell to the floor, clawing at his melting shirt.

The other energy mass slammed into the far wall and sizzled there.

Captain Janeway wanted to move to her injured friend's side, but thought better of it, keeping as still as a statue. ::That move was only a feint. Tuvok just got in the way.::

No one else moved, except Boothby. He turned addressing the computer intercom even as Tuvok's bioalert sounded over the com badge network. ##Boothby to sickbay, medical emergency. Send only the hologram!!##

And he and Leonardo DiVinci crouched by the Vulcan's side, holding Tuvok's hands away from the burns he had on face and chest.

Their motion caught Sospiria's attention and she shot out more fire, but it deflected harmlessly off of the two holograms physical matrices, and away from Tuvok.

Automatically, Voyager's fire suppression system pumped a breathable retardant into the air of the lab and all traces of Sospiria's bolts vanished from where ever they had fallen.

The EMH rushed into the lab moments later, "Oh, it's you again.." he said sarcastically. He knelt by his writhing patient with his medkit, scanned him briefly, and drew out a hypo. He turned to him, "Don't open your eyes, Tuvok. You've corneal damage. And despite your ability to control pain, I am medicating you. These burns are severe.." He injected the pain shot.

Tuvok tried to talk but had to break off his attempt in order to breathe. The EMH and Leonardo hushed him. "Do not speak, Vulcan man." the inventor encouraged, raising him up so he could draw in air a little better.

"Easy, Lt. Commander." the doctor said. And he glared at Sospiria over his shoulder.. The obvious source of his current emergency call. "Hope you're happy.."

The girl like being looked surprised, "I am not.." she said in surprise, a little surprised the Vulcan wasn't fast enough to avoid her bluffing fire. She lowered her hands. "That was not meant to strike any living thing here. He was just there.."

"A tantrum is a tantrum. Any way you look at it. Now stop acting foolish. Yes, you have power greater than us by millions of factors. Doesn't mean you have to use it." the holodoctor interjected. His attention was drawn down to Tuvok when he started to gasp and bubble. "Grace period's over. Time to move... I'll keep you posted, captains. What ever you do, keep Voyager's internal power grid optimal, I'm going to need all I can get for his lifesupport and surgery.." he said, looking at Picard and Janeway. Then he turned to his patient, "Hang in there Tuvok. I'll have you out in seconds once we arrive in the medical bay." He tapped his simu-combadge, ##Emergency transport. Two to sickbay!##

Voyager's efficient crew made all the difference in the world. Tuvok and the EMH vanished in a sea of sparkles.

Rising, Boothby and the Rennaissance inventor stood, each moving to stand between Sospiria and the two captains, taking note their ability to be shields for the humans.

Leonardo sized up the girl, "What honor is there in this? You attack a defenseless man, letting your heart rule and not your head. My Katherine would never do such a--"

"Silence!!! I.. had no wish to harm..."

"Rubbish.." Boothby countered. "Then why are your hands, still glowing? You are melting that computer console.."

Looking down, Sospiria's rage faltered. She looked at her palms, lifting them from the warping metal underneath them and the fire went away. "I...am not acting civilized.. I....have been alone too long... I..." Her eyes turned very young, and vulnerable, and her face crinkled, "I miss him..." she sobbed.

"There there, child." the big inventor soothed, He held his hands wide to her.

She went to him.

He began acting on his protective protocol to keep Voyager's crew safe by enveloping the Caretaker female in a hug while she cried against his shoulder. He kept her tiny hands against his holobelly, pinned them gently, preventing them from doing any more harm. He nodded curtly to every human in the room. "Go.." he whispered.

Boothby echoed instantly, "Everybody out, now!" "We'll cover you."

Captain Janeway, Geordi, Leah, Captain Picard, Data, and the guards evacuated astrometrics and a containment field was erected over the bulkhead doors behind them. Soon, only the two holograms were with the distraught Caretaker.

They all gathered into the hallway outside, to regroup and rethink a plan.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They were met by Harry Kim, armed to the hilt with phasers. He smelled the smoke and burned flesh in the air. He paled but his voice remained firm. "Weapons, anyone? I saw the whole thing on the security monitors..."

-  
(attachments)

Image : Geordi by a warp core.

Image: Suspiria, the female Caretaker.

Image: A tired Harry sitting down.

Image: Kim and the EMH examining a device outside.

*****************************************

From : "Cory Anda" Subject : [voyagerliveaction] Maneuvering Room! Date : Wed, 03 Oct 2001 21:12:58 +0000

Tom Paris's first reaction when B'Elanna disappeared was to scoop up his newborn daughter into his arms, cradling her protectively.  
Miral began to wail when she could no longer smell her mother nearby.

"Easy, easy.. I know you're hungry. I can do something about that."

He looked at John Torres and both men wore the same shocked expression. ::Starfleet would never knowingly take a new mother from her child. Something's not right here.::

Tom Paris swore he would get to the bottom of things."John.. come with me. We're going to sickbay.  
It's the most secure area of the ship."

Together, the two men left B'Elanna's quarters just as the intruder alert sounded. Paris tapped a padd long enough to summon Boothby.  
"Talk to me..." Paris said, looking at the computer screen.

Boothby came online, "It's the Caretaker's mate,  
she's in stellar cartography. She appeared through Leah Braham's observational window even though it was configured to be a one way view only.  
Captain Janeway is on her way there now. Tuvok has summoned Commander Chakotay as well." Boothby looked down, his sensors seeing how protectively the helmsman was cradling Miral, "Don't worry, Lt. Things are well in hand.."

Then the computer's lights dimmed and the status bar in the corridor bloodied into a full red alert. Tom grimaced,  
"Now that is one reaction I am not surprised about concerning Suspiria. I'd duck and cover for all I was worth.. Boothby,  
you better not be lying to me."

"I cannot lie. I am a computer consult program..." he said mildly. "From my sensors, personnel in the star lab are dealing with the intruder adequately. As I said before,  
things are well into hand."

Then the computer spouted a priority bioflag over John and Tom's combadges in an urgent squeal. They learned it was Tuvok who was down.. "Oh, yeah?? " Tom spat, "Then what do you call that just now??"

Boothy didn't answer him, his interface screen freezing while another part of him summoned the EMH to the star lab. Soon,  
after, Boothby reported back to the people who still had ties to his monitor. He faced Tom and John, once more. " That was a bluff gone awry. I and the DiVinci program are safeguarding the captains and crew in that room even as I speak. "  
he grumbled, then he blinked, "I'd ask you to help escort civilian party guests to the cargobay but you have the baby to worry about. Very well, here's a status report in short. Chakotay's coming out of trance in the messhall. Astrometrics has been evacuated except for myself and the Leonardo program. Level ten containment fields are up around Deck Eight. Tuvok is being treated in sickbay... Now.." the wizened old face of Boothby concluded, "Don't you think you'd best get your daughter some food? She's already stressed as it is.. And my sensors.. are detecting... Whew... Uh, I think you know what they are detecting, lieutenant. Carry on...." And Boothby snicked out to his priority circuits back in the star lab to monitor how the Leonardo program was handling Sospiria.

Tom picked up the squalling Miral and sniffed the seat of her crawlies. "That's what I think it is? I thought it was baby powder."

John chuckled, taking Miral from his son in law's arms.  
"I think I'd better be the first one to change Miral's first diaper, don't you think? There's a special trick to it. Make her upset, and her kick could break an arm.  
Allow me.."

"Be my guest...." Tom said, holding Miral out at arm's length.. "She's that strong??"

John and Tom continued their rapid pace to sickbay.  
The elder Torres reassured him, "Oh, don't worry.  
Miral would never hurt anyone related to her by blood. She smells who's family and holds back her reactions. That self preservation instinct only kicks in when she's really hungry, or.... when someone tickles her, changing the diapers. If she was at that state of irritation, you'd be floored by now."  
He laughed again.

Tom made a skeptical glance at his daughter.  
"Behave...." he said, kissing her squalling face.  
"Don't bite the hand that will feed ya... I know,  
I know.. Mama isn't there to feed you. I'll fix that."

Soon, they entered sickbay.

Tom was immediately aware of the fans on in sickbay changing the air around the bay. He could still smell,  
faintly, the odor of charred skin. ::Tuvok. He's been burned:  
He entered the surgical bay, waving John to sit in the EMH's office. Then proceeded on in.  
"How's he doing, doc? "  
Tom said, looking at Dr. Julian Bashir and the EMH leaning over Tuvok's bed. The lifesupport and surgical arms were retracted over the Vulcan's bed and Tom could see that he was deeply anesthetized. "Need any help??"

From the other room, Miral's hungry cries increased,  
causing at least half the female medical staff to crowd around her trying to soothe the newborn.

The EMH looked up, "Not at the moment. Seems you've another priority to deal with." he said,  
hearing the baby's crying from the office.  
"B'Elanna didn't have time to nurse the baby before she was taken. That explains her feisty mood right now. I've already planned ahead. There's a warmed bottle of newborn supplement in a titanium flask waiting for you in my alcove.."

The cries ceased. The two doctors and Tom all looked up.

"Already found it." John Torres said, cradling a contented cooing Miral, happily sucking on her food offering.  
"The other matter is taken care of, too."

Tom cracked an ironic face. "That was fast..."

John laughed, "Changing Klingon diapers is a risky business.  
You have to be fast to keep your skin about you."  
He chuckled again, but got slightly out of breath, sinking into a stool behind him.

Tom rushed over to help him support Miral, "I'm sorry. I forgot about ..."

"Rubbish.." John scoffed, "Just because I'm dying, doesn't mean I have to be coddled. I've a long time yet of normal energy levels until I have to be coddled..isn't that right docs..?"

Bashir and the holodoc both said at the same time,  
"Wrong.." They kept up their surgery grafting Tuvok's facial and thoracic burns.

John did a double take. "Thanks.." he said of them sarcastically. "I thought you were supposed to be on my side."

Julian looked up. "We are... In fact, before the alert here,  
we came upon some interesting angles in your medical case history.. It seems what appeared to be that your initial immuno diagnosis of MS was wrong. What you have, is a viral mimick, Retwuuoh's Syndrome to be exact.."

It was Tom's turn to laugh.. "The Bajoran Chicken Pox?"  
His laugh cut off from a glared from John. "I mean, uh, that's great news.. I mean, Chicken Pox isn't fatal in any species it infects.."

The EMH looked up from the laser probe he was using inside the green glowing sterile field over Tuvok's face. "That's if... he takes it easy and RESTS..."

John bounced the happily gurgling Miral in his arms and complained defensely, "I'm sitting.. I'm sitting.."

Bashir chided, "Only after your body told you to.."

John looked sheepish.. then said ironically, "You know,  
I was the only one convinced that I wasn't really dying.  
I mean, I was saying the words to everyone, but I couldn't explain why I was never upset over the news or over what the Klingon doctors were telling me."

Bashir smiled, "That's because, your body already knew it wasn't anything serious. You'd be surprised what it can tell you if you pay attention. Now, go lie on the biobed over there so we can get some readings off both you and the baby.. Shoo.."

Tom helped John over to the bed, propping it up so the older man could sit upright and still feed his granddaughter from her bottle. Tom flicked on the overhead monitor. He frowned at the seemingly deadly low vitals on John. "Still looks bad."

Bashir smiled, "That's the virus's cover, looking bad so it can get more nourishment and care from its host. If you check out the DNA sequencing we took from John's file in that isolinear chip on the table, you'll see clear earmarks of the Pox, not the MS originally diagnosed."

Tom inserted the info wafer he spotted into the reader and turned on the computer screen near him.. "Wow,, that's not easy to spot.. even with you telling me this is the Syndrome and not MS. Those base pairs are subtle!! What made you figure this out, doctors?"

Bashir looked distinctly uncomfortable, "Uh,, it just came to me.  
Just a ...lucky guess..." And he turned back to his operation.

The EMH grinned smugly at his colleague from over Tuvok's stomach and said, "Julian here is an augmented human. Wild guesses are second nature to him as a result."

Julian rolled his eyes.

Tom grinned, "Oh,.. so that's why I see such unreal dart board scores in your personal hobbies data in your file... Nice ace in the hole.." Then he added, "Don't worry about being altered and not being accepted around here, " he said, meaning Voyager.  
"We've all had plenty of exposure to Seven of Nine and her brand of augmentations. We're a very tolerant crew.." and he smiled.  
Paris then noticed another set of uncomfortable looks being exchanged between the two docs. "What?"

"Seven of Nine is among those abducted. Along with Q's son."

Tom threw up his hands, while he scrubbed up to assist them in Tuvok's surgery. "Oh, great. Did Suspiria have anything to do with that?"

"No. Starfleet did.." the EMH said seriously.

"Starfl--?"

Bashir sighed and set down his tool, "I'm afraid it's much worse than that. Not only did Starfleet take them a very special covert section of them did it. Ever heard of an organization called Section 31?"

"No.." Tom said, frowning. He had finished scrubbing and now was by the doctors side, handing over the tools they needed to repair Tuvok's integument layers.

"I...have first hand knowledge of what they're capable of doing.  
You see.. They tried to recruit me before.. into joining them."  
Julian said, a hard expression filling his face.

Tom grew alarmed, raising his voice, "Will they harm--" then he lowered his volume, mindful of the shaky John on the bed nearby.  
"..will they harm Seven and B'Elanna?"

Bashir was adamant, "No.. no no.. Nothing like that. But the way they go about investigating is brutal emotionally and if any sign of trespass is found in the interogatee, no mercy is shown. Whole careers and lives have been ruined by this group and believe me,  
they have the power to carry out such vigilante justice. Starfleet itself cannot control nor stop them, since technically, they are safe guarding the very ideals of the UPF jealously."

Tom was incredulous, "They condone this?!"

The EMH held up a hand, "Not exactly. It's more like they can't see enough of the whole picture to actually act on any potential wrongdoing on the part of the group. Their legal hands are tied."

Paris was not put to ease, "But what does B'Elanna have to do with a secret organization.. For that matter, what does anyone on this SHIP have to do with them, I mean, we've been out of the loop for seven years.. surely we don't pose a thr--"  
he broke off.  
"Seven's been Borg..." his face got paler, "And B'Elanna's been.  
oh my god. Maquis?? Is this what it's all about? Is Section 31 investigating a potential Maquis hotspot still on the ship? That's ridiculous!!"

"Keep your voice down, Mr. Paris, You're effecting Tuvok's vitals.  
He may be in a coma, but he does hear every word spoken around him. I don't want him snapping awake going all security chief on me and spouting off some obscure regulation that'll allow him to leave sickbay to handle this kidnapping while his skin's still in tatters. So hush!!"

Tom clammed up. He mumbled, "I wonder if Chakotay knows about all this?"

--------------------------------------------------

Commander Chakotay shook out of the vision quest, by tapping on his wrist shortly after he felt Kathryn's mind slide past his and back into the waking world.

He waited only long enough for his father to emerge from the trance, "Kolopak, we're at red alert. Standard protocol during such an event means that all guest civilians are to report to a cargobay. Please go there. I'll contact you as soon as I can to let you know what's going on..."

And the first officer left the messhall.

On his way, he saw the intruder amber bar and hit his combadge, =^=Computer, where's the captain and the intruder?=^= ::Let's hope she didn't go off and done a fool hardy thing like barging in on....::

##Captain Janeway is in corridor Beta, Deck Eight.  
The Intruder has been identified as the female Caretaker Suspiria. Suspiria is in Stellar Cartography.  
One bioflag has been activated..##

That got his attention. =^=Whose?=^=

##Lt. Commander Tuvok. Tuvok is in sickbay.##

::Dmn, that means there's no high ranking officer on the bridge.::

He got to Deck One as fast as he could.

Chakotay dropped into the center seat and got a complete rundown of all events and scenes from Boothby's ready screen. He saw that all civilians were safely in the cargobay. Ready for the next phase of evacuation.

But a priority had to be dealt with first. Suspiria was a considerable threat. And she was on Earth's soil.  
::That I can remedy right away...:: Chakotay thought.  
::Even she can't leave a ship surrounded by vacuum.::

He hit his combage =^= This is the bridge to all hands.  
Emergency. Stand by all Code Blue stations. Prepare for emergency liftoff..=^=

Ironically, in the back of his mind. He marvelled, ::This is the first time Voyager's ever had all three alerts activated at once, Blue, Red and Yellow. Let's just hope all this urgency is for nothing..::

In record time, all crews reported air ready.  
Chakotay gave the order.

=^=Retract all landing thrusters. Activate 1/4 gee. Zero minus 90. Take us into high stationary orbit over our current coordinates. Engage..=^=

Voyager's deflector shields cleared the civilians and their craft from her landing feet gently depositing them deeper into the cornfields of the Janeway farm and then she lifted,  
rising into the sunny sky, her transponders glowing red and blue with her alert status to all orbitting vessels.  
They retreated in haste.

Chakotay felt it in his stomach when space was fully blanketed about the ship. He lowered Voyager's shields,  
giving the order. =^=All cargobay transporters. Begin guest evacuations. Now..=^=

In eighteen seconds. The only people on board Voyager were those in Starfleet. The others were beamed into the fields below.

The Enterprise D intercepted herself between Earth and Voyager as a precaution, covering the people who had been sent below.  
Then she began hailing Voyager. She had witnessed the emergency ascent from her place in orbit.

The Enterprise's officer of the day, comm'd "Voyager. Do you require further assistance? We note your intruder alert."

Chakotay put the man on screen. "I'm still gathering details. We have one casuality. Call for reinforcements. We have the female Caretaker on board..."

##Understood. Enterprise out.##

Chakotay did a further scan on the Enterprise crew still on his ship and found they were safely with Captain Janeway in the hallway outside the star lab. Two holoprograms were still running inside of there.  
::Boothby and the DiVinci program? Good. Now we have a way of communicating with Suspiria safely.::

He was glad Captain Picard was with Kathryn. ::Two captains are always better in a crisis. I have done all I can here.::

He tapped his combadge seeing that one civilian was still on board Voyager, and he was in sickbay. =^=Chakotay to sickbay. I'm reading one guest still in sickbay. Why didn't he evacuate with the others?=^=

The EMH came online. ##He's John Torres. And he's under a doctor's care for an acute medical condition. He's also watching the Torres baby. I need Tom for Tuvok's surgery right now.##

Chakotay nodded, "How are they, doc?"

##Tuvok is critical. But he's going to live. Mr. Torres is stable and resting. I'll keep you posted, sickbay out.## And the frequency closed.

Chakotay raised his eyebrows at the sudden signing off. Then he chuckled. "HHmmpphh.. Brisk, but to the point as usual."

The first officer set about making sure engineering was getting on without B'Elanna to guide them. So far the security fields were holding around the star lab without any problems.

::Kathryn. Be careful. Don't misread Suspiria as bad as you misread her mate so long ago.::

================================= (attachments)

Image : Chakotay sitting seriously in the center seat.

Image: The newborn Torres child, Miral.

*animated movie* Voyager flying by us in stars.

******************************************

From : "Clairissa Fox" Subject : [voyagerliveaction] The lost lady and me Date : Sat, 06 Oct 2001 17:46:04 +0000

I looked at Queue and I said to him.  
I do have to go somewhere for the red alert.  
My mum will be at her console in life support and helping Bootby get all of his pictures about what is going on. I am going there.

I looked around the messhall for daddy but he had already been taken to a safe place Auntie Kathy had each time we went on red alert. Then I heard Chakoty give an order to beam all the visitors to Earth! He was protecting them from the strange lady who was in the star lab getting angry. My dad must have gone too!  
So I didnt worry after that. I went to my monitor in my room to follow the alert.

We must be in outer space! I thought if Chakoty had to beam people down to Earth. Then I got Bootbys pictures of the new lady in the starlab.

I didnt like her. She looked like a little girl like I was but she had mean sad eyes. And she hurt my friend Tuvoc. Anyone who hurt my friends wasnt someone to whom I wanted to be friendly. So I just watched her. She was hugging the old artist, Lionardo DaVinchi.  
And I saw tears on her face..

Why? Why was she crying like that? Then I heard her say something to Lionardo.  
I want him back. she said. I want him to be by my side again. Now I cant because he is gone. You on this ship saw him go when you could have helped him. Why didnt you call me so I could come save him?

I saw Bootby speak next.  
Sospeeria. We did not know you were married to each other. We only saw him working to help keep Kes's planet safe from the Kazons. He died right in front of Captain Janeway on the aray before she could do anything or even find out who to call about his illness. I am sorry.

I watched Sospeeria look around the room.  
You have me caged in this room with the energy walls.

Bootby spoke very fast. That is because we do not know if you are going to hurt any more of the ships crew. Captain Pikard has to keep them safe from you until he knows what you are going to do next. He knows being sad and angry about someone who has died can make you do things you wouldnt normally do.

I saw Sospeerias glowing eyes fade away.  
I will not harm anyone here. I didnt mean for that person to get in the way of my fire rocks. I only meant to tell Captain Janeway that she could have done something more to help him and I was very very mad to find out that she didnt even try.

Auntie Kathy let someone die without trying to save them?  
I thought. I knew about the care taker and how he tried to help take care of Kes and her people in the ground with the sun bursts from the aray. But I didnt know that she watched him die doing nothing.

What had happened? It was from way before I had even been born. I asked Bootby and he told me that Voyager had been with the Caretaker only when she had first gotten lost. Then later, they met this lady care taker with a group of Kes's people a few years later.

I know people could make mistakes. I just thought a captain would make fewer of them. I had to go see her to tell her what I had overheard in the star lab on my monitor. If Auntie Kathy knew that Sospeeria felt that way about her, maybe she could say she was sorry and tell her why she didnt help her husband.

I left my room and went to the corridor outside the star lab.  
I knew they were there. They had to be for it was part of an alert to deal with what caused it. I brought my Flotter for Sospeeria to see if he might help make Sospeeria feel better.

I went down the hallway and saw Harry Kim and the other Enterprise crew around Auntie Kathy. They had phasers in their belts.

No! N0! Auntie Kathy! Captain Pikard! No!  
I know why Sospeeria hurt Tuvoc. It was an accident! She was mad that nothing could save her husband and she thinks Auntie Kathy could have tried harder to save him. Thats all!  
If you tell her why you couldnt do more, she will stop being so angry.

Didnt you see her talking to Lionardo? She told the old artist how she feels. Oh. You did see what I saw. You have Bootbys screen up right there on the wall.

So go in there everybody. Or I can. I am just a little girl. She wont hurt a young girl like me. I even have my Flotter with me for her to hug to make her feel better.

Then I waited to see what the grownups near me would say.  
I had to get into the star lab to Sospeeria.

I had to see. I had to see for me.

-  
(attachments)

Image : Naomi with her stuffed toy, Flotter.

***************************************

From : "patti keiper" Subject : [voyagerliveaction] Q Quibblings Date : Sun, 07 Oct 2001 18:25:48 +0000

Q said, "Run along, Naomi.. I'm sure there's somewhere you have to be during one of these.." he said, pointing to the red alert bar flashing over their heads.  
::I wonder what's going on now..:

Q watched as the tiny captain's assistant ran out of the messhall. Ambling slowly, not at all concerned with the flashing red alert or the panicky way the humans looked at him. ::Are they doing that because of me being Q or because of that foolish young widowed upstart in the star lab throwing around a few fireworks?::

He decided it didn't matter. He walked over to the empty bar and stood by the stool where Quince was still nursing his wine goblet of spring water. It had long ago been drained.  
He sat down in another stool next to the morose Quince,  
equally bored as his nemesis and popped a few filberts into his mouth from Guinan's garnishing tray.

Quince looked at him from where his chin rested on his hand,  
"So, did he get his power back in time?"

"Hmm?? Oh, you mean my boy, yes. He turned that Komach into a furry Earth Mustela in half a nanosecond. I daresay I'd hate to be that admiral when the fire REALLY gets going.  
Seven and B'Elanna have nothing to worry about. They may be victims of Section 31's Maquis "witch" hunt now, but later..." he smiled proudly. "Ah, now later on, my son will show his true Q colors, now won't he.." and he finger snapped a champagne flute into his hand to celebrate.

Quince was still trying to get around the first fact he had learned.  
"He turned Komach into a weasel?..Oh, how drowl. I remember when I first lost then got my powers back. I at least has some class.  
I turned my oppressors into Aldebran sea slugs and threw them into a bucket of fresh water."

"Eooww, really? I haven't tried that one yet. Well, anyway,  
Q2's young, it.. it.. it takes time to develop a sense of Q style and finesse. You remember how it was.. Trying to impress the ladies,  
tormenting a few lesser species just for show to stretch those omnipotent muscles. If I know my boy like I think I do, he'll surprise each and everyone of us."

Quince grunted, "So. What did you do for your first BIG comeback run.."

Q looked at his hands uncomfortably, "Well, you know what I did.  
I mean... You were there. YOU were the one who gave me my powers back..."

Quince folded up animatedly and waved his hands about, "Yeeahhh,  
well .." and he uptook a huge sigh, "I was busy butt kicking the Calamaraine all the way back into their home territory during your first hour of restored power. Mind filling me in?"

Q folded his arms, knowing that by the Q Continuum Code, he'd have to provide clear and complete disclosure of all power use to his fellow Q. "I... sort of... well..."

"Q...." Quince said dangerously.. "You have to tell me by laaawwww."

"Oh, all right. I... well I first summoned up a Mariachi band.. and then I.. well..."

Quince's eyes got all huge and eager. "What, do tell.. did you top what your son did with that weasel thing? Gotta admit, seeing a snakey rodent wearing admiralty pips and a white mohawk was kinda funny."

"I... stuffed a cigar into Jean Luc-y's maw and lit it up..." Q said quietly.

Quince's face broke into a laugh, "That's all??? That hardly even rates a two on the scale of ten! Why I did better than that, my very first reinstatement. I rounded off all the ears on the High Vulcan priests at the Koh'linahr temple.."

Q chortled, "You did that??"

"Yep." Quince admitted. "And you can check the records if you don't believe me. "

Both Q shared a long hearty fit of giggles.

Quince gasped between breaths, "You never saw so many Vulcans dash off for the nearest city physician for corrective surgery. Guess they only work with humans and wouldn't be caught dead wearing humans ears.. It was a sight!!"

Suddenly, Guinan rose up from behind her bar.

Quince flinched, immediately tucking both hands protectively between his knees.

Q didn't even blink. "Oh, it's you. Way to kill a party..Can't you see the ship's rigged for one?"  
He said of the half disassembled decorations still hanging on the bulkheads.

Guinan didn't move from her statuesque pose, "It's midday,  
the party ended at dawn. Now leave,..." she said walking away to pack up her more rare bottles of liquor for easy transport back to the Enterprise once the alert was over. She turned right back around, stabbing two fingers in the two Q's faces, rethinking her last comment,  
"Or better yet, make yourself useful. As you can see,  
those aren't party lights up there."

She pointed and both Q and Quince saw the silently flashing status board over their heads. A new light in blue was alternating with the red alert and yellow intruder alert codes in a triple color order now.

Quince furrowed his forehead. "Q, what's that blue one mean? I'm afraid I'm a little behind in my excursions of fun within human starships.."

Q looked up, from Guinan's more than hostile glare, "Hmm?  
Oh, that one means little Voy's a rocket now, gaining altitude up off of a landing."

"What?" Quince commented. Then his face brightened,  
"Oh, you mean this is a...."take off". Oh, goody. I've never seen one from inside a human vessel before.."  
And he trapsed over to a window to watch Voyager's emergency ascent.

Sure enough, Chakotay's solid order rang out alerting all the humans to a liftoff.

A twelve inch fruit cutting knife arrowed out then thunked into a bulkhead millimeters from Quince's right ear.

He turned and glared at Guinan, its artful wielder.

"Oops, just trying to see what a Q ear would look like pointed like a Vulcan's. I'm sorry I missed." she burbled in a Brooklyn accent.

Quince bubbled in anger, exploding. "Hey! What about the customer/bartender truce?!"

The El Aurien smiled smugly, "Your butt's not warming my bar stool any more. That's the only safe territory from me in this room."

Q chuckled from around his champagne flute. "You're still new with sparring with Guinan my friend. Better watch your back.  
You see mine's not turned away from her." And he raised his glass to take a sip of champagne.

Guinan prompted whipped it away..

Q spat, "Hey, what about bartender curtsies??"

"You didn't pay for that one.." she growled.

"Oh. Well.. " And Q realized she had one upped him yet again. He dug into a pocket and dug out a wisp of Golden Fleece and the human's Hope Diamond to pay for it.

Guinan hefted the gem and said, "Put it back..." she said dangerously. "It goes into the Smithsonian, where you took it from.."

Q shrugged to his partner in crime, "See? Can't slip one past her Quince. That's why she's the perfect adversary."  
He gave her a once over in undisguised distain, "A little bitter after a while, but I can take her in small doses."  
But he returned the treasure gem back to its origin.

"Likewise.." she said, inches away from Q's face.

Quince popped over to play referee.. "Children,  
children.. You're over a bar.. The customer/  
bartender truce remember...." he said, chiding and waggling a finger.

Grumbling, the two of them broke apart.  
Guinan retreated, but snagged the Golden Fleece scrap and stuffed it under her hat as payment.

"Hey.." Q said, "Where's my change??"

"After hours interest.." Guinan said ducking back behind a hidden space behind the bar and out of sight.

Quince put his arms around Q companionably. "Well,  
now we've jousted with the El Aurien.. " and he gave an expansive sigh of excitement. "I'm feeling quite invigorated... How about going to see some fireworks, shall we? I say, that little widowed vixen's got a good repetoire.. Let's give her some pointers.."

Q shrugged, "All right." he said, "I've got nothing better to do now that Kathy and Chuckles are occupied doing the commanding the alert thing."

They departed in a ball of light.

Guinan rose from behind the bar and tapped a combadge in her sleeve, =^=Guinan to Leonardo and Boothby. You're getting company.  
I tried to distract them like you asked me to but it didn't work. I'll inform the captains.=^=

Boothby came online. "Dmn. They're here already. Ok. You did what you could. See if you can keep little Naomi Wildman in a safe location. She's followed her Auntie Kathy again."

"I'm on my way." ::I sure hope Sospiria and the Q take a liking to each other. I can't believe I am thinking this but it's better to have fights with only one omnipotent being involved in it. Like mine with the Q team, that way the chance for human scapegoating is way lower."

Soon, the bar hostess was there in the corridor with the rest of them.

-  
(attachments)

Audio : Q- You would ask these puny humans to protect you from me, Fat chance!

Image: Q smirking at camera with Quince Gif: A Lcars Emergency red alert status display.

*animated gif* The Enterprise D firing phasers.  
*animated gif* Lcars bar flashing in lilac and orange.

*********************************************

From: "Alex Delet"  
Date: Sun Oct 7, 2001 2:12 pm Subject: Familiarity Complex

They were met by Harry Kim, armed to the hilt with phasers. He smelled the smoke and burned flesh in the air. He paled but his voice remained firm.  
"Weapons, anyone? I saw the whole thing on the security monitors..."

Janeway was resting, leaning against the bulkhead,  
but stood up, feeling that she needed to say something.  
She took and holstered a phaser from Harry, before picking it up and twirling it in her fingers.

The stench of smoke was a reminder of things she'd hoped were over when she'd smelled Indiana air.... burnt flesh reminded her of Sospiria's last visit. That had not been a good moment.

"Conventional Weapons will be useless against Sospiria,"  
Janeway said darkly, "Last time we met her, Tuvok developed a substance which would incapacitate her in case it became necessary,"

Janeway gestured to the room, "She seems to be in a better mood," she rested a hand on Harry's shoulder, "But she's a loose cannon....and we don't need another demonstration of her power,"

Voyagers Captain walked up to a console on a corner panel, keyed in a code and opened a split-screen visual link to the Astrometrics Lab, and to one of Voyager's visual sensors, formerly focussed on the self-constructing array many thousands of light-years away.

The image logged, from when the connection to DQ had been open was one seared into the memories of the officers of Voyager.  
Janeway didn't like to see it constructing itself in orbit.

The console chirped a standard 'Heads Up', as a Starfleet protocol that Janeway hadn't seen for some time overrode the main display.

Kathryn watched Picard widen his eyes as he scanned the image.  
"Apparently, This is no longer a long-distance problem, Ocampa is not the only world with a surprise orbiter," Kathryn announced, having recognised the codes, "This is an order from the Federation President.  
.placing Starfleet on Full Alert,"

The reason became obvious a moment later, as the console changed to display several rows of small images, each of them containing planets in the centre...Kathryn recognised a few, Earth, Vulcan, Andor, Trill, Betazed.

They all had grey shapes which appeared similar on the visual scan,  
but they were all identical, visually at least, to a segment of the caretakers array, which had last been seen in orbit of Ocampa.

"One hundred and Twelve Federation Worlds...." Picard announced after counting them.

"Earth's array appears to be the largest," Harry pointed out.

LaForge gave Janeway a questioning glance before enhancing the image of the array in orbit of Earth.

--------------------------------------------------------

Kathryn looked down to see Naomi Wildman approach the group, and smiled, despite the various code red and blue and yellow lights.  
Voyagers Captain listened to her 'assistant' and almost felt like discounting the little girls request. Tuvok was severely injured, and even with the doctor aboard, any injury could be a final injury.  
"Naomi," Janeway kneeled down and placed a hand on her shoulder, "I can't let you go in there now... What if there was another accident?" she said.  
The Wildman Child looked disappointed, and ready to protest.  
but Kathryn squeezed her shoulder slightly, a silent signal to let her finish.  
"But I think we can find a way to talk to Sospiria," she said, "To show her what happened to her mate," Kathryn said, standing up and taking the little girls hand, "We need to project a hologram of ourselves into Astrometrics, talk to her that way," Janeway mused, to herself.  
Kathryn started to lead the way to a holodeck, considering the ramifications of the arrays apparently appearing over the federation.  
"With some luck," Janeway told Naomi, as they entered a turbolift, as much as to tell herself, "We can find a way to stop this getting too far..." she mused.

-  
(attachments)

Image : Janeway firing a phaser rifle.

Image: Sospiria, the Caretaker's Mate.

******************************

From : "Samantha Rose" Subject : [voyagerliveaction] Let Truth Be Told Date : Mon, 08 Oct 2001 02:31:20 +0000

Komach's face slowly began to turn from pale to a bright red. He motioned for the two guards to stay close to the teen. Gathering his wits, Komach approached Admiral Paris,  
who was watching a struggling Q2.

"I thought he was mortal!" the echo of Komach's voice lasted a few seconds. Admiral Paris kept a neutral look on his face.  
He wasn't fond of the Q, but he wasn't happy with the fact that Starfleet had beamed two of Voyager's officers and Q's son off of the ship without any warning.

"Apparently not so anymore." Paris glanced over to where the omnipotent child was gloomily being detained. He wondered why the child didn't just snap himself away as he was told the Q could do. Instead he just sat there, arms crossed and feet propped up on the table.

"Keep your eye on him, if he does so much as raise a finger,  
shoot him." Komach was now addressing the guards that now adorned either side of Q2's chair. "I don't want any funny business from you. Understood?" he leaned in close to the boy.

"Understood." Q2's voice was quiet.

"What was that?" Komach said menacly.

"Understood, SIR!" Q2, feeling rebelious now that his omnipotence was restored, stood nose to nose with Komach with a defiant look. The two guards quickly became alert but did not act at the unspoken order of their superior officer.

"A little braver now that your powers have returned, aren't you?" Komach taunted Q2 from his new position at the head of the table.

"You'd be wise not to test his temper, Komach. The Q is not a race to trifle with, even the young ones." Admiral Paris stepped forward with the warning.

"I am not scared of a child, even if he is omnipotent. Now, I have a...questioning...to conduct. If you would please leave me to my work. I wouldn't want to have you thrown out." the accusing Admiral rested his hands on the back of a chair as he addressed Owen.

"That would be rather unbefitting of an Admiral." Q2 broke his short lived silence, adding to the remark with a side ways smile. This only added to Komach's waning patience.

Owen sighed and turned back to Komach, "You already have every bit of information on the Maquis, there is nothing more to be said. The Maquis threat is no more, now let them return to their ship and the boy to his father."

"Oh, but you are wrong my dear friend. I do not yet know what they know. Seven of Nine's accurate logs and memory will be a great deal of help. Lt. Torres' intimate knowledge and Q's experiences will more than add to the mix." he seated himself at the head of the table and folded his hands across his lap.

"Either you let them return to Voyager or I will personally contact Starfleet Command." the threat was shallow, but Owen was on the edge of desperation.

"You don't get it do you? There are far greater powers than Starfleet Command at work here." Komach was unmoving.

"You don't mean you're working with...?"

"I might. Now I suggest, Admiral, that you turn around and walk out and not tell anyone of what you've seen or heard.  
Do tell Captain Janeway, though, that her officers will be returned to her unharmed." As if on cue, two more yellow clad officers entered the room and approached Owen.

"Alright Komach. You win this time, but for you sake you better be right. There is nothing worse than a Captain scorned." Admiral Paris gave one last look to the trio and then to Komach and the guards before he left.

--------------------------------------------------------------

As the Admiral Battle Royale went on around them, Q2 leaned towards Seven under the watchful eye of the two guards.

"What was Paris trying to get at when he asked who Komach was working for?" he watched the two Admirals but kept his ear open to Seven's answer.

"I believe he is referring to an organization known as Section 31. The Borg assimilated various members of the group during the battle at Wolf 359." he voice was calm but Q2 looked at her in surprise.

"The Borg aren't well versed in manners are they? Just going around assimilating people without asking, sheesh, how rude."  
he sat back in his chair and looked at her.

"Assimilation is part of the Borg's quest for perfection."  
Seven stated the worn out answer.

"Why don't they just go up to them and say, "Hey, we're the Borg. Would you mind giving us all your information?" he waited for the ex-drone to retaliate, which she did.

"It would be a waste of time to ask for their knowledge,  
assimilation is a more adequate method of obtaining information." Seven replied with a matter-of-fact look. Q2 chuckled slightly.

Q2 looked over towards the door as Admiral Paris left the room. He turned back to Seven and B'Elanna.

"Something tells me that things are going to start to get interesting."

-  
(attachments)

Image: Q2, Q's son in a close up.

Image: Seven of Nine in her silver tunic.

Image : B'Elanna in a gray tank top looking angry.

***************************************

From : "Fran Catrair" Subject : [voyagerliveaction] A Mother's Heart Date :Sun, 7 Oct 2001 23:46:58 -0500

Lady Q sat still in shock. She knew her son would not be receptive to her, but his outright furious rejection had been totally unexpected. So, she sat, as if in a trance, on the log by the campfire in the virtual world of the cornfields of Indiana. She wanted to be angry at Q, wanted to blame him for all that had happened, but she found she could not. She felt; empty. Suddenly, for no real reason, she burst into tears.  
Amanda Q sat quietly nearby, watching Lady Q with a curious expression. She was surprised when Lady Q had not asked her to leave, but she soon realized that Lady Q didn't even realize she was still there. So, she waited and watched.  
When Lady Q suddenly started to cry, Amanda felt the need to move and sit next to her. The concept of consoling was alien to her, but she soon pulled Lady Q's head to her shoulder, and found herself stroking the older woman's hair and making soothing noises.  
Lady Q soon realized she wasn't alone, when she found she was being consoled. Her first reaction was to pull away, and gather her wits about her, but she found she could not. It actually seemed to make her feel better. Looking up, she soon realized it was Amanda who was consoling her. She didn't even realize the girl was still there. Slowly, her crying stopped and she slowly pulled away from the girl's shoulder. Sniffling and clearing her throat, Lady Q quietly said, "Thank you, Amanda. Not sure what happened to me just now." "I know." Amanda said, "You were reacting as any mother would. I just wish Q2 could see you now. It might be good for him." Lady Q looked again at Amanda. The girl actually appeared angry on her behalf. The concept was new to her, but it actually sent a thrilling sensation through her. "I'm sorry we started off on the wrong foot, Amanda. I never disapproved of you...I just wanted to be sure my son was treating you right." Lady Q concluded, in an openness that surprised even her. Amanda looked at the older woman with new-found respect. "I'm sorry, too. I only saw you through Q's eyes before. I always thought you were cold and aloof, and didn't care about anyone. I couldn't have been more wrong. You are a Q, afterall..."  
Lady Q smiled at the girl. Standing up, she smoothed her hands down her body, smoothing the dress and brushing away bits of grass and dirt. Steeling her resolve, she cleared her throat. "I think I have a little business to take care of with my family. If you will excuse me..." she said. Amanda looked at her and stood up as well. Shaking her head, she offered another idea. "Perhaps going in angry would not be a good idea right now. I think...what's the word...diplomacy would be best right now."  
Amanda finished carefully. "Diplomacy?" Lady Q asked. "What do you mean?" she continued. "Q2 sees you as someone who doesn't care about him right now. Perhaps if you begin to show him some of this 'softer' side, it might win him over." Amanda finshed. Lady Q snorted, skepticism in her voice. "Softer side? I will NOT become a quibbling mass like those humans!" "I'm not talking about becoming a quibbling mass. I'm talking about not being combative all the time. Show him you care every once in awhile. It works for the humans, doesn't it?" Amanda Q finished, with encouragement in her voice.  
Lady Q glanced wearily at the girl. Perhaps she was right. ::What do I have to lose?:: she thought to herself. "All right, I'll follow your suggestion. It might also be fun to see how Q reacts to all of this as well." she finished, a gleam returning to her eyes. Amanda noticed the confidence return to Lady Q and was satisfied. Looking around, she noticed the participants in the visionquest were gone, and the only reason they were still here was because of their Q presence. Turning to Amanda, she said, "It looks like this party is over anyway. Shall we go see what is going on onboard the ship?" linking arms, the women left the dreamworld, and found themselves back in the messhall, alerts going off all around them. "All right. What's happening NOW??" Lady Q asked, annoyed.

-  
(attachments)

Image: Lady Q and Q in civil war dress.

Image : Amanda Q on deck of the Enterprise's shuttle bay.

***********************************

END WEEK THIRTY EIGHT RECAP 10-07-01

.com/voyagerliveaction Graphic Site.

.com/group/voyagerliveaction Writing Site.

WEEK THIRTY NINE RECAP 10-07-01

************************************

Date: Tue, 9 Oct 2001 13:15:38 -0700 (PDT) From: "Jeff Seltun" Subject: The Mirror's Image

Captain Picard was glad to see Kathryn Janeway take the steps he himself would have taken in her place. ::And the idea of using a hololink to return to Astrometrics is brilliant:  
He nodded to Geordi for his quick thinking on protecting the Voyager's captain then turned to face everyone.  
"You heard the captain. Let's reconvene in the holodeck. Mr. Boothby, I'm holding it to you to keep us posted on Sospiria's activities until we get there!"

And he motioned for Data and Geordi and the others to follow Janeway's lead.

"Understood. If she even blinks, you'll know about it." the gray haired hologram nodded.

"Thank you." Picard said as the turbolift doors closed in on him and the rest of the group.

In the lift, Data leaned in on Picard. "I am receiving a priority All Alert hail from StarFleet's President.  
Caretaker array like constructs, or fragments of them seem to have appeared in the close orbit of 112 Federated Worlds, including Earth and Vulcan."

That alarmed Picard. "As I had noted before in the corridor. Pieces of this array? Not whole facilities? What is different from what we've seen already?"

Data nodded in his usual soft spoken way,  
"I only have visual records coming in so far from Boothby. Audio, logically, should soon follow, and hasn't. The bridge is scanning the area,  
but so far, only visual readings are being obtained."

"Curious.. No other sensor data is coming from them?"

Data angled his head as the doors arrived on the deck they needed and Janeway led the way, pacing quickly as she showed them all the way to the hologrid.  
"They are still in a state of flux, sir. They seem to not be entirely there yet. Could explain why we are receiving only visually.."

"Could this be a prelude to an invasion, Mr. Data?"

"Unlikely. In all records from Boothby, there has only been two Caretakers ever seen by others.  
Sospiria and her mate. Starfleet reports all subspace and warp frequencies to be clear of non Federation ships and abnormal communications."

Soon, the joint Voyager/EnterpriseD group arrived in front of Holodeck three.

Captain Janeway put her hand up to the programming interface and activated the sequencing port to her commands. "Repower hologrid three. Authorization Janeway Pi One One Zero." she told the computer. "Simulate all biosigns entering this room true to Homo Sapien actualities. Reactions, appearances, tie in and duplicate us to our biomedical records, exactly."

##Holodeck parameters are adjusted to designated specifications. Enter when ready.##

"Gentleman..." she said, moving aside for everyone with her to enter the bare yellow and black gridded room. And she swept her hand in an after you gesture. An all business frown filled her features as she and Picard refigured the holodeck to live scan everyone on the grid and to produce holo images of them for transit into the star lab.

On an afterthought, she removed her phaser so the holoimagers wouldn't produce that in her holoconstruct. She rolled her eyes.  
"Appearance is everything with the Caretaker.  
I remember how he examined us so thoroughly on the array in the Delta Quadrant. Then duplicating that farmstead so specifically.  
Remember that tasteless lemonade? That old woman dropped my phaser into that pitcher intentionally last time. Won't take any chances even with a holographic one." she quipped.  
"We can always use anesthezine to subdue Sospiria. We, as holograms, will be immune to the paralyzer's effects should we need to use force. On a sideline, I'll use Tuvok's neutralizing agent from Voyager's last encounter with Sospiria, only as a last resort. My instincts are telling me we'll get farther along without a use of force."

Harry nodded, setting his phaser aside, too.

Janeway was thoughtful. "Well it seems a Caretaker is fond of visual illusions. Let's hope these orbital blips over all our planets are just that.. An illusion to protect her interests here. It's me she's really targetting.  
Not any one else. I am determined to find out why..."

She tapped her combadge,  
"Janeway to the bridge." she said, checking her status board below her fingers.  
"Chakotay. I see you've spaced us and evacuated all of our innocent guests from the homecoming celebrations. Good work.  
We're on deck five. Going in as holo.  
Keep me posted."

=^="Understood."=^= she heard her first officer say.

Captain Janeway smiled sideways at his cautious tone. ::Don't worry Chakotay.  
I'm not about to sacrifice myself to Sospiria just to suit her sense of revenge.  
Now that I'm home, I want to live long enough to enjoy it. After all, I've double duty now.  
I am your Seconah and, this ship's captain.::

And she plied the computer keys to send all of them holographically into the star lab...

____________________________

Sospiria broke away from Leonardo when she sensed the arrival of more ship light projections near her.

She turned and saw the humans who had so recently left, return, weaponless.

She moved away from Boothby and Leonardo DiVinci and raised her hands at Janeway.  
"So you return, murderer of my mate." she said, wiping away angry moisture from her eyes.

Captain Picard stepped forward. "We have noted the orbiters materializing over Federated worlds. What is your purpose putting them there?"

Sospiria looked around, surprised by the question.  
Her hands fell uncertainly to her sides again as she focused internally. "I... They are only one array. Fractals are being sent from the Delta Quadrant, a reflection, as it would appear on pieces of a shattered mirror.  
One array shown splintered in images of many..." she sighed, "..a protest.. I deserve isolation from them such as her..." and the caretaker's girl form pointed to Leah Brahams. "My work must continue. The fractals each have the same ability as the real Array. Do not provoke me."

And her anger rekindled in front of them.

Janeway gave a small nod to Picard, giving him a signal, small from her hand. ::Go along with this..:: It said.

Captain Picard silently reenforced her cue to Geordi and Data with a look. They gave small nods back. ::Ready.::

Kathryn deliberately took firm steps towards Sospiria. "What gives you the right to invade my people's sovereign spaces? True,  
Leah was in yours, but by accident. You didn't have to come here for them. You want only to deal with me.. Isn't that right?"

Sospiria angled her head in an angry puzzlement.  
"You risk much approaching me. Stop."

"No..." And Janeway continued forward. Her hands reaching for the girl being.

"You will be silent!!"  
Sospiria flung fire out from her fingers which catapulted out and impacted with Janeway,  
flinging her against the far wall, then down to fall into a broken, shattered heap.

All signs of breath and life went out of her.  
And she stopped struggling under the flames.

Sospiria's angry smile faded into one of a vulnerable uncertainty now that her goal had been accomplished. "I am revenged.  
But I do not feel as I did before when my mate was alive... Why?"

Captain Picard walked over to the smoking body of Janeway, and looked down into her still face. "Why indeed? Could it be that killing us isn't the answer to end your pain?" He held out his hand and grasped the seared hand of Kathryn. There was a warble and a holobeam swept over the downed captain, making her "whole" and healed. She began to breathe again and Picard pulled her to her feet with a smile.  
"Rise and shine, Kathryn. I believe our point has been made.."

The holoconstructed Captain Janeway gave him a nod and paced back in front of Sospiria. "Care to have another go?"  
And she spread her hands wide, a serious look on her face, "For one so dedicated to preserving the future of the Ocampa,  
it is you who seems to be very predatory right now. Not us.."

Sospiria looked deeper into the appearances of all the human like people who seemed to be surrounding her. "You.. fooled me.."

Data said, "Yes. We, too, can use visual and tactile imagery to protect ourselves. What you're seeing now of us, are only holo-  
projections from our true location. Only we did not use it for deception, as your mate used similar technology to deceive Voyager's crew seven years ago.  
I believe he was trying to find an infection host."

Sospiria said, "I did not know this.. Explain."

Harry Kim stepped forward. "I and another woman, B'Elanna were harmed by your mate.  
We were infested with a viral agent and forced to grow pustules on our arms and faces. I guess we were being cultured for some kind of cure. But we were never told anything of what your mate was thinking at the time. If anyone should be angry right now. It should be us.."

And he opened his mouth to say more.

-  
(attachments)

Image : Riker and Picard exchanging glances on the bridge of the Enterprise.

Image: Kathryn Janeway in a grey T-Shirt, looking worried.

*******************************

From :"Roxy Dee" Subject : Consequences~~ Date : Fri, 12 Oct 2001 07:28:05 +0000

Harry Kim stepped forward. "I and another woman, B'Elanna were harmed by your mate. We were infested with a viral agent and forced to grow pustules on our arms and faces. I guess we were being cultured for some kind of cure. But we were never told anything of what your mate was thinking at the time. If anyone should be angry right now. It should be us.."

And he opened his mouth to say more.

"I can understand how you feel and I see what you are doing with the array segments right now. What I don't understand, is why?" the holographic Harry asked. "If you are so xenophobic, why be here at all? You are obviously stressed and giving in to base emotions concerning my captain and others like her."

Sospiria "Do not presume to judge us Harry Kim of Voyager. I must understand what my mate has done with this disease accusation you make on him. I require more information. Give it to me."

Captain Janeway said simply, "We have no information apart from that which is already in my ship's database. Mr. Boothby. Feel free." and she threw a curt gesture at the consult hologram to provide it visually.

Boothby blinked and the overhead starmap behind all the video feeds from all the planets showing Sospiria's array fractals in orbit faded and was replaced by Voyager's oldests records leading from the time the displacement wave took Voyager 70,000 light years from home to the moment the EMH closed the locker door on the Caretaker's remains in the stasis field cubicle.

Janeway, the whole while, watched her.

Geordi LaForge did a little analysis of his own.

He trained his computer tie in from Enterprise and Voyager to his working terminal. Streams of visual data confirmed what he feared. "Captain," he addressed her. "The fractals are now registering as solid mass. I don't know how she did it, but their conduits are similar to slip streams, and they're coming from all 112 planets leading back to this Delta Quadrant coordinate. What we're seeing is definitely, the same array in all of these places. It's showing the same signature as the original Caretaker's array. Particle decay shows it's been created within the last two days by an energy type I've never seen before."

Voyager's captain nodded, waiting for Sospiria to absorb the life size logs playing in front of her.

Harry Kim spoke, adding to the images Sospiria was seeing. "My shipmate, B'Elanna and I were abducted and held away from our ship. The Ocampa told us the Caretaker had been doing the same thing to other indigenous races for years.. We were told many weren't as lucky as we were. They died."

Something in the female Caretaker changed. The edge she had carried about her like a mantle dulled and went away. The relief everyone inside astrometrics felt became tangible. The first sign of connection had been made.

She looked at Harry Kim, looking far older than the shell she wore. "I have confirmed the deaths. 413 species remains lie in the soil underneath the Ocampa city. And I see the pathogen's mark still in your genetic code. This is a crime that is unforgivable among my kind. I did not know he chose to do this while he fulfilled his duty to repair the environmental harm he caused to the people's world we are watching."

She shifted her posture and waved a hand and in all the views of the array over Federated Worlds showed the Array going dark and quiet in those areas Janeway knew were weapons ports. The energy pulses began once again to arrow down onto the Ocampan world appearing in all the rends in space where Sospiria's fractals were visible to sensors.

Harry stepped forward. "Hey, things happen. You were separated. People change. What's important is that we don't let any more misunderstandings take place."

Sospiria angled her blond head, as if looking through the decking. "The one I burned. He is no longer in that state."

Geordi grinned. "The EMH on board this ship is very efficient. I wouldn't be surprised if Tuvok's on his way back up here right now."

An electronic warble signalled the outer security field's release as someone key padded their way past it.

Tuvok and the EMH entered the lab.

Janeway's smile was genuine and she said, "I trust you've been officially cleared to return to duty..." she prompted.

His right eyebrow shot up, reconfirming the abundant health restored to him.

"It's official.." the EMH grumbled. "Barely.." The holodoc then oriented on Sospiria. "Are you finished keeping me busy?" he asked her. "Or are you going to target a few more defenseless people like your mate did? I see my shipmates had to retreat and resort to holotechnology just to be in the same room with you."

Janeway did nothing to curb the hologram's criticism. And neither did anyone else. There was more than one way to get rid of a pest. ::And I really don't feel like having ghosts from my past catching up to me on my own territory..::

Tuvok responded, "A wise precaution. A logical course of action in this circumstance. We have no idea if you are going to continue to pose being a threat to this ship or to our home planets."

Sospiria's face betrayed a sign of an emotion normally alien to her. Doubt. And regret. "A threat? Is that how you see me? Is that what you think?"

Data, innocent to the last, said gently. "Yes."

The female Caretaker walked slowly around the lab, transfixed by the evidence of her mate's wrongdoing showing horribly before her own eyes. Finally, she nodded with finality, turning to face all of them. "There is no punishment to fit the crime he has done in my absence." She moved and stood before the two highest ranked people in the room. Picard and Janeway. "By the law of my own people. I offer myself as atonement for whatever justice method you choose to utilize against me."

And she laid herself down prone onto the floor, face down, spreading her hands palms down above her shoulders. "My life is yours.."

All at once, the room erupted with the reactions from all the Starfleet personnel in the room to Sospiria's sudden declaration...

-  
(attachments)

Image: A Starbase and the Enterprise D nearby it and the moon.

Image: Tuvok and Harry Kim sitting in chairs.

*************************************

From : 'Patti Keiper'  
Subject: Q Deflected!  
Date: Saturday 13 October 2001 18:41:07 CST USA

All at once, the room erupted with the reactions from all the Starfleet personnel in the room to Sospiria's sudden declaration...

The hologram of Guinan approached that of Naomi Wildman, who had been duplicated when Janeway ordered all in the holodeck ready for retransmission into astrometrics.

And only the hostess knew she had witnessed the Janeway's projected fake killing. ::Now that's something the young of any species must'nt EVER see, even if it is a simulation.::

Guinan withdrew from the two Q, hanging over the room near the ceiling, and stayed out of the way of Harry, Janeway, Picard, Data and Leah. She waved Leonardo to her side. "I need you over here for a moment, Maestro." she said.

Leonardo went over to Guinan and Naomi and waited by their side, his attention now directed by them, instead of events playing out inside the room.  
"What can I do for you madaam?" he asked her.

"Follow us after I'm through here. I need someone to care for the child until her mother comes to fetch her. I need to come back here as soon as we get Naomi out of here."

Guinan tapped her combadge.  
##Guinan to Samantha Wildman. Report to Holodeck Three immediately. Your daughter's been roaming where she shouldn't during the alert and has seen more than she should have seen. She is safe but disturbed emotionally.  
I have the DiVinci holoprogram set to keep an eye on her until you arrive. Guinan out.##

Then the elegant bar hostess knelt by Naomi.  
The little girl was fighting her fear and clutching her stuffed toy very tightly. She didn't pretend to cover up the events unfolding nor did she hide the truth from the child. "Captain Janeway only pretended dying. She needed to show that poor Caretaker girl, that violence isn't the answer and it worked. She isn't angry any more.  
Captain Janeway did that act to lessen the danger to us..Do you understand what just happened here?"

Naomi's worst fear abated, but it didn't leave her eyes. She could only nod.

"Good. Now we're leaving." Guinan said. "Computer,  
end holocharacters of Naomi Wildman and Guinan from stellar cartography. Guinan. Epsilon Beta Six.  
Level four clearance."

The tense scene in the stellar lab faded to the neutral hologrid where the real people were conducting themselves from.

Guinan and Naomi were freed from the simulation.  
The hostess took Naomi by the shoulders and led her off the grid, away from where the captains and the others seemed to be talking to the air.  
::Looks under control from here.:: she decided.  
::I keep forgetting how convincing this direct holoprojection mode can be. I felt like I was really in the star lab.::

The absence of the Caretaker and the Q's on the holodeck showed her the truth of that observation.

The hostess didn't disturb the Starfleet officers at work around her.

Seconds later, Leonardo joined them behind the computer console. Naomi jumped.

"Excusi, little miss. I did not mean to offer a fright to such a darling vision as you..." he crooned, and scooped her up into his arms. "You would make an exquisite painting for my next masterpiece, no? I do not think you have ever come to my workshop to visit me. What.. are you afraid of an old man with a beard??"

Naomi giggled and tugged his whiskers. "No..."

"Ooo, that tickles. Come little miss. Let's create the setting for your sitting, eh? You pick it. What shall it be?  
Naomi in sunflowers?" he offered. Then his wrinkled face smiled, "No....I got it. How about Naomi and the white pony?"

Naomi laughed through her tears. "You have one? Wow.."

Guinan nodded and the Maestro nodded back subtly, adding.  
"I do. Ok, We go. The sooner we feed this pony the better model he'll be for you so I can get started on your painting.." and he reached into the air of the holodeck and pulled open an invisible door which formed itself into an egress leading into his workshop denizens. He and Naomi went through. Guinan waved as she watched them enter the new side program pocket and disappeared from the raw gridded one she was in.

Guinan returned to astrometrics as her hologram.  
::I hope I am not too late keeping the Q's from undoing all the progress the Starfleet officers are making.::

--------------------------

When she arrived back into the lab. Q and Quince had already fingersnapped themselves next to Sospiria,  
where the girl lay prone.

Q reached down and uptook her hands.

Janeway and Picard started forward in protest but Quince shot them a warning glance. They had no choice but to listen and watch what Q would do next.

He helped the shaken Sospiria to her feet and brushed the blond hair out of her eyes.

The female Caretaker seemed surprised, "You can touch me?  
I am aniphasic energy.."

Q chided and pursed his lips, "Phuff. Child's play.  
There isn't anything I can't touch when I put my mind to it.  
Except certain captains, in certain bedrooms. Heh."

A glare from Janeway shut him up.

Q cleared his throat uncomfortably at her then continued,  
"But I and my esteemed colleague are here for other reasons.  
One of them being this.." And he bowed at the waist, very gallant, "The Q are at your service my dear. We can officiate at this.. er... little debate you are having with the humans here, if you'd like. Judiciary proceedings happen to be my strong point."

Both Picard and Janeway cleared their throats dangerously.

Q rolled his eyes. "::Oh bother. All right already. :: "But,  
I am here strictly as an observer. And," he shot back to the captains and Tuvok, "As a referee..." He let go of Sospiria's hands as she regained her feet. "I won't have you blasting away at my friends and enemies willy nilly. It's bad form."

Sospiria looked even closer at Quince floating by the ceiling and Q standing next to her, "Who are you?"

"We, are Q. As I said before. Now... That little stunt with the all for one, one for all array is very classy. Tell me,  
how did you do it? Inquiring minds want to know.."

Sospiria said, "My time spent here is not for you. It is for time spent with them. I've learned my mate wasn't what I knew my mate to be."

"Who's isn't?" Q quipped. And both Quince and he laughed uproariously.

Sospiria's eyes narrowed, "Be that as it may. You Q things do not have the information I require to end this meeting.  
Go away. I have no quarrel with your kind."

Q and Quince slowed in their laughing, her remark just beginning to register on their senses."Whaa?"

Guinan took the opportunity to conduct Q by the elbow and away from the Caretaker, "Excuse us.. I have a few words to share with this fine upstanding Q here.."

And she propelled him rapidly many feet from where the officers and Sospiria were standing.  
Guinan cranked Q's arm up behind his back.  
"Just what do you and your bosom buddy think you are about to do, huh? Or is sticking your omnipotent nose where it doesn't belong so second nature, you aren't even aware that it's too big for your own good?"

"Ah.. easy Barmaid." Q winced as his arm was twisted.  
Quince fingersnapped himself nearby the two of them,  
but the rules of fair combat kept him from speaking or interfering with Guinan and Q while they were still in the prelim stages.

Q grunted, "Your species may have Q neutralizing powers but you're allowed to use them only in self defense.."

Guinan glared, " I AM using them in self defense, in lieu of my shipmates! I am preventing a fire..."

Q just smiled under her grip. "Fire? What fire? I was just talking to the lovely little La--" he shut up when he felt Guinan's ability start to worm more than just skin deep.

Guinan said, "You and your sidekick constable should listen right now. And listen to me really good. Non interference.  
This is Earth business and the earthers sovereign right to conduct it. Now go.. before I really get mad."

And Guinan released Q, and brushed down his Voyager uniform to flattened the crinkles she had set there.

Quince spoke, Round One having officially ended. "Q, are you ok? That half nelson looked really harsh.. Was it as painful as it--"

Q roared. "Oh, pipe down, pipsqueak. Let's go where our fun won't be spoiled.. My son needs a cheering section.."

With that, Q and Quince left Voyager and went to Earth.  
Standing in the crowded admiralty briefing room as Q visible only. None of the humans noticed them. But Q2, did.  
He waved back to his father and Quince vigorously.

Admiral Komach got into Q2's face. "Are you paying attention "son" ? I am talking to you." but the crusty admiralty head looked around anyway to see what Q2 was waving at. He saw nothing and frowned.  
"Don't play games with me or you're going to regret it."

In two chairs at the same table as B'Elanna and Seven,  
Quince whispered to Q, "Should I do anything to Mr. Tightwad for that?"

"Nah..." Q said smiling. "My son's working on something right now. I'd give anything to see what he's going to do next."

He focused through space and saw Lady Q with Amanda standing in Voyager's messhall looking mighty confused at the triple alerts sounding there. He felt magnanimous so he crafted an invite in the form of a witch hunt declaration and folded it into a paper airplane and Q tossed it to land at their feet.

"....Dearest. Our son's in a bit of a bind with the humans.  
Things are fine. He's about to stretch some muscles.  
Wanna come watch? We're at Earth headquarters. Komach's secret Section 31 lair. Bring Q2's date and popcorn.  
I think he's about to do us both VERY proud....

Signed.. Q..."

-  
(attachments)

Image: Good Q closeup.

Image: Janeway in Leonardo DiVinci's workshop.

Image: Voyager orbitting Earth.

*****************************

From : "Cory Anda" Subject : [voyagerliveaction] Men of Action Date : Sun, 14 Oct 2001 07:48:06 +0000

The first officer set about making sure engineering was getting on without B'Elanna to guide them. So far the security fields were holding around the star lab without any problems.

::Kathryn. Be careful. Don't misread Suspiria as bad as you misread her mate so long ago.::

Chakotay was very happy that all hands had gotten out of the lab without further incident. On an off thought, he tracked the Q, two were where he expected them, in the messhall. But two were quickly transposed in close proximity to Sospiria. ::Dmn.. I don't think Kathryn's going to be too happy with that. And I'm stuck here. Tuvok's in no shape to relieve me.::

Then another sensor caught his attention. The combadge on Tuvok. It was moving. ::Well all right. The holodoc's getting faster and faster with these crew emergencies of ours.:: Another scan showed the Vulcan to be in perfect health. But Tuvok's path was arrowing straight for astrometrics with the EMH alongside him.

Chakotay did a little guessing. ::Hmm. He must have overheard something talked about in sickbay about the nature of our alerts.:: Despite himself and the tense situation he was overseeing, he smiled. He spoke aloud to the ensign manning tactical. "Ensign. Report. " he said looking at her.

The young ensign checked quickly on her status board. "Sir. Red, Yellow and Blue alerts are still showing as initiated. Shields and weapons are fully engaged. Holding stationary synchronous orbit over Indiana. The alien array is ..sir! The array has just powered down all energy portals. It's as if.. she's standing down, sir.."

::That a way, Kathryn. I knew you could talk Sospi-:: A new sensor reading cut through his musings. The two Q in the star lab had vanished. ::Do I dare hope?:: But the other two Q lingered in the messhall yet. Chakotay was balancing a tightrope emotionally. ::Believe me. I have a GOOD understanding how Kathryn feels when it's me handling some crisis and she's stuck in the center seat.

So, a minute later, Chakotay was overjoyed when he was directly comm'd.

"Janeway to the bridge." she said, checking her status board below her fingers. "Chakotay. I see you've spaced us and evacuated all of our innocent guests from the homecoming celebrations. Good work. We're on deck five. Going in as holo. Keep me posted."

=^="Understood."=^= Chakotay said, feeling a great weight lift.

He heard the line click shut. As soon as it did. He was right back to wishing that it was his rear underfire from their young intruder. ::Grass is always greener..:: he chided himself.

He got on the comm to sickbay. =^=Bridge to sickbay.=^=

"Bashir here. Anything the matter?"

"Not yet, doctor." Chakotay told him. "This may seem a bit strange, but hear me out. I am calling about Mr. Tuvok. To see if he's escaped on his own or if he has been actually released by you officially. The EMH is showing as trailing after him on ship's sensors and they're moving fast."

"He's a freebird, sir. Between the two of us, the surgery was completed in record time. He didn't even go under long enough to need to be struck awake again. A healing trance wasn't necessary.."

"Thank you doctor. Chakotay out." the first officer said.

He swept one last sensor sweep and got one of Tom inside the Delta Flier. That made him blink twice. Then the smile he had so recently recovered, left his face again. He hit his combadge. =^=Bridge to Tom Paris. What do you think you're doing?=^=

-------------------------------------

Tom Paris looked up from the preflight sequences he was programming into the Flier's helm. "What? Can't a guy fly off in the nearest ship after his wife who's just been kidnapped by Section 31? Happens everyday, Chakotay."

The first officer set his forehead into his hand. "We're at multiple alert. I need you at the helm, lieutenant."

"And B'Elanna needs me on the run, Commander!" Tom countered angrily. "I'm not about to abandon the mother of our child. I just spent the last two hours listening to her cry her eyes out at a broken Klingon birth bond. John, Bashir and I can only do so much for Miral. I'm going, Chakotay. Or I'm resigning my commission." He gave a little scoff, "Somehow, returning back under lock and key in New Zealand is a small price to pay for reuniting my family..."

Chakotay said, "It's not you trying to leave that's bothering me. It's the fact that I can't go with you."

That made Tom blink a little himself. "Say again?"

"You heard me, Paris. Good luck. And give whomever has Seven and B'Elanna a right hook for me while you're at it. Good luck.." And he snicked out Voyager's shields long enough for the Delta Flier to fall away free before reassembling them around the starship. "If you're going to get by Starfleet's security fields. Tell the sentries that you are arriving at Starfleet to get your promised full pardon. Captain Janeway did promise you one if you flew her ship seven years ago."

Tom stopped being amazed at Chakotay's charity, he was downright shocked the big man was actually helping him, too. "Aye sir.. I'll squirt you a comm when I find them. Paris out."

----------------------------

Chakotay settled in his chair and waited for things to change around him and the bridge. :It's not like anything is going to happen up here anytime soon...:: he grumbled.

----------------------------

It took Tom Paris exactly twenty two minutes to get his clearance to land on Earth and trace B'Elanna's combadge and Seven's unique Borg signature to learn their whereabouts. ::Admiral Komach's office?::

He shrugged, entered the building overshadowing Starfleet academy below it and marched straight up to the secretary's desk. "Hi.. I've got an appointment with Komachy here. So if you'll excuse me..." and Tom Paris barged right past the startled woman's desk and right on into Komach's inner suite office complex. He boldly took out his tricorder and its indicator bleeped loudly at two Voyager combadges behind two other doors still between them and where he was currently. He got through the first door. But two burly unmarked, ununiformed guards rushed him as he tried for the third door. Tom put down his head and charged bowling over the thug types and got a huge shoulder directed impact on the inner door's wood before they dragged him away from it again.

Tom shouted, "B'Elanna!! Seven!! It's me!! I know you're in there.. Hang on!!"

Both Q and Q2 along with Seven and B'Elanna looked up at the ruckus sounding like a bull in a china shop that had no problem alerting them to a very welcome disturbance..

Torres started smiling. Only her Klingon ears could hear her husband shouting. She started smiling bigger. "Can't keep a good man down.." she said, looking at Q2, "Want to help my husband out a bit here, Q?"

-  
(attachments)

Image: Tom yelling at Chakotay on the bridge.

Image: Chakotay with a phaser firing it, near Seven's alcove.

Image: Voyager's first officer kissing B'Elanna Torres. :)

**********************************

From : "Katherine Bird" Subject :[voyagerliveaction] The sitting for Leonardo DiVinci Date : Sun, 14 Oct 2001 20:49:09 +0100

I tried to forget what I saw in the star lab room. But I couldnt. I saw Auntie Kathy die! And it was so scary. The pretty lady in the hat took me out of there after telling me that she did that with her hollow person to make Voyager safer from the Sad Lady, Sospeeria.

I did feel better. Leonardo was so funny. He wore those playing card clothes and had a feather in his hat. He was going to paint me! Just like I did of my mother and my father in the painting I gave him at Voyagers homecoming party!

When we were in the hollow workshop. Leonardo set me down and we went out the door into Sisily and the stable there.

"My dear child!" Leonardi DiVinci shouted after Naomi Wildman as she ran faster than his lungs would allow him. "The subject for your painting isn't going anywhere..." And he sat down against the village fountain to catch his wind,. "Seems like I am not going anywhere myself.." and his program made him rest there.

Soon, the little girl led the white Connemara by his rope out into the Italian sunlight and began to brush him down with a curry comb.

See? Our pony has already had his hay. He'll stand real still for me. I know he will. The man in there said he has already taken sup. What does that mean?

"It means, little miss. That he's been watered and given his supper for the evening." Leonardo chuckled. "Let's get him into the workshop. I've still my arrangement by the wall from my last pony modelling for Joan of Arc."

You met her?! I didnt know she could come here.

"Anything is possible in this world, little miss. Especially here. Now come, child. Take his head and walk him on through. We should have this all set when your mother arrives. If she sees we've been busy, she let you stay in Sicily longer, no?" DiVinci said.

I know. I know that too. So I took the pony's bridle and took him inside. I found the spot Leonardo told me about. It had a new canvas and paints around a place in the wall where it was showing the courtyard and the fountain we just left. I took my pony there. Leonardo! Leonardo! I didnt know you had a window this big in your workshop.

"I do, little miss. It is the very same one. Only a few village creatins threw stones at it only three days anon when I wouldnt sell them a kite." DiVinci said, tugging at his beard. "So the stain glass is longer in its frame. It will take me the whole week to get enough money selling my paintings to pay for new panes to replace the broken ones!"

Why didnt you sell them that toy? You have a lot of them on the ceiling.

"They only had six coppers. Barely the cost of the parchment I made them from! Katherine is wonderful about giving me her student's stipend, but I do have my limits of generosity." he grumbled. "Paper isn't cheap!"

I stopped grooming the straw out of the pony's mane and he was nibbling at my fingers so I played with him. He smelled good. Katherine? Is your student Auntie Kathy? I asked the funny inventor.

"She is. Don't tell me you and she are blood relations.. You call her aunt."

I looked at my shoes and the saw dust there on the stone floor. No. We arent. But I was born on her ship. I was the first baby. And then Belanna had the second one, Miral. But she is missing now along with my friend 7. A bad man took them away.

"Ahh. I knew that Katherine was in the services on a ship. But I never knew she had children on her vessel. So tell me, dear child. Are you well and truly home? I have so little news on Katherine these days."

We are Mystro. Around Earth. Where Auntie Kathy was born. You saw her in the star lab with the sad lady who hurt Tuvok. She is the only one keeping Auntie Kathy from really feeling like shes back. And now all those strange arrays are over the other planets. And I dont like it. I began to cry.

Leonardo knelt by Naomi and swept off his feathered hat. "There. There, child. If this home port has that many countries in it. It is a strong one. No foreigner could last for long against her." The artist allowed her a minute for tears and then lifted her up onto the pony's back, leading him around to catch the best sunlight against his alabaster coat. "Ah.. now we have the right angle.. And the sun will dry your tears so I don't have to paint them." He rose, dropping the lead rope and paced back to his new canvas to begin his new masterpiece. "Come, Naomi. Put a smile on your face for old Leonardo. We have to have at least two hooves painted before your mother arrives to fetch you. And, I don't want to lose this light before I do that."

He began to hum an offkey tune to the choirboys chorus rising from the village cathedral for the noontime prayers. Naomi laughed when his voice cracked trying to reach the high notes.

"That is better, little miss. Now, chin up for Maestro. Yes? I want to capture that angelic smile of yours before something else takes it away again."

---------------------------------

Kathryn was a volatile mix. She was shocked to find she had missed Naomi's presence in the star lab and was ever grateful for Guinan's mothering intervention on behalf of the little girl and her ship against the two meddling Q. She felt relief replacing the horror when she realized that Naomi Wildman had witnessed her holographic demise but had understood the reasoning behind it. ::Kathryn Janeway's personal rule number 705. Make sure you know who's in the hologrid with you before you turn it on.:: she sighed ruefully. ::It's going to take a long nightly visit over storybooks to reassure Naomi once this crisis is over. Perhaps a course on holodeck simulations and rudimentary tactics to show her why I did what I did.::

But then her attention was drawn back to Sospiria who was still looking at the place where the two Q had disappeared from in front of her. "Sospiria." she addressed the tiny girl standing in front of her. "We can begin again. I am a firm believer in the faith of good contact with other species. And this, is technically, our second contact with each other. It's going to take time to know exactly why your mate did what he did with those biogerm experiments. Nothing needs to be decided right away." She straightened, and stretched a hand over her uniform. "I don't know about you. But quite frankly, I hate standoffs. And your demonstration of trust by standing down your array's weapons and shields shows me you are offering that second chance to us." Captain Janeway hit her chest insignia, =^=Janeway to the bridge. Stand down from all alerts. Inform the Enterprise of the reason why. Show them the array's neutral positioning. I will let you know of any further developments. Chakotay, start investigating our crew's disappearances. I want to know why and where Seven of Nine and B'Elanna Torres has been taken. Somehow, our threat is with our own people, not with Sospiria here. Keep me informed. Janeway out.=^=

=^= Aye, captain. I've already sent Tom in the Delta Flier to Earth. I am keeping all sensors on full. Chakotay out.=^=

::Good work. You're always one step ahead of me.:: she thought of her first officer.

Sospiria looked at all the holographic people around her. "You have evil ones attacking you from your own race?"

"I'm afraid so." said Boothby. "Not all humans are united on how our Federation should conduct itself. It's typical callousness."

Sospiria nodded, "It was this way when my people were young as well. We haven't quite outgrown that flaw. Just look at what my mate has done in his long solitude. He's infected innocent races all in the name of good, for the Ocampa. I am beginning to think even they don't know why he sent infected individuals to their city."

Janeway smiled warmly, "That is something, perhaps we can work out together. You say we can see Ocampa from here around your fractals. We can scan the planet for more evidence about what your mate was working on. I'd love to see why I had a two foot needle embedded into my chest. That wasn't a pleasant experience.."

Sospiria's frown returned. But it wasn't one of displeasure. It was one of doubt and guilt. "I am sorry for that. Can these Q aid us in any way? They seem ...distracted."

"Q are always distracted. Distracted by their own whimsys for fun or self enrichment at the expense of others. I highly doubt they could do anything constructive here." Janeway said.

Sospiria nodded, thinking very thoughtfully. "If I let you have a guard hold a weapon on me that neutralizes anaphasic energies, will you permit us returning face to face? I find speaking to holographic images somehow degrading. It reminds me that I had given in to my own tendencies for callousness when I hurt your Vulcan officer.."

"I think we can overlook that as a simple misunderstanding. You and I both know, contact between alien species is wrought with hurdles until a certain level of trust is built." Janeway smiled and raised a hand, to shake Sospiria's. "I believe we've built a good level of trust already. Hello, Sospiria. I'm Captain Janeway of the Starship Voyager. And we are near Earth, the heart of the United Federation of Planets. My ship and crew are at your disposal for the length of this investigation into your departed mate's history until you are satisfied with the knowledge you learn about him."

And with that, a handshake was sealed. Just one of thousands of handshakes humans had done before with alien races in the past. ::Only this time. This one will lead to friendship, not war. Not if I can help it.:: Janeway vowed. "Come on Sospiria, let's get to work."

--------------------------------

Naomi and Leonardo had half a pony and all of Naomi painted on the canvas when Samantha Wildman entered the sunny workshop.

Mummy! Mummy! I was so glad to see her. I jumped down from Pony, making sure he didn't move for the Mystro, and I ran to her. I saw so much. Auntie Kathy pretended to blow up to show Sospeeria that hurting people wasnt the answer and then the lady with the pretty hat got me out of the star lab and then the Mystro brought me here for a sitting. Dont peek! Dont peek! The painting isnt done yet. I want to give this one to you and dad later when we get to Earth.

Samantha Wildman swept up her little dear into a hug and kissed her on top of her strawberry blond head. It smelled faintly of holosmoke. ::Now I know what Guinan meant by seeing something she shouldn't have seen. I am just glad she's all right.:: "Naomi. Now you remember the captain's standing orders. You are to stay at your station during a red or yellow alert. What made you go off and wander around during the intruder alert?"

Sospiria was sad. She was crying over her husband who had died a long time ago. I wanted to give her Flotter so she'd feel better. I didn't mean to be there when Auntie Kathy made hollow people of us to go to the star lab. I didnt know she was going to do that. Im sorry."

Samantha sighed. "There's a reason for standing orders. And if you're to be captain's assistant, you're going to have to start obeying them, aren't you?"

I know. I know. I just dont like seeing people hurt or sad. I want to help them.

"Yes, well helping them could mean doing what you're trained to do best. All right? So no more running off to do good on your own. Let the captain handle things. If she needs you, she'll call. Just like she does for me at times."

Ok, mum. Ill be good.

"AHhh!" a short scream caught the attention of mother and child. It was Leonardo DiVinci, jumping at something that had been lying under the parchments he was moving on his workbench he was clearing to set up tea for them all. "What is that hideous blue devil thing there! Gave me a fright!"

Naomi giggled, padding over to the bench and she scooped up Flotter. This is only a toy Leonardo. His names Flotter. I was going to bring him to the sad lady when Ginan brought me back to you. Hug him. He makes people feel better.

Leonardo eyed the simulcrum suspiciously but didn't touch it. "I don't think I can show affection to a sky colored demon doll, little miss. He's too....well, forgive the term. Too ugly."

Sam laughed. She heard her daughter ask,

Can we have him in the painting, Mystro?

"No. I never paint anything that ugly. The Pony will do." he sniffed. "Come little miss and madaam. The tea's ready."

-  
(attachments)

Image : Naomi hugging her mother.

Image: A prancing white pony in sunlight.

Image: A closeup of the grizzled old Leonardo DiVinci with Captain Janeway.

*  
From : "Samantha Rose" Subject :[voyagerliveaction] Omnipotence Revisited Date : Mon, 15 Oct 2001 02:11:56 +0000

-  
With that, Q and Quince left Voyager and went to Earth.  
Standing in the crowded admiralty briefing room as Q visible only. None of the humans noticed them. But Q2, did.  
He waved back to his father and Quince vigorously.

Admiral Komach got into Q2's face. "Are you paying attention "son" ? I am talking to you." but the crusty admiralty head looked around anyway to see what Q2 was waving at. He saw nothing and frowned.  
"Don't play games with me or you're going to regret it."

Q2 gave the retreated figure a lopsided smile. Looking over at his father and Quince and winked. The familiar mischeiviousness look was gradually returning and it brought comfort to the senior Q and a hint of alertness to his companion.

The teen watched as Komach paced the room and continued to question them. This interrogation seemed to be going on forever. An out of place sound soon caught the attention of everyone in the room.

Tom shouted, "B'Elanna!! Seven!! It's me!! I know you're in there.. Hang on!!"

Both Q and Q2 along with Seven and B'Elanna looked up at the ruckus sounding like a bull in a china shop that had no problem alerting them to a very welcome disturbance.

Only Torres started smiling. Only her Klingon ears could hear her husband shouting. She started smiling.  
"Can't keep a good man down.." she said, looking at Q2, "Want to help my husband out a bit here, Q?"

Q2 looked over to the Klingon hybrid and smiled with a nod.  
"I would be more than glad to offer my services, Lt."

He nodded to his father as he stood. Q made himself known by stepping in Komach's way with a shake of head and finger followed by a prominent tsking. With a snap of his fingers,  
Admiral Komach was sent back to his chair and promptly "glued" to the seat.

Q2 turned to face the comotion and for the first time noticed his civilian clothing. A quick change fixed that and he was soon clothed in the mock representation of Voyager's command uniform. Still smiling, he walked over to the doors that led into the corridor. The burly guards had managed to drag the pilot half way to exit.

"You know what, you two are really beginning to get on my nerves." a flash of light blinded the two guards as Q2 appeared before them. They had no time to react as the teen promptly turned them each into an amoeba, a fate he once endured.

He picked up the round pitri dishes as B'Elanna came jogging down the hallway, followed by a striding Seven of Nine. The Engineer was all smiles as she was reunited with her husband.

"Here, you may want to give these to your father. Consider it a little momento." Q2 handed off the transformed guards to Paris as Admiral Paris was heading there way.

"Are you all okay?" Owen stepped up next to his son and placed a hand on his shoulder as he looked at each of the faces there. Q and Quince had joined them also, leaving Komach to a futile struggle to free himself.

"Yes, thanks to Q here." Quince slapped Q2 on the back in a very unconvincing gesture. Both Q and son looked at him in confusion and made a mental note to keep an eye on him.

"Of course." the Admiral quickly dismissed the comment and turned to the rest.

"I think it's high time we all got back to Voyager! Shall we?" Quince looked eagerly at everyone.

"Allow me." Q2 interjected and raised his hand. Tom mentioned that he had the Delta Flyer but the teen shook his head. In a flash the group of 9, amoeba and all, were standing on the bridge of the Intrepid class ship much to the surprise of Commander Chakotay and all present.

"Now, I hear that a blast from the past has decided to stop by for a chat. Anyone up for a little meet and greet?" that sealed it, Q2 was back in action and ready to stretch his omnipotent muscles. Q smiled and nodded knowingly and the trio of Q disapeared to the lab. Before he left, though, Q2 returned the guards to their original form but unarmed and in the custody of Voyager's security

-  
(attachments)

Image : Q2 and Q in a closeup frowning.

Image: Q2 smiling like a cat that got the canary.

Image: Tom Paris and B'Elanna Torres in bed.

Image: Seven of Nine closeup, lying in sickbay.

Image: OOC- cartoon- The NEXT Next Generation (babies.)

****************************************

END WEEK THIRTY NINE RECAP 10-15-01

.com/voyagerliveaction Graphic Site

.com/group/voyagerliveaction Writer's Site

WEEK FORTY RECAP 10-16-01

.com/voyagerliveaction Graphic Site

.com/group/voyagerliveaction Writer's Site

**************************************

From : "Cory Anda" Subject : [voyagerliveaction] Taking the offensive Date : Tue, 16 Oct 2001 18:09:55 +0000

Tom Paris staggered as Q2's powers left him smack dab in the middle of the expansive carpet of Voyager's bridge. His grip on B'Elanna's hand proved to him most absolutely that she was really there with him, alive and well. He coughed as his throat tickled with departing energy. *Cough*  
He blinked a few times and saw Chakotay already on his feet. He gave with a sense of the ridiculous,  
a tiny "there-you-go" gesture at Seven and B'Elanna to the first officer. "So much for comming you the second I was in..." he said with a crooked smile.

Chakotay nodded to his two security officers on the bridge to take the two Earth ones below decks.  
"Take these two fine gentlemen to the brig. I'm sure the captain will want to pick their brains for their part in Seven and Torres's kidnapping."

He turned to Seven of Nine and B'Elanna, "You all right?" he said, pulling out a tricorder and scanning the air around the bridge, "So far so good. There's no sign of the Section's long distance transporter yet. I don't care if it's advanced technology or not. Nothing is getting through our deflectors. Computer,.."  
he said as he watched the guards leave with their two prisoners into the turbolift.  
He made sure they were off Deck One before he issued his next order. "Erect a level ten forcefield around the bridge. Tom, take your station. Plot a course, any heading, away from Earth. Take us out of range of what you feel is that spy transporter's outer limits. I want this ship safe.."

"Aye, Chakotay..." Tom said giving B'Elanna's hand a final squeeze. He sat down in the helmseat vacated by the young ensign and did just that. He took Voyager out beyond Jupiter and parked her with the gas giant between Voyager and Earth. ::NO one is going to be stealing any crew members any time soon.. Not with me at the helm.::

Chakotay hit his combadge =^=Voyager to Enterprise. We're performing evasive maneuvers from a possible long distance covert transporter. Mirror our trajectory.=^=

Very soon, Enterprise, too, was in Jupiter's great banded shadow,  
out of line of sight with Earth and as safe as Voyager now was.

The first officer nodded at the sight of the giant looming on the main viewer. He could just see Enterprise as a speck a little lower in synchronous orbit. He turned his attention back to Seven and B'Elanna turning his tricorder to medscan.  
He passed the bioprobe over them quickly.

There was no sign of subcutaneous probes nor any drugs in their systems. "So, Section 31 was content with a verbal interrogation..."

Seven of Nine folded her hands behind her back. "Our incarceration was the work of one man, Admiral Komach. There may have been others but we saw no evidence of that. Admiral Paris here fought admirably for our release.."

Chakotay smiled warmly at Owen. "I appreciate all that you've done for my crew. We've uncovered evidence that Section 31 is tied up in your daughter and Seven's illegal abduction,sir."

Owen gaped, "Section 31?"

"Yes. I have reason to believe that they are targetting Voyager and her crew as a possible resurgent Maquis threat."

Admiral Paris nodded, showing the big man that he also suspected that kind of activity. He also noticed the lack of the intruder alert, his eyes moving to the dark status bar over their heads.

Chakotay announced, "We've come to a tenative peace negotiation with our intruder. Sospiria has powered down the array she has projected over 112 Federated Worlds.. My captain has followed suit, sir."

Tom gaped, "I wonder how long that's going to last.."  
he mumbled under his breath as he watched his orbit from his helmschair. He watched as B'Elanna moved to an engineering station to see how her crew was faring.

He smiled when he saw her hand move to one of Boothby's monitors to toggle a camera onto Miral's sleeping face while she lay in Doctor Bashir's arms. He was singing the small infant a Bajoran lullaby to calm her. Tom knew his wife wanted to get down there faster than light to hold their daughter, but the bridge needed them both, first.

He saw Torres straighten and get a hold of her mother's separation anxieties. "The engine's are nominal and fully powered. That long distance transporter carrier wave that took me and Seven, didn't alter the matter-anti-matter stream so much as a micron.." she said with professional amazement.

"Understood B'Elanna. Keep monitoring that station. I'll let you go to sickbay in a few minutes.."  
Chakotay told her.

She shot him a grateful smile.

Paris added more for his superiors. "From what I saw,  
they had their offices tighter than Fort Knox.. Well,  
except for the front door." He winced, angling his shoulder around its sore stiffness. "I almost got to the inner sanctum before I was stopped. Q2 zapped all of us,  
including the Flier, back to Voyager before any of us got into a firefight."

Chakotay wanted to know. "Who's offices..?"

Seven of Nine spoke up, "Admiral Komack's."

That made Chakotay's eyes rise. Komach was the one behind Voyager's original orders to pursue the Liberty and himself seven years ago into the Badlands. And thus Voyager's historic journey was fatefully sealed into happening. The admiral was a formidable adversary. "If he's behind Section 31 and its minions, they won't stop until they have what they want."

Chakotay was doubly glad he ordered Voyager undercover.

Seven replied with cool logic of her own. "There is nothing for them to want, Commander. Voyager's crew no longer contains an active Maquis element."

"I know that." Chakotay said, "Tom and the admiral here,  
knows that. Now it's up to us to convince Starfleet of that,  
too. Anything you can tell me of your time over there will solidify our argument. Admiral, if you would assist Seven at the science station..." he asked Owen.

Chakotay put away his tricorder, satisfied that his rescued crew was in good health. He sat back down into his chair,  
opening a channel. =^=Chakotay to Janeway.=^=

Janeway looked up from where she was crouching by Sospiria in the starlab. It was her hologram that mimicked what the real Janeway did on the holodeck.  
Chakotay smiled at the doubly echoed voice of his captain through the effect, "Janeway here. Go ahead."

"We have them..It seems the Q decided to "interfere" once again. This time for our benefit. I've learned a few things.  
Tell me.. What do you know of Admiral Komach? It seems the high admiral's been dabbling with Section 31 himself.  
Voyager's undercover to thwart any more surprise long distance transporter beams."

He could almost hear the anger harden Kathryn's face.  
But it didn't show in her voice over the comm link.  
"Understood. Where is Komach? I'd like a few words with him face to face."

Chakotay glanced around the bridge, then turned to Paris.  
"Tom?" he asked significantly.

The blond haired helmsman cleared his throat uncomfortably.  
"Uh,, captain. He's a little mired down right now.. into his chair.. If you asked nicely, I'm sure the Q could fingersnap the admiral and his crazyglued rear to you. I overheard they were coming to visit you and Sospiria.."

"Hmmm. They haven't arri-- I stand corrected. All four have just popped in with 'us'". she said of her hologram's locale. "Status of Seven and B'Elanna?"

"Intact. Unharmed. On the bridge."

"Thank heavens something's finally gone right." she said with relief. "Now.. if I can just get the Q to give me Kom--"

Chakotay broke into her thought, "I do have two guards of his in the brig."

"Oh do you..." her voice trickled, dangerously.

::Thought you might like that.:: Chakotay smiled mentally.

"Escort them under guard to the holodeck. Have them projected into the starlab where the rest of us and Sospiria remain. I'll kill two birds with one stone."

"Understood. Chakotay out."

It took only two minutes for the first officer to get Kathryn what she wanted. ::You know. I am glad I'm not going to be at the receiving end of Kathryn's wrath. Those two guards had better start begging.  
Glad I'm not even going to be in the room when she gets going..::

-  
(attachments)

Image : Chakotay with Seven of Nine, talking.

Image: Tom Paris seated in a helm chair, facing Chakotay.

Gif: Star Trek Voyager's magazine logo.

**************************************

From : "Roxy Dee" Subject : The Ugly Side of Humanity Date : Tue, 16 Oct 2001 20:28:46 +0000 Harry Kim was overjoyed. His monitor suddenly swelled nine lifesigns larger. ::Tom Paris's little sortie has worked its magic! They're back!!:: He was about to inform the captains about the new development but he saw Janeway already deep in conversation with Chakotay on the bridge from where her holo stood by Sospiria. And she didn't look happy. ::I wonder wh--::

Four Q popped into view into the star lab, talking animatedly about how their storming the "human fortress" hadn't even ruffled the hair on their omnipotent heads. They seemed smug, especially the youngest one. "Uh oh.." Harry mumbled to Geordi, near him. "I don't think I like that.."

Geordi looked up from his computer monitoring, "What ensign?... Oh.." his voice fell. "You had to tell me..." he grumbled. "I'd give anything for the Q to leave off and galavant somewhere else but here for once.."

Harry grinned, "Yeah, but they actually did some good here. The missing crew we've been scanning for are back. And from Boothby's readings, no one got hurt."

Geordi frowned around his visor. "That's what I'm afraid of. It was too easy. There's always complications to any rescue operation. Always.. Mark my words.." the Lt. said to Kim.

Two holograms of plainclothes men appeared before both of their captains and Sospiria. And they weren't members of Voyager's crew.

"See?" Geordi said of the crew, "What did I tell you.. Always complications.. Those two goons over there don't look like your average mercenary types.."

Harry and Geordi shut down their computer scans as Voyager's move into Jupiter's shadow cut off their ability to scan Earth.

Harry and Geordi watched with interest as they both saw a captain fully on guard turn to face the ones who aided risking the safety of two of her crew. Instinctively, Kim and LaForge flinched unconsciously when the red haired captain fixed the guards with the coldest of glares. ::Ooo. Here it comes. The mother of all dressing downs..:: Kim thought. ::I've been party to one of those before. I'd hate to be them right now.:: he thought.

Janeway eyed both holograms of the Section's secret guards without blinking or looking away. Her rage was palpable and even Sospiria remained silent as Janeway controlled her emotions. Then she raised a finger, pointing at the air in front of them. "I want names. Who you're working for. What tactical objectives they may have for us on this ship. Right now. Care to tell me?"

Both prisoners stared over the top of her head in stony silence.

Janeway waved the EMH over, carefully selecting, then taking a hypo from his medical kit and brandishing it. The holodoc was smart enough to keep quiet and go along with her ploy, playing along. "Oh, captain. Must you again? You know the holodeck has made these two into fully interactive people. That simulated drug will hurt them despite the safeties here because, technically, they aren't real people. I see you've programmed pain receptors into them. I can't stand by and watch--"

Janeway angled her head fractionally, "Doctor.." she warned, not looking away.

The EMH dribbled into silence.

She noticed though that the guards' eyes were on the hypospray in her hands. ::Good. Now I got their full attentions.:: She added more, "I'm very accustomed to acting alone on a starship. We've had seven years away from contact with higher ups. Tends to make one, a little protective and a little more free on attaining what we need to know." she smacked the hypospray on her palm.

The younger guard twitched.

"If this doesn't work. I can always use the Vulcan.." She pointed to Tuvok behind her. "And I'm sure you've heard of the efficacy of Vulcan mind melds on obtaining information from uncooperative minds. Not exactly.. pleasant." And she angled her jaw in a dismissive gesture. " So,.. which do you prefer? Holomed, or him?"

Both guards eyes began to shift in their sockets as their resolution began to falter.

But then, Quince stepped in, "My dear Kathy. Must you trifle with these lackies? Why.. I do believe Q2 left someone behind on Earth..."

"Quince..." Captain Janeway began firmly, realizing she was about to lose her advantage.

"...I think I, ..yes.." Quince said, reaching invisibly into the air. He grabbed something from a spatial fold and Komach was dragged into Voyager's starlab still completely immobilized in his office chair by Q glue. "Here's the brassy interloper himself. Now, isn't this better than mere underlings, captain?" the meddling Q burbled.

Janeway gestured to Tuvok, who was very real. He whipped out his phaser, covering the admiral.

Komach smiled, raising his real hands. "Very clever Janeway. Having Q come to bat for you following your helmsmans scouting to find where we were. This changes nothing you realize. My purpose and goal remain the same. I will route out any and all Maquis you may be harboring. Every last one of them."

Geordi winced at the deranged admiral's biased and prejudicial tones.

Komach looked still very much in power despite his physical restraint while Q energies powered into his chair.

Captain Janeway studied Komach, not liking the instinct she was feeling at that very moment.

In two seconds, Komach's hand dipped and touched the arm of his chair briefly.

Tuvok fired, stunning the admiral. But not before a wash of brilliant white light filled the star lab and all of Voyager.

Only Geordi recognized the signature, "I don't know how they did it.. but it's the long range transporter ag--!"

Kim and all in the room winced as the admiral and chair and his two guards vanished from the room.

An ear piercing sound penetrated deep into every Voyager crewmen's skulls as the beam finished gathering its preprogrammed contacts and pulled them away from the starship.

The blinding white light vanished, but its subsonics remained, unnaturally loud.

One by one, crew fell into unconsciousness. Including Sospiria, who didn't erect a field about herself in time.

In sickbay, Bashir managed to get Miral into an audio dampening field on a biobed before he too collapsed into a protective blackout.

All four Q winced at the light, surprised yet again at the actions of a mere simian human. Even one with only four clusters on his collar.

Quince said it all, "Oops.."

The EMH sprung into action, moving from body to body, feeling for carotid pulses. They were all alive, barely. "Boothby.. What happened?!" the holodoc demanded, "Everyone's in deep neurogenic shock."

"Hang on a minute.. Let me secure Voyager's orbit." the consult program said. "Also, scanning ship lifesigns... There are no bioflags. No one's arrested." Boothby transferred his holo image to a tactile one like the EMH's so he, too, could check the fallen on a tricorder. "I didn't see the admiral move that satellite around Jupiter's horizon. It allowed the long distance transporter beam to find us again. I'm sorry.."

The EMH gave an impatient nod. "Follow me to the holodeck. The vital sign holoties from these holograms aren't telling me how the real crew is doing well enough."

Boothby nodded after scanning Sospiria, "This one is stable.." he said to the doctor about the female caretaker.

"She can wait." the holodoc said.

The holodoc looked over to Mr. Data, the Enterprise android. He too was motionless and quiet. No signs of animation alighted his golden eyes. ::He can, too.::

"Let's go.." he said to Boothby.

------------------------------

Moments later, the EMH and Boothby were on the holodeck.

In response to the massive medical emergencies received, the computer had already stood down all of its holoprogramming visuals so the doc and Boothby had no trouble finding everyone in the grid.

Naomi Wildman and Samantha were new crew not yet attended by the EMH.

The holodoc crouched by their sides, feeling for their pulses and breathing rates. "They're out, too. Must have been that subsonic pulse embedded in that transporter beam. DMn, I thought long distance transporters had been outlawed by the Federation due to just this sort of negative subsonic pollution effect."

"The Federation did outlaw the practice. Fifty standard years ago, when Kirk mentioned Gary Seven. You forget that Section 31 thinks they're above the law."

The EMH positioned Kathryn on her back after scanning her for injury and collected the hypospray that had fallen from her hand. He injected her with it at the base of her throat to boost her respiration rate. ::The old Triox bluff almost worked. If it wasn't for Quince getting in the way..:: He grumbled.

He looked up to Boothby who was doing the same for Samantha and Naomi Wildman. "We've got to rig an airborne stimulant. Even when we get the crew's vital signs back out of shock. They're going to have to fight back to consciousness on their own. It's going to be rocky for all of them."

Boothby nodded, "Already done. I've added five parts per million of ADT derivative to Voyager's air ducts. There are a few crew members who have fallen into awkward positions. I'm going around to them to straighten them out so they can breathe better." And he turned to "wink" out.

"Wait a minute. You can't just leave me here with them like this. Who's in charge of the ship?" The EMH complained.

Boothy rolled his silver eyebrows. "Well I guess you are, doctor. After all, didn't Kathryn once toy with the idea of using you as an ECH?" And he laughed. "Janeway and these others will be fine. We've got them stabilized. It's the ones we haven't gotten to yet that need our attention. I'm gone.."

And suddenly, he was.

It was a full two seconds later that the EMH started to smile. A personal fantasy of his was about to become true. "Emergency Command Hologram, eh? All right."

And he set a hand on the comatose Kathryn's shoulder. "Don't worry, captain. I'll take good care of Voyager until you all awaken."

And he rose to his feet. He addressed the computer, "Computer, Activate the Emergency Command Hologram, priority Red. "

##The ECH is enabled.## the computer said obediently.

The holodoc's uniform flashed from its medical teal to command red and a series of four pips appeared on his gray turtleneck and........ he began to smile.

--------------------------------------------------

He transposed from the holodeck as soon as he reconfigured Boothby to monitor Janeway and the others closely by remote tag. They were shocky but stable and could be left alone.

The ECH appeared on the bridge and first went to Chakotay, passed out over the command chair. He hefted the man to the floor, after scanning his vitals. The ADT derivative had worked. He was out cold, but no longer in danger.

Seven was another matter. She had fallen onto her face and the carpet had nearly suffocated her. A few breaths of O2 and a cortical stimulator set her condition to rights, so he left her side.

Tom, and B'Elanna, too, were stable and breathing. The doc saw on the sickbay monitor that little Miral had been safely tucked away into a stasis field and didn't suffer the sonic backwash. ::Nice save, Bashir.::

He saw Boothby in sickbay give a thumbs up as the hologram checked everyone in the room and moved on.

The ECH made sure Voyager's orbit was secure over Jupiter like Boothby had said and then slowly, lowered himself into the center seat. "I'm finally here. I don't believe it. Ha!"

He then slipped into command mode as his medical one retreated when Boothby gave word that there were no more untreated crew left needing attention. He toggled the comm switch.

"Voyager to the USS Enterprise. This is the ECH. We've had a situat--"

The commline snapped on, "ECH? What the h#ll kind of call sign is this?" came an angry voice. "We've just registered a massive crew blackout over there. We have to assume an intruder has taken over the ship. Our weapons are armed and our shields are up. Respond to this message: Queen to King's level two... Over.."

The ECH began to sweat.. ::Uh oh..:: He began to whisper sideways to Boothby's speaker grill. "Ah,.. bridge to Boothby.. Come in.. I need you right n--"

"Queen to King's level two... Respond in twenty seconds or we'll open fire to disable.." came Enterprise's demand.

-  
(attachments)

Image : Tom Paris, on the ground, stunned.

Image : B'Elanna and Janeway, unconscious,  
on the deck, their pulses being taken.

Image: The EMH, closeup, shocked that he's to be in command of Voyager.

********************************

From: Date: Wed Oct 17, 2001 1:00 am Subject: Second Wind..

Pain lanced deep into Jean Luc's head when the light of the transporter pulled away Admiral Komach and his two associates. It dragged away his consciousness and the world retreated.  
Sharp red swirled into crusty brown fading into black.

=======================

A nagging pull snatched at his reasoning some time later. His ears seemed to hear a voice.  
::No, not just from one person:: he changed his mind. ::Many voices. As one.:: But Captain Picard's eyes refused to obey the impulse he sent them to open.

The noise in his head continued.  
::This is a delusion...:: he decided. ::What happened to us in the starlab? Last I saw,  
Tuvok had fired off a shot at Komach, and the man went limp under the stun setting.  
So what is it that I'm listeni--::

##...inefficient use of force. Rerouting primary command module. Listen to us. Feel the connection..##

::No!:: He realized what it was. It was a memory.  
A clear flashback to the time when he wasn't captain of the Enterprise, but her worst enemy.  
To a time when he had committed atrocities that nearly caused the ultimate destruction of all the Federation's Fleet of Starships. ::My mind is playing tricks on me. I've been wounded by that beam somehow. And my mind's trying to cope with it. Trying to make sense of the lack of impulses my body's receiving.::

He turned the weaker, I am me, Jean Luc, sense of self, against the blooming nightmare memory.

It was one that he had managed to block out years ago in Robert's vineyard when they had fought and cried under the grapevines.  
::I am not Locutus any longer... I am--::

##Your earthly designation is irrelevent. You will be assimilated into the Collective. Your technological and biological distinctiveness will be added to our own. You will not resist us. You will--##

::...Wake up. Wake up..:: Jean Luc ordered his brain. Soon, blessed real sound invaded the hallucinogenic ones. It was the sound of his own gasping and the pounding of his artificial heart. ::Drugged.  
No. Not drugged. Doesn't feel like it. I've been.. treated.. I'm reacting to a stimulant. Someone's trying to help me:  
The unreal Borg voices faded back into blackness as he fought a battle to true wakefulness.

"..uhh....ghh"  
Captain Picard rolled over onto his side and coughed.  
He was conscious. He opened his eyes and came face to face with a pair of staring golden ones,  
lying at the same angle as his own.

"Ahh!!" he shouted, sitting up. He immediately flopped over as half recovered muscles rebelled along with his throbbing head. He panicked for about two seconds until ..."Mr. Data??" he realized.  
::Those eyes are his..Not the Borg's.  
And I'm on Voyager's holodeck. Not on a Borg assimilation table.::

Jean Luc forced himself to take even breaths to clear his head of the last of the sonic wash's effects. He had a tremendous headache.  
But he forced himself to move.

Geordi was sprawled only feet away.  
"LaForge...." Jean Luc shouted, wincing as the sound of his own voice lanced through his head. His engineer did not move.

Jean Luc dragged himself hand over hand to his side and felt his officer's throat for a heartbeat.  
It was there. Then, he noticed a spent triox cartridge lying near Geordi's shoulder.

He sniffed it. It had recently been used.  
"Somebody treated both of us.. Somebody treated us then got called away to attend another more pressing matter.."

A sudden thought struck him. ::Is this Sospiria's doing?:: He located the female caretaker's still form on the floor by concentrating and his holographic self simultaneously started seeing her moments later in the lab.  
Her body seemed to be phosphorescing faintly while she lay there.  
Picard didn't bother checking her for lifesigns.  
The faint energy coming off of her convinced him not to.

Instead, he concentrated, returning to the holodeck mentally. He made sure Geordi was all right breathing wise before he crawled to the next body near him.

It was Janeway's.

"Captain..." Jean Luc called out. He pulled himself shakily up her side until he was even with her head. He shook her.  
"Can you hear me?"

Then he noticed how, she too, had been positioned neutrally to allow for a good air exchange and he found another triox cartridge cap on the rug.

She didn't respond to him, but her breathing remained slow and deep. Her pulse rate was growing stronger in a way triox would produce if it had been used recently. ::I get it.:: Picard reasoned. ::The EMH treated all of us. My heart's not so susceptible to the neurogenic shock like they are. I must have recovered first.  
The EMH and Boothby must've left to secure the starshi-  
Good god!:: He realized. ::What if this effect got to all of them beyond the lab? What if everyone on Voyager's been knocked unconscious?::

He struggled to his feet against the holocomputer,  
blearily rubbing his eyes. "Who's on the bridge?  
Someone has to take command..." he whispered.

He toggled on one of Boothby's communications bands, the universal one all rooms on Voyager had access to.

The commline snapped on, "ECH? What the h#ll kind of call sign is this?" came an angry voice. "We've just registered a massive crew blackout over there. We have to assume an intruder has taken over the ship. Our weapons are armed and our shields are up. Respond to this message: Queen to King's level two... Over.."

The ECH began to sweat.. ::Uh oh..:: He began to whisper sideways to Boothby's speaker grill. "Ah,.. bridge to Boothby.. Come in.. I need you right n--"

"Queen to King's level two... Respond in twenty seconds or we'll open fire to disable.." came Enterprise's demand.

Picard gasped, fighting to clear his head. "Is that the holodoc's voice I hear up there? What the h--"

He hit his combadge. "Picard to Enterprise. Rook to Knight's level three. Stand down red alert. But keep those shields up following my next order. We've been hit by backwash from an illegal long distance transporter from Earth.." He quickly used ship's internal sensors to find that only he was conscious thus far. And that Boothby and the EMH were on the bridge.

He frowned at an indicator, showing that the EMH now had a full tie in with Voyager's command codes.  
He couldn't make sense of it.

He decided to get his own men safe before dealing with that mystery. "Enterprise. Lower your shields.  
Three to beam out. Target LaForge, Data and myself... Transport us.  
Then get those shields back up again.." he gasped. "Have a medical and engineering team standing by.. Engage.."

Captain Picard knelt on the floor, holding the shoulders of Data and Geordi and he felt the transporter take them home.

He staggered into the arms of a waiting medic but he waved her aside.

"Captain.. You're hurt.. Let me take you to s--"

"I'm fine for the moment. Geordi is your first priority.  
I'll deal with this crisis first, then I'll report to Beverly."

"But.."

"Lieutenant. That's an order.." Captain Picard reaffirmed.

She hastened away reluctantly and helped the med team set Geordi onto an antigrav gurney. Craftily, though,  
she aimed a tricorder at the captain when he wasn't looking.  
She told a medic to stay behind and follow him whereever he went or "Pay the price later.."

She looked worriedly at him when Picard rested his head against the transporter console for a few seconds, gasping.

The team headed out with LaForge, but Picard stopped the antigrav holding Data. "Wait, I want to try something.."  
He crouched down and pressed his fingers curiously up and down Data's side, hunting for a certain depression. "Ahh..There it is.." His touch had located Data's on switch.  
He toggled it and the android sat up, beginning to go into a reboot mode. "Leave him here. I'll brief him.  
Go.." he told the engineering teams.

"Yes sir.." And they left. Soon, the only ones in the room were the transporter chief and the medic who was ordered to remain behind with Data and Picard.

Picard tapped his combadge. =^=Picard to Voyager.  
Come in..=^=

"Hello? Captain Picard? Is that you? What are you doing awak-- How did you get over there? How is your heart rate?" the ECH fired off.

Jean Luc sighed as he watched Data orient himself to his new location and run a diagnostic on his primary systems as he took to his feet. The medic took the antigrav to a corner of the room. But he didn't leave. Picard smiled at his tenacity with approval. "Relax doctor. Everything's fine. But first.  
You must secure Voyager. Raise your shields.  
Even that transporter can't get through a full set of deflectors all the way from Earth. Use your primary programming access codes to implement it."

"Done."

Picard blinked. "That was fast."

The EMH sighed. "I am now an ECH. An Emergency Command Hologram. The computer was given the power to augment me the moment all the command crew was incapacitated... It .. I am feeling more and more confident as the tie ins fully integrate with my own medical parameters. I now know everything a captain knows and protocols to any given situation according to Starfleet Regulations. The first two minutes of hesitation your people saw is all the time I'm going to be lax.  
That was simply .. prep time.."

"Fine. Give me a run down on Voyager's systems.  
Any possible damage and a casuality report."  
He said, sighing.

The ECH and Boothby were now one entity. They thought and acted alike. They spoke in one voice.  
"All systems nominal ship wide. No signs of power fluctuations, interruptions or surges. Weapons and shields are fully activated. Going to red alert."

Picard nodded with satisfaction. "Good. That's what I would do next. And your crew?"

The ECH/Boothby spoke again. "Seven of Nine was in respiratory crisis. Her condition is resolved.  
And she's now stable. Miral Torres is unharmed inside an audio shield which saved her from the sonic backlash. All the rest of Voyager's crew are still showing signs of profound unconsciousness but are responding to the ADT derivative released into the ship's air supply. The worst cases have all been treated with Triox compound. Anyone should begin to awaken at any time. I have them on shipwide monitoring."

"Fine. That's as it should be, "captain".." Picard grinned. "Now the next thing you should be considering is the continued threat from--"

"Sospiria...yes.." The ECH/Bootby amalgamate finished for him. "We have her under computer guard with an automatic transporter lock that'll move and store her in the pattern buffer should she awaken and become hostile towards us."

A chill hit Picard. The voice of the EMH and Boothby were showing qualities of linkage that reminded him again of the nightmare he had suffered while forcing himself to consciousness on Voyager.  
::How very Borg like.:: He dismissed his feelings as ridiculous ones. ::This is just two Starfleet crafted computer holoprograms working together to solve an unusual starship emergency. Nothing more:  
His doubts faded away.

He turned on the side viewer on the wall and his eyes widened when he saw Boothby's outline leave the ECH to reform instead in Chakotay's chair. ::Ahh.. two commanders.  
Voyager's computer has adapted somehow to end the like thinking. I must ask Kathryn when she's better how her people came up with this ECH mode. It's fascinating.::

Weakness threatened to rule him now that Enterprise's sistership was secure and in safe hands. He sagged against the console and was immediately supported by the lingering medic. He felt a hypo press against his throat.  
More triox. "Easy sir.. I know you have to go to the bridge. This will help.." he said.

"Thank you ensign.." Picard said, feeling the drug's energy suffuse through him. "I hate sonic stuns.. Give me a moment. I'll be fine."

From the viewscreen showing Voyager's bridge.  
The holodoctor's medical mode had reasserted itself.  
"No, you aren't fine. You're heartrate is off the scale, you can barely stand , let alone think.."

"Doctor.." Picard said firmly, holding up a hand. "Wounded captains can stay on duty until certain first officers say they've had enough. That check and balance system has been in place since long before your astute programming was barely an idea in Dr.  
Lewis Zimmerman's head. I won't be allowed to abuse myself nor my command. A few bruises can be suffered on my end. The Enterprise D doesn't have the luxury of having an ECH such as yourself."  
he teased. "Or an EMH for that matter.  
So don't worry about me. Attend to your own crew first. I'll start launching a plan of action to deal with Komach and his special group from here. Keep me posted. Picard out."

He felt a curious touch tap his shoulder when the viewscreen showing Voyager's bridge, was blank. He nearly jumped out of his skin. But it was only Mr. Data.  
"Have I missed much, captain? Last thing I remember,  
I was watching Voyager's security chief stunning Admiral Komach for reaching for a hidden signalling device in the arm of his chair. Did Komach succeed,  
sir?"

"Yes, Mr. Data. He reactivated his long distance transporter system and got away. The sonic backlash residue from its activation knocked all of us, including you, unconscious until just now.  
Only you and I are awake from over there."

"Then who's in command of Voyager, sir, if everyone's unconscious?"

"Don't ask.." Picard said, walking through the bulkhead doors for the nearest turbolift.  
Data went after him and so did the hovering medic.

Picard glanced behind himself as he paced towards Enterprise's bridge. ::Hmm, I must be home for sure,  
a curious android and a protesting medic are tailing my every step.::

It felt good beyond words despite his ghosting aches.

-  
(attachments)

NONE Author offers apology

*  
From : Fran Catrair Subject : [voyagerliveaction] Like Flies on the Wall Date : Thu, 18 Oct 2001 00:22:09 -0700 (PDT)

"....Dearest. Our son's in a bit of a bind with the humans. Things are fine. He's about to stretch some muscles. Wanna come watch? We're at Earth headquarters. Komach's secret Section 31 lair. Bring Q2's date and popcorn. I think he's about to do us both VERY proud.  
Signed.. Q..."

Lady Q skeptically thought of a snide remark she could make for Q's invitation when she remembered the conversation she had just had with Amanda. Immediately sobering, she decided she wasn't quite ready to face Q and Q2 just yet. Taking a deep breath and shaking her head, she plopped down into a chair and sighed heavily. "I don't know how I'm going to be able to do this." she said, softly.

Amanda watched the older woman silently. As much as she wished to see Q2 again, she decided Lady Q still needed her here. So, she silently watched. Upon hearing Lady Q's comment, she perked up. "Do what?" she asked the older woman.

"Be this 'softer' Q." Lady Q said, shaking her head.  
"Just take it one step at a time. I'll be here to help, if you need me." Amanda finished, smiling at the older woman.

Lady Q was about to say something else when she felt a distraction. She sensed an extraordinary force; one which seemed to be calling her. Looking at Amanda, who felt the same pull, Lady Q and Amanda soon found themselves in the star lab where many people from Voyager and Enterprise were assembled, including some she did not recognize. Except, they were there unnoticed. Somehow, they had not materialized full Q. Even Q, Q2 and Quince were unaware of their presence. Waving Amanda Q off with a slight shake of her finger, she pointed to the rest and indicate they should be like flies on the wall and watch.

She was thoroughly enjoying Janeway's interrogation of the young guards. Grudgingly, she had to admit,  
she could see why Q was smitten with the Voyager captain. A thrill went through her as she watched Janeway proceed with the hypospray, only to have Quince interfere.

Quince! The man HAD to be the sorriest excuse for an enforcer. Couldn't the fool see that Janeway had been so close to obtaining the information the Voyager people needed? Even she could see that.

Observing Admiral Komach, even she could see what a sick, manipulative man he was. She was surprised Starfleet had allowed him to hold a position of power so long. As she continued with her musings, she noticed his movements and too late realized what he was about to do.

Grabbing Amanda's hand, she quickly snapped them away; into the area Bashir had erected around the Torres baby. "We'll come back and check on everyone later." she promised the confused girl. Closing her eyes, she had a thought which surprised even her. ::Q, you and our son HAVE to be okay; you hear me? You HAVE to.:: she fervently hoped.

-----------------------------------------------------

B'Elanna was definitely feeling out-of-sorts. So much had just happened. One moment, she was in the interrogation room. Then, Q2 had regained his powers.  
And then, Tom had shown up and given Q2 the distraction he needed to get them all out of there; safe.

Looking over at her husband, B'Elanna felt a grin cover her face. ::My hero. The cavalry have nothing on you, my dear.:: she thought to herself. After determining that Engineering was indeed doing all right after her extended absence, her gaze returned to the monitor in sickbay, and Miral. She missed her so much. ::Who would have thought I could feel so much of a connection after such a short time?:: she mused. Looking around at her 'family' on the Bridge, B'Elanna felt contented, and felt herself slipping into her routines once again.

She overheard Chakotay's conversation with Janeway,  
and grimaced to herself. She would hate to be those unlucky guards when interrogated by her. She herself had felt the wrath of Janeway's temper many times. Hopefully, the Captain would find out what was going on and what Komach wanted with them.

Suddenly, a light penetrated the ship, followed by a high pitched noise. B'Elanna, with her sensitive hearing, felt herself slipping away. Looking at Tom, then looking at the monitor, she felt herself reaching out, in maternal instinct, to the image of Miral on her console.

Some time later, B'Elanna felt the voices. She could hear the ECH on the Bridge. ::The ECH?:: she thought to herself, confused. She wanted to get up; knew she needed to get up. With a determined growl, straight from her Klingon half, B'Elanna shook herself awake.

The ECH looked at her, startled. "Goodness,  
Lieutenant. I would hate to wake up next to you every morning." he mused, with wonder and amusement on his face.

Smiling at him, she felt herself coming back to normal. "Just a healthy Klingon constitution, doc." she said, using Tom's nickname for him. Quickly, she looked at the monitor.

"Miral is fine, B'Elanna. Dr. Bashir was able to put her into a stasis chamber before he lost consciousness himself. She's suffered no injuries. In fact, as you can see, she's sleeping peacefully." he concluded, a note of satisfaction in his voice.

B'Elanna noted that Miral was, indeed, sleeping soundly. Satisfied her daughter was safe, she turned her attention back to the Bridge.

Making her way over to the Conn, she quickly checked Chakotay. She noticed he was in no danger. Same with Seven. Finally reaching Tom's place at the Conn, she got down on one knee and felt his pulse.  
::Strong and steady; just like you.:: she thought to herself, gazing at him affectionately.

She laid a hand on his cheek. "Come on, love, wake up." she quietly told him. "You're sleeping on the job, here." she added, teasingly. Worried, she knew she should be at her station, but she noticed the ECH had everything in hand. She intended to be the first person Tom saw when he finally woke up.

-  
(attachments)

Image: Q and Lady Q outside in the woods.  
Image : Tom, the EMH and B'Elanna, talking.

Image: B'Elanna Torres in closeup, smiling.

*************************************

From : "patti keiper" Subject : [voyagerliveaction] That Icky, Kissy Thing... :) Date :Sat, 20 Oct 2001 04:48:16 +0000

Q and Quince quickly followed Lady Q and Amanda Q's choice of refuge, inside Miral's sound proof force field in Voyager's sickbay.

The two "men" had no idea that the "ladies" had beaten them there. They talked to each other, staring down occasionally at the tiny, sleeping infant lying on the bio bed between them while they waited for the sonic backwash outside to die down.

"Did you see that, old pal?!" Quince said excitedly. "Crusty Komach's a 007, and a witch hunter at the same time.. I am impressed.. " then he thought seriously, "I wonder if Komachy would love to become a Q to join our Inquisition's Club. He's got quite the heavy hand streak in him. He pole axed an entire starship crew just for his own personal getaway.. Now that takes guts.." His eyes sparkled.

Q's, however, dulled sharply. "Quince.. Now you know humans aren't allowed for Q elevations without a Unanimous Vote. It'd never work." Q said, looking around him without seeing, the sickbay walls and panels. He peered closely at Julian Bashir sprawled just outside the containment field. "Ooo, now he's going to have quite the sonic headache now isn't he? Lucky we popped in here in time , eh?"

Quince was still working around the humans as Q idea. "Why wouldn't it work, Q? Amanda became one of us."

Q scoffed, fluttering a hand at Quince, "Yeah, well. Hate to burst your bubble buddy. That's only because her unlucky parents were part of our genetic breeding program at that time. And that project had a Unanimous Vote behind it. Both the Q Betterment Board and the Q College of Galactic Snoopery."

Quince slumped from his place cross legged on the biobed. "Guess you're right. I can tell you this now that you know I am a Human Fan, too. I have admiring stars in my eyes for dasteredly evil human types like Komach. The good ones never last very long you know. They always get it in the end. They're my heroes, in a way. My best how-to-develop a-sense-of-style source material."

"Mine, too. A personal fav was Picard's Moriarty holovillian.. Now he, knew how to show a lady, a good time. Why once, he--" Q began sniffing the air inside the tiny, energy confined space he and his old nemesis had found refuge within.

Unseen and above them, Lady Q and Amanda, stifled giggles and horror as they thought their female Q Perfume was being detected through their Q visual invisibility screen.

But they needn't have worried in the least, there was a stronger stench rising apparently. Q asked, "Do you smell that?" and both his and Quince's voice choked off when their sniffing noses came near the sleeping humanoid baby in between them.

"Diaper geerrrmmmSSSSSssss!!!!! AHhhhhhhhhhh!" And both male Q poofed out so fast the field warped in for a few seconds in the places where they had vanished from.

Lady Q's face fell from her earlier amusement. "Now I know why Q never offered to change Q2's Q diapers. How juvenile..It's almost like the humans' girl germs/boy germs attitude in their childhood days. Now it's with Quince and my husband...It must be an innate male Q weakness nobody's ever heard about before."

Amanda's face lit up. "Oh, realllyyy.."

She and Lady Q's eyes met in mutual lightbulb flashes as the same idea struck both of them at the same time.

"Hmmmmmm. Just like vampires and garlic.. huh??" Amanda Q looked down at Miral's curving baby rear and smiled. "We'll take that..." she said and fingersnapped. In a wink, Miral's soggy diaper was suddenly in Amanda's hand, held by a rubber glove.

Lady Q and Amanda vanished leaving Miral's cute rump shining in the bright sickbay lamps, bare to the world. Miral,.. feeling a draft, began the first vestige of the famous Klingon temper tantrum and her lower lip screwed up in a cry. Her wail pushed out the audio field's walls like a balloon, blowing it out like a billows almost to the breaking point.

Bashir was oblivious to her indignant din, still being too stunned to smell or hear anything yet from where he lay on the carpetting still deep in sonic coma.

---------------------

A few decks away, Boothby looked up from a comatose crewman he was treating outside the messhall. He thought he had heard something. Then he shook his head. ::Nah.. I'm hearing things. Probably, just the solar wind. We must've pulled back in line with the sun again away from Jupiter.:: And he turned back to work, injecting the more shocky downed crew he found from the rest, with his Triox compound.

---------------------

Quince and Q found themselves hanging their heads outside the port windows, open to space, getting some fresh nonair. "Oh, man...Gahhh" "That was the worst..." *Cough*

Then Quince recovered long enough to start counting the window rows along Voyager's saucer section up to where they were suspended outside the ship. "Hey, Q.."

"Huh..?" said the sniffling, green feeling Q. "What do you want? Can't you see I'm still heaving here?"

Quince didn't care. He asked, "Exactly,..what deck are we on there buddy? Looks like Deck Eleven to me.. or thereabouts.. Shouldn't we be watching our own rears right about in this area??" he said, the beginnings of fear creeping into his voice.

Q's eyes shot open and he forgot all about his nappy nudged nausea. "Deck Eleven!! The messhall.. And we're not protected by the Bartender truce out here!!"

And they both yanked their heads back inside the ship, fearing they'd feel Guinan's Golden Gun's special kind of justice being dished out into their presenting posteriors. They snapped around so fast in their tracks that they both sat down hard, sagging against the wall.

Guinan was there, all right, on top the bar, on her stomach, with her black eyes staring right at them, the muzzle of the Golden Gun aimed unerringly from under her chin.

Quince and Q both screamed at the very top of their Q empowered lungs.

"AHHHhhh!!!""

-----------------------------------

On a new deck, with new patients, Boothby again looked up. ::Now that was no solar wind. That was more like a ... more like a... plasma storm than anything else. Huh.. I gotta tell Janeway she's gotta recommission better hull plating for our next journey out or no one's going to be able to sleep at night.::

A recovering whimper drew his attentions from his thoughts.

Boothby crouched and there, tucked against Janeway's cabin doorway, was Molly, still weaving groggily from the departing transporter beam's stun effect. It looked like she had tried to scratch her way inside before the sonics knocked her senseless.

"Hey... easy girl....I guess you must be the real thing. Our holo Molly wouldn't be so obviously shell shocked.. Come here, girl. Let's get you taken care of right now." he soothed.

Crying softly, the Irish Setter went to the first awake seeming person she had encountered since the big noise hurt her and buried her head under Boothby's arm.

Boothby ran through his ident database inside his computer matrix and found the right medication to give a canine from his medkit. He gave it to Molly with his hypo and her shivering went away. "Let's go. I count only four more crew to treat. Then we'll head back to the holodeck for Janeway. Maybe you'll be able to wake her as the EMH could not." And he patted Molly's red head.

Eagerly, the now pain free dog followed Boothby on his emergency medical round, keeping close to his heels.

--------------------

Two thudding Q hearts began to calm when absolutely nothing happened.

Quince peeked through his fingers over his eyes. "Why isn't she doing anything to us? We're not seated on a bar stool's safe territory.." He nudged his compatriot. "Go over there and see why..."

Q pushed back, afraid to even look up, "I'm not going to go over there. YOU go over there if you want to see why so bad. Me? As soon as I get my Q legs back, I'm outta here.."

Quince swallowed hard around his throat and slowly lowered his hand from over his face, dropping out of his cower.

Guinan was still staring at them, belly flat, in good cover behind her beverage bottles, with her very big gun, on the bar, pointed right down their noses.

Quince flinched once, but slowly rose to his shaky feet.

Q followed suit, but ducking behind Quince's broad shoulder. "Why isn't she reacting.. Are we invisible?"

Quince whirled around, "Do we LOOK invisible? I know I didn't think to snap on the ol one way mirror running from that Kling diapey, now did you?"

Q shook his head. "Oh. Guess we're not then." And he swallowed again, making a gulping noise. "What are we going to do then? We are right in her sights.."

Quince said, "Uhh..... One question.."

Q said, "Shoot.." Then he scrambled horribly, shouting at Guinan. "Not YOU!!" he screeched, "I--I meant.. him.."

Quince squeaked in defense, "Q!!"

"No. no no. I mean don't FIRE at him. I ..well, what I was TRYING to say before was.. oh h*ll, Quince, just go ahead with your question... That's what I meant by saying "shoot.""

Quince dug Q's fingers out of his shoulders. "Do you mind?!" he said, "Come stand out next to me and die like a Q..." And he yanked Q's wrist until his buddy in crime, too, was out in the open. "You got us, Guinan... Fair and Square... and By the Rules.. Make our ends merciful.. Please?"

She didn't react.

Quince opened his eyes again. Looking again at the bar where the hostess was. "Guinan?"

She made no move.

Q was the first to get over his lily liver and approach the weapon toting Guinan from the side, around the Golden Gun's muzzle. "Hey..." And he waved fingers in front of her eyes, before ducking behind a stool in fear.

Nothing happened.

Quince and Q straightened up from their hiding places until Q stretched out reaching for one of Guinan's arms. He poked her in the elbow.

Not a twitch.

Quince's eyes got real big. "Hear that?"

Q listened. "I don't hear anything.."

"Exactly.. Look." And Quince lifted up Guinan's wrist about a foot, before dropping it.

It landed with a soggy thud.

"No...." Q said, staring closer into Guinan's eyes. "She can't be.."

Quince sighed. "Fraid so..."

"She'ss..." Q stammered.

"Caput.."

"S-She's.."

"Finito..."

"S-she's.."

"Yes, Q.. she's..."

"NOT on MY ship she's not!!" Q said, whirling. "Don't even SAY that word..If the Continuum hears that you got Komach here to Voyager beyond his usual normal capability and it resulted in a death." His face paled. "We're both.. We're both..." He began shuddering..

An identical look of horror waxed over the blond Q as he realized the full implications of what his rival had said. "...DON'T say it, Q" Quince wailed. "I can't bear it. It was bad enough with your son.. a- a--and those two guards of Komachys.. But to actually be GROWN UP and then suffer that fate.*shiver* To be a Q and then diminished to the world view of an...*gulp* amoeba..?."

Q denied what he was seeing. "She can't be dead. Why didn't the human's bioflaggy system go off? Boothby shoulda been in here to revive her in two seconds."

Quince looked at Q askance, "Ever seen a combadge on Guinan?"

Q grunted. He didn't even have to voice that answer.

Q stared, almost falling off his bar stool. "What are we going to do? What are we gonna do?"

Quince whispered, "I know.. We'll zap her back.."

"Can't.. " Q whispered even quieter, shivering.

"Why not?" Quince said.

"Duh.. Because she's El Aurien. Ressurrecting Q powers NEVER work on El Auriens after they've bit the big one.." I know, I've tried.." Q whined. "Remember when Quentin sent the Borg down their back alley?"

Quince's head jostled up and down, stupidly.

"Well.. I tried to undo that, knowing that when Quentin got amoeba'd I'd be next in line to sweep and tidy up wormholes as my weekly chore. And I didn't want to do that, at all."

"Not one came back?" Quince said.

"Nope. They all stayed deader than a doornail." Q said.

Silence reigned.

"What kinda options do we have left to us, then Q?" Quince asked, in a very tiny voice.

Q's head shot up, "I know!! I know!! It's a human thing. It's a .. it's a. called..Cognac Prominary Recitation... or something like that.." he said.

Quince rolled his eyes, "That's cardiac pulmonary resusitation." he corrected. "And it only works on the freshly dead.."

Q grabbed the front of Quince's Voyager uniform. "And how do we know she ISN'T freshly dead? I don't smell any nasty stuff here , Quince,, er. except from where we ran away from.... Listen.. If she stays Dead, WE'RE as GOOD as dead, Got that???!!!"

Quince capitulated, "computerhowlonghassilencebeen inthemesshall?"

##Four point two minutes.##

"And before that?"

##Breathing and sounds characteristic of glass and liquids in bottles being packed were being recorded.##

"Bingo!! " Q said, "Now I know how long it takes a biosign stopped El- Aurien to reach the point of no return. I saw some of them go when the Borg spaced them tractoring up sections of their cities to the Cube. That time is five minutes flat. Then it's boots up forever."

Both Q looked at each other, and then both Q looked down at Guinan's statue like open eyed, dead face. Her chin was still resting on the gun she had aimed at the windows in reflex against the sonic noise which had killed her.

The two Q scrambled, swiping off bottles and bottles of rare liquors and wines and ales. They crashed onto the floor as they yanked the gun away from Guinan's death grip. The two Q rushed, flipping her over onto her back..

"You got the head, I'll do the chest thing.. It is the chest area for this on El-Auriens?" Quince asked, not really wanting to touch his playground bullyess.

"No I saw them do that on the left hip. Whatdoya mean I got the head? I'm not doing the kissy thing. You do the kissy thing. Yuckk!! Just just blow out into her maw until her cheeks puff out like a Denebian-" Q shuddered with a look of nausea on his face.

"That's gross, Q.. Not fair, Why does it have to be me? As far as I know. No Q has ever gone lip to lip with an El Aurien. I'm not doing it.."

"Flip ya for the hip thing.."

"You got it."

Both Q whipped out a two headed buffalo nickle. "Nope.." "Nope." Then both said, tossing them away.

They ended up spinning one of the Golden Gun's golden bullets to see where the pointy end ended up pointing to.

The bullet went round and round.. and round and round..

Quince shouted. "Computer! Time since silence initiated!"

##Four minutes, fifty six seconds..##

"Ahhhhh!!" Both Q panicked.

The bullet came to a halt, narrow end at Q.

"Go!! go go go go go.." They scrambled, shifting their positions from where they knelt over Guinan on top of the glowing bar.. trading places.

Q tilted back Guinan's dead head. "I can't do this.. She's still staring up at m--"

"Do it!!" Quince said, beginning to push up and down on Guinan's left hip area. "Or it's curtains for ALL three of us.."

##Time since silence, four minutes fifty ni--##

"Q!!!" Quince roared.

Q pryed Guinan's jaws apart and stuck to her face like a leech with his face, doing the awful, never been done before between Q and El Aurien icky kissy thing..

PUFFF!!!

##Five minutes.## pinged the computer timer.

Both Q nearly jolted out of their Voyager uniforms when that final time got in half a second AFTER Q had started his end of the resusitation efforts.

"That was...... stupid Q....... We almost..... missed the.......final mark." Quince said around his CPR compressions.

Q looked up in disgust in between breaths. "I have... **puff** had enough....**Puff** of your petty.... **puff**...insults!!!"

"Fine.....just keep.....at it......whatever you do...."

"Why?"

"!... Look!!"

Sure enough, under Q's hands, Guinan's face looked less gray and more....Guinan colored ...as oxygen was pumped around and blown into her still freshly dead body.

Both Q started smiling like idiots, too when they saw that happen. So they kept it up.

The puffs and the lower left side pushes went on for about two minutes which felt like an entire Q lifetime for Quince and Q senior as they worked to yank their old bullyess from the brink on the very bar battleground where they had once fought only hours earlier.

Then the two Q miscreants really started feeling the handicap of not being able to use their mutual Q powers to right things.

"Are you sure you're doing that right?" "What do you mean am I doing this right?" "I only meant that--" "I know what you meant. I don't know. Do you?" "How am I supposed to know? I'm used to Lazarus-ing by fingersnap." "Yeah? Well so am I buddy boy. Watch that, you're puffing too much." "Yeah? Well, you're pushing too much." "Think you can do it better?" "Yeah.." "Yeah?" "Yeah.." "Yeah?" "Ok.. You do this.."

"Allright. I'll show you. I'll show you how it's.." Quince broke off when he realized Q had him had and now it was he going to do the never before been done Q/ ElAurien icky kissy thing. Before he could worm his way out of it, he had to do it so Guinan wouldn't miss getting some badly needed air. **Puff** "eeooowww.." Quince spat to the side.. "Yuckk"

"Heh." Q said, from his place with his hands pushing over Guinan's hip. "Now that's two of us in the scrod seat so quit your complaining pal or I'll.."

""....**gggaassspp..**

Both Q froze over Guinan. Then their hands felt a flutter of a heartbeat and felt the warmth of breath flowing over their omnipotent but hogged tied fingers.

Guinan's eyes rolled up into her head and she continued to draw in more and more air weakly until she let out a long sobbing,... "Ooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh."

Both Q shot off the bar so fast the bar stools around them spun around light speed as they both kicked the Golden Gun out of reach of her clenching and unclenching finger tips...

They both Q popped out the windows into space ducking down out of eye and ear shot of the newly revived, gasping hostess before she knew she was even half awake...

They inched up eyes until they could just watch her safely "recover" her vital signs. They flinched when the first strong motor skill was when Guinan's hand raised up to hold her aching head.

Then Q remembered something truly important. He smacked Quince in the chest.

"OWw!!" Quince wailed. "What did you do that for?"

"I was activating your combadge stupid. Q to Boothby. Medical Emergency. Messhall. If you want to return Picard's party host back to him in one piece. Get down there. Or she might die again." He Q muted the line so he wouldn't have to hear both the Boothby and EMH holoprograms answer back asking stupid questions. ::Pugh.. Human holoprograms.. They're just like em..:: "So...." He added.

"So.." Quince echoed..

"Why didn't you think of calling Boothby?"

"Why didn't YOU think of calling Boothby?"

"Don't know.."

"Well neither do I." Quince said, folding his arms over his chest and then wincing where Q had "tapped" the combadge.

Both Q started floating a bit, nose to nose in rivalry until they both began to laugh like there was no tommorrow.

-----

::There almost wasn't.:: Lady Q thought, wiping the Q sweat from her brow left over from her tension sprung anxiety. She watched her husband and his college bud/rival congratulate themselves. ::Let that be a lesson to you, Amanda.:: she thought at the teen girl Q floating next to her in a nebula hidden from the "men".

"What?" Amanda said.

Lady Q shrugged. ::Never mate with a Q who knows humans who are putting up rooms for El Auriens on their starships. Or you just might end up being the consort of an amoeba.::

"Oh." Amanda said.

-----

Down below, by Voyager, still in open space, Quince looked at Q, "Dang.." he whispered, like a keeper around an open tiger's cage as he watched Guinan cough and moan on the bar through the outer windows.

"What?" Q said, whispering equally low, helping Q keep an eye on Guinan until the two holo chipheads arrived with their medical kits.

"We missed a prime opportunity to see just exactly what's underneath that hat of hers.."

-  
(attachments)

*animated gif* A green EKG blip on a black box, flowing a strip.

Image : Q and Quince in cahoots with each other, near windows.

Image: Guinan, looking a little sick, full shot.

Image: Close up of Miral, the Torres baby's cute face.

*animated gif* The Enterprise D saucer section burning up in orbit.

*  
From : "Katherine Bird" Subject :[voyagerliveaction] A Mother's Touch Date : Sat, 20 Oct 2001 21:41:09 +0100

Sam Wildman smiled. Snatches and pictures of the wedding entered her eyes; whirling colors bright with sunlight from Kataria's primary. And then... and then....

A peach colored wave washed them away, and Sam was on the silver mote drowning inside of it.  
"Something's got the ship!! Something's got Voyager!"

Again, the nightmare of seven years swept away joyful memories, the caretaker wave which carried them all so far from home, the memory of her husband shrank,  
getting dimmer and smaller until he was almost gone..

"NO!!"  
Samantha awoke with a gasp, on her back. She was on the holodeck. And Leonardo's workshop had gone. So had Leonardo.  
::What happened?:: Samantha Wildman wondered as she struggled to focus her eyes on the glowing yellow and black hologrid surrounding her. Her eyes saw that the red alert had been activated again.  
"Something's hit the ship?" she whispered, rolling onto her side, fighting fatigue and a racing heartbeat.  
She had an iron taste in her mouth.:: Triox Compound?::

Every Starfleet cadet had a chance to be injected with that stimulant their first year in the academy in prep for an emergency scenario like the Kobiyoshi Maru that featured a ship deck with no air that had to be navigated without environmental suits. The side effects of the drug also caused vivid dreaming while boosting suppressed vital signs. ::I hate that side effect..::

Then full awareness returned to Sam. "Naomi??!"  
She fought trembling muscles and rose to knees and elbows, peering about in the gloom.  
"Computer. Full illumination. Holodeck Three.."

##Full lights## the computer warbled.

Sam gasped when she saw the other bodies in the room. Captain Janeway's, Leah Brahams, Harry's.  
::Where's Data, Geordi and Captain Picard?  
We were all in here together dealing with Sospiria.::

But then she saw her daughter lying a short distance away. She, too, had been treated with Triox compound on her tricorder.

"Naomi? Honey.." Sam shook her daughter. But awareness nor dreams were evident. Wildman lifted her up into her arms,  
"It's ok... I'll watch you. You're going to be fine." she told herself, just a little frightened.  
She rose to her feet, carrying Naomi and she knelt by the lady scientist, Leah, and the captain. Both women were stable and their vitals were showing signs of being Triox boosted on her tricorder.  
"Captain? Miss Brahams?"

Neither one showed signs of waking up.

Sam Wildman glanced around, realizing something.  
"Where's Komach and the two prisoners? I wonder if they had anything to do with--"  
A frightening thought struck her and she hit her combadge.  
=^=Lt. Wildman to the bridge. Respond.=^=

"This is the bridge Lieutenant. Welcome back. We were beginning to wonder when the airborne ADT would begin to have an effect on the crew."

::That sounds like the holodoc. What's he doing answering the command communications line from the bridge:  
"Doctor? What's going on? I've several unconscious people here. Including my daughter and the captain..."  
Sam asked.

The EMH sighed, "Admiral Komach managed to rig a site to site beam from Earth through a Jovian satellite. It was an illegal long distance carrier wave and it rendered you and everyone unconscious when he and his guards made an escape..." There was a pause. "Your vital signs are looking good. And so are everyone else's in that room."

Sam groggily looked at her own combadge. She had forgotten that combadges could be rigged into the computer to monitor lifesigns. She cradled Naomi closer to herself as she was reassured that all wasn't as dire as it seemed.  
=^=I'm bringing Naomi to sickbay.=^= she said instantly.

The EMH replied, "You can if you'd like to. However,  
Boothby and I have rigged a treatment into the ship's life support system. Everyone's being treated whereever they lay right now. The same as they would have gotten if taken to sickbay. In fact, I have to treat people this way.  
The medical staff themselves are still unconscious. Dr.  
Bashir hasn't been answering hails."

"I'll find out what I can do for them when I get there." Sam said.  
She took up Janeway's wrist to convince herself that she was indeed stable medically. "Are you sure I can leave the captain?"  
A strong pulsebeat met her fingertips and she watched Kathryn's breathing visually.

"You can. I've already treated the captain like I treated you and Naomi." replied the EMH "I ....just can't be physically there right now. ...You see...I'm in command of Voyager.."

Sam was shocked. "You're what?"

The EMH sounded uncomfortable over the commline,  
"Do you remember when my matrices were locked into my daydreaming mode last year? Well, one of my fantasies was to be able to take over command of the ship in case the command crew were ever incapacitated.  
The captain thought that the idea she saw while I was being repaired had merit. So she instigated an investigation and had me augmented to become an ECH. Not officially, mind you. But now, I've had to rely on that protocol a little early.. Captain Picard's been assisting me from the Enterprise."

"I understand." Wildman answered. "Has all the crew been accounted for? Are they all out of danger?"

"Yes." came a new voice. Boothby's face appeared on a computer screen next to where Samantha was crouched over the captain. "I have just finished treating the worst cases of stun with Triox. I even found Molly,  
the captain's pet from home. I just don't know what to do with her.."

Sam smiled. "Hmm, I have an idea. I'm routing for a group site to site transport," she said,rising to the nearest computer console with her free hand.  
She keyed in the commands, cradling Naomi against her shoulder with the other. "I'm going to send everyone here,  
including myself to sickbay. I'm showing four biobeds free. That's where I'm sending the captain, Harry, Naomi,  
and Dr. Brahams.  
I'll keep an eye on them while I see to speeding up the medical staff's recovery.. While you're at it. Send Molly here with another beam. It'll calm her knowing somebody else is awake. Best I can think of at the moment."

"Every bit helps.." Boothby nodded. "Get ready to receive Molly in fifteen minutes."

"Right." So Sam completed her task.

She arrived in sickbay with the others and she looked around.  
Janeway and Leah were on beds two and three. Harry on number four. Samantha set Naomi on the fifth and covered her up. "Don't worry honey.. mommy's right here."

Lt. Wildman turned on all the diagnostic readouts on the bio monitors so she could keep tabs on their conditions.

Then she saw Bashir and Miral. The baby was crying very loudly. It seems someone had been halfway in the task of changing her. But Sam was at a loss to find out where either the clean or dirty nappy was. It was a tiny mystery.

Bashir, was on the floor. His system showed no signs of Triox. ::I guess Boothby found that he wasn't in as deep a shock as some.:: Sam knelt above him and lightly shook him by the shoulders. "Doctor Bashir? Can you hear me?"

Julian groaned, coming to consciousness. "Oh my head."  
Then he focused, sitting up. "Miss Wildman? What am I doing on the floor? Last I remember was this bright light and t--" He broke off, seeing patients on all the beds. He got to his feet, too fast.

Sam had to steady the young doctor against Miral's bed.  
"Easy. That was Komach using an illegal long distance beam."

Bashir looked worriedly, "That'll cause widespread neurogenic shock. How's the rest of the crew?"

Sam smiled, "Boothby and the EMH have everything under control. ADT's been added to the ventilation systems and the worst cases have received Triox hypos."

Bashir had already read the monitors above the beds.  
"Voyager's captain, Mr. Kim, and Leah here are fine. So's your daughter. How about you...?" he said, turning to Samantha.  
"Are you feeling a residual headache?"

Sam shook her head. "Not anymore, although I had some pretty horrific hallucinations while waking up."

"Typical with sonic backwash.." Bashir said, running fingers over his terminal to call up the bioflag alert system on the entire ship crew's combadges. All vital signs were normal.  
"So far so good.. We were lucky.."  
On another thought Julian looked up at Samantha.  
"Who's in command right now? I see the red alert's up again."

Sam frowned as she watched the crying Miral inside her dampening field "Your holographic colleague, doctor.. He's been boosted into something the captain and Starfleet have been considering. Ever heard of an ECH?"

He smiled, "Yes...the holodoc and I touched on that briefly while we were operating on Tuvok. Well well well, the first use of that parameter should put it through the paces now won't it."  
He then noticed the Torres baby.  
"Oh.. the danger's over. We can lower this shielding."

He toggled a switch and a very loud squawling made Sam and Julian cover their ears reflexively..

Sam shouted "What's wrong?? Oh my gosh.."

Julian reerected a lighter audio blocking field just around Miral.  
The noise cut off.  
He shook his head, smiling. "Wow,,I've heard of Klingon Hybrid's infant hunger cry, but never this one before. It's registering on one hundred and ten decibels.."

Sam reached through, "I know what's wrong.. Somebody left her half changed.."

Bashir stopped her hand, "Lt.. wait. Miral's very angry right now.  
One of those kicks could break your arm. Let me sedate her a bit before you pick her up."

Julian flooded the field with a light mist, and Miral hiccupped,  
slowly her crying ended and she blinked sleepily up at the doctor and Samantha from the sixth biobed.

"Ok,.. it's safe now.." Julian said, "Both her crying and her anger,  
are over." He recalled the field around Miral.

Samantha reached down and picked up the tiny newborn,  
"Hey there, honey.. It's ok.. We'll find mama soon.." And she gathered up the silver sheet to wrap the chilled baby.  
"Doctor,..got any nappys handy?"

"Hmmm?" Julian said, distracted as he looked up from his crew readouts. He found that John Torres was stable but still out from where he lay on the first biobed.

Samantha showed him Miral's state of undress briefly.  
"Taking care of this will end her anger.."

"Oh. oh oh. uh, let me get one from the replicators."  
And he left for the office.

Samantha circled in place, holding Miral's fingers while the sedated child played with her hair.

Everything seemed calm enough and Sam felt nothing but a growing anger herself at how callously Komach had endanger her ship's family.

She sure hoped everyone had been spared the sonic's damage.

---------

Little did she know, that on the bridge, Boothby and the ECH were receiving a priority med hail.

Q to Boothby. Medical Emergency. Messhall. If you want to return Picard's party host back to him in one piece. Get down there. Or she might die again."

---------

In sickbay.. Sam felt something wasn't right but couldn't place her unfounded feeling but then Molly sparkled in from Boothby's location,  
and the red dog bounded into the main ward of sickbay, arrowing immediately for the captain's bed.  
"Hey, down girl.. " Sam said, grabbing Molly's collar.  
"She's right there.. Sit. Don't jump.."

By the time Samantha got the distraught irish setter under control, she had forgotten about her little feeling.

----------

On the bridge Boothby and the ECH only got static following Q's odd call.

But the ECH answered a hunch and set Voyager's sensors wider, to include all lifesigns on Voyager.  
Even those not from Starfleet.

"Dmn.. It's Guinan. I should have remembered that we still had crew on board not wearing combadges.  
I didn't "see" her at all.."

Boothby flicked on next to the ECH. "Don't blame yourself. None of us caught it either."

He hit his holocombadge. =^=Boothby to any available crewman. Report to the messhall. Medical Emergency. An El Aurien is down..=^=

The ECH snapped, "I can go.."

"No you can't. You're in command. This is the fastest way.. It'll take me just as long as a solid to get down there with a medkit. Only you have the ability to carry mass coming and going online."

"Fine." the holodoc said. "You take command. I'll get to Guinan.."

Boothby shoved the ECH back into his seat. "No one can relieve you except another commanding officer.  
And unfortunately, I'm not one of them. Stay put.  
Whatever happened to Guinan's resolved. I've got weak lifesigns. She can hang on until another crewman can get to her."

"We can beam her to sickbay.." the holodoc agonized.

"She isn't wearing a combadge." Boothby countered.

The ECH sighed, hugely frustrated.

"Relax, doctor. That's what your crew is for.  
To handle situations FOR you. Now show a little patience and wait it out. Soon, we'll hear more."  
Boothby said.

-  
(attachments)

Image : Janeway on a medical bed.

Image: Sam near the EMH smiling.

Image: Chakotay near a monitor with the EMH displaying on it.

************************************

END WEEK FORTY RECAP 10-21-01

WEEK FORTY ONE RECAP 10-22-01

.com/group/voyagerliveaction Writer's Site.

.com/voyagerliveaction Graphic Site.

********************************

From : Jeff Seltun Subject : [voyagerliveaction] Enterprise Edict Date : Mon, 22 Oct 2001 15:52:43 -0700 (PDT)

Captain Picard got to the bridge, still amused that the persistent medic stayed a perfect six meters behind him but no closer and kept trying to appear nonchalant as he aimed his tricorder for a deeper scan of him.

The triox boost he received in the transporter room did much to alleviate the worst of the backwash headache pounding behind his eyes. It had become a dim roar in his ears. But Picard felt, essentially normal.

Data was fully recovered from his blackout as well. Picard could tell because of the rate at which questions were asked of him.  
"Captain, I didn't know a Mach I series EMH had the capability of assuming command of a starship. Is this a new development from Starfleet Command still in the testing stages?"

"I wouldn't know, Data. Voyager's been away for a long time. No doubt Kathryn Janeway had to get a little creative to offset the losses her crew suffered when the Caretaker array swept them into the Delta Quadrant." he said.  
"A novel use of available resources if you ask me."

The android cocked his head. "Is Geordi all right?  
How about the rest of Voyager's crew? Do you think Sospiria had anything to do with the admiral's deranged behavior? Are you feeling fit for duty, sir?"

Picard paused as the turbolift doors deposited them both on Deck One of the Enterprise D. "No... No.  
No. and Yes., Mr. Data."

"Sir?"

"I answered your questions just now. I'd like to get to the bottom of what Sospiria truly wants with us all myself but right now, I've a sister starship who needs my attention. We'll learn more about Geordi and Voyager's people soon enough. Now. Take your station, Mr. Data."

"Aye, sir."

Captain Picard strode out onto Enterprise's maindeck and walked down the ramp to the command deck. "Report.." he asked of the officer of the day, who smoothly relinquished the center seat to his captain.

The young lieutenant stood relaxed formal and said, "We are at red alert. Shields are up. Weapons are offline on your order. 80% of Voyager's crew is showing as still unconscious. B'Elanna Torres, Samantha Wildman and Dr. Bashir are reading as awake. The ECH just received a med priority for a non Voyager crewmember in their messhall."

"I wonder who that might be..." Picard said. "Widen our sensors to full lifescan. I want to know the status of every person over there, Mr. Data."

"Full sensors, aye." Data replied.  
His fingers danced lightly over his board at the helm and he looked up almost immediately. "Sir, the lifeform in jeopardy in the messhall is reading as El Aurien.."

Picard startled. ::Guinan? I thought she returned to the Enterprise when Chakotay evacuated all the guests when Sospiria arrived:  
He toggled his combadge. "Enterprise to Voyager. We are monitoring your medical emergency in the messhall. Do you require assistance?"

The tactical woman piped up. "Receiving full band reply, sir."

"Put it on the main viewer, ensign.." Picard replied.

The ahead viewscreen's Jupiter vista transposed to that of Voyager's bridge. The ECH sat there in his chair and Boothby stood near him. Captain Picard could see B'Elanna Torres, kneeling over her prone husband,  
Tom, who was still out cold by the helm station. She didn't appear alarmed to Jean Luc at all about him.  
And neither did the EMH seemed concerned about any of the many officers still sprawled on the deck around him. ::He must have treated them already..:: Picard decided.

The holodoc answered, "That won't be necessary, Captain.  
We've put out a call for any available crewman to respond. As I can't leave this chair, that was the only option available to me." the doc grumbled. "Boothby here's convinced she can hold on until help arrives."

"Hmm." Picard said. He watched Data recheck her vital signs and give a small nod in his direction. "Very well. It's best both of us keep our shields up to ward against another unwarranted beaming from Section 31 operatives. Contact us should the need arise.  
I'll be holding a briefing on matters about Komach and Sospiria in the main officer's lounge at 1600 should any Voyager officers be recovered enough to receive relay through Boothby. Picard out."

The view of Jupiter returned as the doctor winked out.  
The captain got up and pointed to the officer of the day to retake command. "Lieutenant, you have the conn.  
Mr. Data, you're with me. A stop in sickbay seems prudent. Not only do I want to see how Geordi is doing, I want a further treatment for this d*mned headache."

"Aye, sir.." came the answer from both Data and the young Lieutenant.

Picard stood back and looked at Jupiter on the main viewer. He could still see the satellite that had riccochetted Komach's transporter beam from Earth and around the familiar gas giant. He was tempted to phaser blast it out of existence just for spite. Picard rubbed his tired eyes.  
::But, that satellite has been paid for with Federation tax payer's money. Can't do a d*mned thing to it without proper authorization. Heads are going to roll when Project Pathfinder finds that the Section can tap into one of their satellites so easily for their own twisted means. I only hope that Admiral Paris wakes soon. I want a few words with him."

And it seriously bothered Picard that Komach's odd behavior hadn't tipped anyone off yet on Earth. ::Is Section 31 so accomplished that they can blend in with natural society so well that they don't attract attention:  
It was a realization that sat heavy in his stomach.  
He groaned.

"Are you all right, sir?" the young medic asked.

Picard turned in the command chair to see him standing on the deck above him, still holding his medikit,  
and,.. the stretcher.  
"Battered, but still functional. You won't be needing that antigrav,ensign."

He blushed, nodding and looked at his boots.

Picard smiled. "I like your persistence. That's rare in a medical officer, eh, Mr. Data?"

Data regarded them both. "On the contrary, sir. Every head medical officer of the Enterprise to date has been as unequivocally stubborn,singled minded and possessive about their profession to a fault, Captain.  
Makes sense that any support staff adopts a similar aggressive and shallow attitude."

"Mr. Data.." Picard chided.

The med tech just laughed. "It's all right. I'll take that as a high compliment.." he grinned.

The medic kept his med tricorder aimed at Picard the rest of the way to sickbay and Picard could tell Data was staring right through him in his supposed nonchalant surveillance of Picard's condition until he started to fidget.

====================

The turbolift doors opened and the three of them entered the corridor leading to sickbay.

Data and Picard arrived in sickbay and went straight for Geordi's bed. Captain Picard was surprised to see Reginald standing over him.

"He's stable,sir.. I- I been with him ever since he arrived." Reg offered.

The engineer was still out cold on his biobed and his visor was off. The captain didn't know much how to read the over head monitor above Geordi but he knew enough that the shock he noticed the Lt. Commander suffering in Voyager's holodeck, was easing up a bit.  
He turned to the nurse attending LaForge, "How is he?"

The nurse looked up from the datapadd upon which, she was recording.  
"He's going to be fine. The Triox he received from rescuers over there made all the difference in the world. There's no long term cerebral damage from the sonic backlash showing at all." The dark haired woman narrowed her eyes at Picard, adding. "Though I'd like to take a scan on you, sir. If I may. Your own vital signs are a bit depressed and you still look a bit pale."

Picard chuckled with no energy. "As Mr. Data told me,  
twice, on the way here."

He got up onto a second bed without having to be prompted."My shadow over here, " he said of the medic from the transporter room.. ".. has given me a second course of Triox, although, I'll admit, my headache's still very annoying in the background."

"Not surprising considering the strength of the sonic band wave we got on our sensors..." the nurse said,  
running a bioprobe over Picard's scalp. "Next time,  
watch your back for rogue satellites."

"Now you're sounding like Beverly.." he joked..

"I should." the nurse smiled. "She trained me."

"Hmmmm." Picard grunted. He thought of something else.  
"Do me a favor, will you? Guinan's still on Voyager.  
She's got a med priority call going out on her. Would you see what you can find out? Their EMH is responding his own people to aid her, but I.."

"..want to know more right away.. Got you.." The nurse said. "I'll put two of my team on those sensors right now.." And she gestured a signal to two of her staff to do just that.

They left for Beverly's office immediately to follow up.

Captain Picard sighed, "Appreciate it..." Then he gathered his thoughts while his medical exam continued, "Mr. Barclay, anything you can do to give Enterprise a measure of security from that Jovian satellite?"

"Already done, sir." Barclay beamed. "I- I took an opportunity to realign the Midas Array to emit an EM blanket over our coordinates. Both Voyager and Enterprise are within that field and any more long distance carrier waves will be turned back onto themselves if sent in our direction."

"Bravo. Mr. Barclay.." Picard grinned lightly. "Sure you don't want to recommission back to Enterprise?  
You're still very much on top of the game.."

Barclay began to stammer and studder.. "Well I- I ,  
uh.."

"I was joking, Mr. Barclay. I know how much Project Pathfinder means to you. After all, you've excelled far beyond anyone's expectations when you found Voyager. Far it be from me to take a man out of his prime element.."

Barclay smiled in relief, chuckling. "I just hope we get a chance to speak to Admiral Paris once he is awakened on Voyager. He may know more about Komach and his involvement in Section 31. He's has been associating with him in the past, far more than you or I, in recent months. He may know clues no one else knows about."

"Key phrase.. "in the past" Mr. Barclay. I don't think the Federation President's going to like hearing about a full admiral being swayed to the Section's ideals to the point of petty terrorism, right under his very nose.."  
Picard sighed as the nurse gave him an internal analgesic that kicked his nagging headache once and for all. He looked at Data. "Mr. Data. Work with Mr. Barclay here. See what information you can find on anything Komach. Especially in the unofficial circles. I want to know his favorite vacations spots,  
habits, even what he likes in his morning coffee if you have to. It irks me that such high brass is proving to be so corrupt. It sullies the very ideals for which we stand. I have a feeling if we don't get to the bottom of this soon, neither Enterprise nor Voyager will be able to look forward to going on any new mission any time soon."

"Aye sir.." Data said, "We'll get on it immediately.." And they left Picard's side.

Captain Picard smiled at the nurse when she indicated she was finished treating him. He hopped down and returned to a stool at Geordi's side.  
"Hope you've been listening, Geordi.. Our two ships just may have to go undercover and blow the lid on Section 31 once and for all..on our own.."

And he patted his shoulder. He hunkered down on his seat to wait for LaForge's return to consciousness.

-  
(attachments)

Image: Picard looking out the Enterprise ready room window.

Image: Data and Guinan, side by side, closeup in Ten Forward.

Image: Barclay wearing Voyager red.

**********************************

From : "Cory Anda" Subject :[voyagerliveaction] Paris Cranks and Clover Snakes. Date : Tue, 23 Oct 2001 04:35:54 +0000

Making her way over to the Conn, B'Elanna quickly checked Chakotay. She noticed he was in no danger. Same with Seven. Finally reaching Tom's place at the Conn, she got down on one knee and felt his pulse.  
::Strong and steady; just like you.:: she thought to herself, gazing at him affectionately.

She laid a hand on his cheek. "Come on, love, wake up." she quietly told him. "You're sleeping on the job, here." she added, teasingly. Worried, she knew she should be at her station, but she noticed the ECH had everything in hand. She intended to be the first person Tom saw when he finally woke up.

A warm spiciness in his nose made Tom smile...for about two seconds. Then a pair of crushing bricks insinuated themselves on either side of his temples and he screamed. "Agh!" Whatever it was that gripped his face, he pulled away with his hands.  
But a strength greater than his prevented him from sitting.. "Oh, my head..." Paris moaned.  
Then he recognized the scent he had awakened to.  
"B'Elanna?"

A second set of hands set themselves on his other shoulder. "Easy Lieutenant.. Sonic backwash stuns are like a butt full of cactus quills.  
The more you move with them the greater it hurts.  
Lie still and keep your eyes closed while I scan you."  
The holodoc ordered. "Your vital signs are having problems remembering which way is up."

Tom immediately froze and the blinding head pain eased off just a tad. He felt carpetting crunch underneath him. "Am I on the floor, doc?"

"You and 143 others. It's not everyday I get to clean up after a ship's crew that's just been run over with an illegal transporter beam. How's your stomach feeling?"

"nnghhh..."

"Thought so. This meperidine should counteract your motion sickness."

Tom felt a cool hypo hiss against his neck. The nausea poured itself down the same tunnel his headache had vanished into. He began to shiver. "W-Who's flying the ship?"

"Your friendly neighborhood gardener, Mr. Boothby. I'm sending you to sickbay. Your central nervous system's been compromised and at this point, your body will be able to keep itself warm about as well as a tribble in a blinding snowstorm." the holodoc said dryly.

"B-B-Boothby? Doc, he's only a consultating computer program.  
He can't run this ship!"

"That's all right. He's got me to do it for him...." said the doc.

"What!!?" Tom tried to sit but was shot back down by the light stabbing serrated swords into his eyes.  
He flung his hands up over his eyes as they were completely inundated with burning light that threatened to sear the back of his skull."Where's Chakotay? Where's the capt!  
OOwww.."

Tom heard a long sigh trickle out of the doctor."You were warned about a little photosensitivity. Now, I'm going to have to patch your eyes shut until we can get you into a completely darkened containment field, as well as wrap you in a thermal sheet. Your reaction's telling me even this dim alert lighting is too much for you to handle right now.  
B'Elanna.. would you grab those things out of the medkit?  
Thank you.  
Unlike some people, you know how to cooperate."

"Wait just a d*mned minute here. I've been completely cooperative. Do you see me rising to my feet to get to the helm? " Tom complained.

"That's because you can't." doc said calmly.

"Thanks a lot, doc.. You really inspire confidence."  
Paris said sarcastically.

"I'm not meant to inspire confidence in this case.  
I was trying to inspire your angry emotions. Congratulations,  
Mr. Paris. Your blood pressure is finally listening to both of us. It's a glowing 84 over 68 due to that saucy witty temper of yours. Keep it up."

"No problem. Does that mean I can deck you too, doc?"

"Only if you can do it lying down..." admitted the EMH. "You already know I can take it standing up.. I'm a hologram.."

"Very funny." he said, folding his arms as B'Elanna gently held up his head for the EMH to bind his eyes shut with biogauze.  
"Hope you're enjoying this, cause I'm sure not.."

"Is he always this crabby in the morning?" the doctor asked of Torres. "I'm trying to determine a baseline personality scan to see if there's been any brain damage.."

"He is.." B'Elanna said quickly.

"B'Elanna!!!" Tom said.

"What? You almost match my famous Klingon temper level then.  
It's kinda cute." She said, setting down Tom's head gently back onto the floor as they had finished their patching job.

The EMH, "Now I see why your marriage is working out. Don't tell me, two negatives make a positive..." the doctor waved two medics he had summoned remotedly to take Tom to the secondary ward in sickbay where Tuvok had been beamed to. "Rant and rave all you like. It'll give something for Tuvok to focus on while in that healing trance of his. Nothing like a human emotion to draw out that Vulcan sense of curiosity. I'll get my higher BP readings on you and he'll get some neurological stimulation.."  
Tom heard the doc clap and rub his hands together with satisfaction.  
"Well, well, well. I get to irk Mr. Paris, tantalize Tuvok and command Voyager all in the same day.. Can I do any better than this?"

Boothby came online, "You're gonna have to.. I have an incoming hail for the "Holocap."

"That's "Captain" to you, Mr. Boothby."

"What? I was just effecting an accurate term to describe you.  
Sounds a h*ll of a lot better than the ECH, now doesn't it?"  
said the gray haired old man's image.

"Oh, yeahhhhhhh.. A new nickname is born..." Tom feeling his eye patches with his fingers. "Can hardly wait to submit that to Captain Janeway for my part of today's bridge report.."

"Don't even think about it.." the ECH growled.

"Patching through communications from the Enterprise..." Boothby announced..

He (Picard) toggled his combadge. "Enterprise to Voyager. We are monitoring your medical emergency in the messhall. Do you require assistance?"

The holodoc answered, "That won't be necessary, Captain.  
We've put out a call for any available crewman to respond. As I can't leave the Chair, that was the only option available to me." the doc grumbled. "Boothby here's convinced she can hold on until help arrives."

"Hmm." Picard said. He watched Data recheck her vital signs and give a small nod in his direction. "Very well. It's best both of us keep our shields up to ward against another unwarranted beaming from Section 31 operatives. Contact us should the need arise.  
I'll be holding a briefing on matters about Komach and Sospiria in the main officer's lounge at 1600 should any Voyager officers be recovered enough to receive relay through Boothby. Picard out."

As Tom was floated off the bridge he managed to smile again. "Yeah. and that's one officer's meeting I get to skip. Hot digitty!!"

The ECH couldn't resist as he knelt down next to Chakotay and Admiral Paris to see how they were doing. "You forget we have Dr. Bashir downstairs.  
He's sure to get you back to the 100th percentile before that 1600 hours mark, Mr. Paris."  
he said, scanning the two downed men.

"Hey, I thought you were supposed to keep me angry or happy to keep me outta shock, doc. Now I think I'm getting depressed."

"No chance of that happening. Miral's gonna be your other bedmate."

"Oh, in that case.." Tom said, grinning at the thought of holding his newborn daughter.  
"I take that back."

---------------------------------------

"Kathryn?"

##What was that?## her mind thought. ##Something's changed. I have to make Komach think that w--##

"Kathryn.."

##Is someone calling me#  
Then a gentle sound filled her ears.  
Crickets.

##I'm back...##

Captain Janeway opened her eyes to moonlight and the night sky. There was a face only slightly darker than it above hers. "Chakotay? What happened? We didn't enter this dreamscape willing, how could we? We had no akoonah."  
She looked down reaffirming that that was where she was for she was back in the spirit world shift, with the scent of greenbeans in its loose green material.  
Then the warm summer wind smelling of clover lifted her long hair.

He took her hand and drew her to her feet, looking down at his own soft tunic of white hide. "My father once told me any hurt that didn't injure the body, might result in a visit back to the spirit realm..." He took in a breath,  
listening to Kathryn's place. The Janeway farm and field were quiet, except for the crickets. "The Q didn't follow us here. I wonder why?"

Janeway laughed, brushing moondust from her skirts.  
"Don't tell me you actually want to know what they're up to.." she began..

He smiled back, softly. "Why not? They might be able to tell us what's happening right now. Those are answers we don't have yet."

Kathryn sat down by the edge of the lake and saw a golden wheat frond floating in the water. It glimmered with light,  
shining into her face. ##My first medicine bundle totem.  
I had forgotten to take it with me when I left at the red alert call.## She stretched, and the warm algae wave brought it to her.

"Don't fall in.." Chakotay said, "What is it that you see?"

"Can I tell you? It is from that little quest you sent me on with Rahelon flying overhead." she replied.

"You are Seconah to my family and tribe. I will be able to see whatever you allow me to see in your realm."  
he said. Then he winced when the fire from the golden ear filled his eyes.. "A wheat ear.."

"Yes.. funny that this is my first totem. " she quipped.  
"We don't have many wheat fields in Indiana."

"A sacred object doesn't have to be something with which you are familiar. They are only there to be a focus for your thoughts whenever to talk to your spirit guide."

Kathryn laid the wheat ear onto her skirt and bundled it up carefully. "I see. Do I take this with me?"

"Yes."

They rose from the beach, looking up into the night sky,  
where Kathryn's perpetual summer, lived. "Where is he?"  
She said, checking nearby logs and rocks at the water's edge.

"Where's who?"

"Lancelot.." she said, looking panged that her gecko spirit guide remained out of sight and contact.

"Your spirit guide." He took in a deep breath. "They cannot come here... to see us." He told her, leading her away from the moon dancing on the still water.

"Why not?" she said. "Surely now of all times, since we are in trouble somehow without knowing it."

"I think it's because our lives are no longer threatened by whatever it was that harmed us, Kathryn. We aren't dying and yet we are not awake." He shrugged. A warm wind made them both watch the fog carry the fireflies over the waving meadow grass in the alabaster glow of the full moon. They sat for a time, savoring its sweetness.

"How curious.." she said, leaning on Chakotay's carved canoe behind them. "To be in two places at once."

He looked at her wryly.

"That's how I feel right now." she explained. "I'm....restless,  
yet I cannot move.. and believe me, I really want to move in that other place."

"That's the way a mind works. I think we might be unconscious,  
Kathryn and in an unusual way. We aren't all the way here and we aren't all the way back in the waking world either."

"That's right. People in some coma states can still hear their families and hospital staff speaking to them, even though they aren't able to react to th--.." she broke off when the cricket song changed, she was hearing something.. someone else.. "Shh,.. Chakotay... Let me listen.."

..........................

The crickets faded away to another, mental echo which seemed to carry back on itself. But the feel of the words remained...

"Are you sure I can leave the captain?"

##Chakotay. It's Samantha Wildman. I can hear her.  
But it's so faint.##

Then Kathryn heard more...

"You can. I've already treated the captain like I treated you and Naomi. I ....just can't be physically there right now. ...You see...I'm in command of Voyager.."

Abruptly, Kathryn pulled herself out of the fold she had fallen into to "hear" the sounds which attracted her.

.......................

"Chakotay. We have to figure out a way to leave right now. " she said, opening her eyes. The night crickets were gone, echoing her distress.

She saw the peace and ease of carriage he always had in the spirit realm fall away. "The doctor's gone and done something stupid. He's commanding my ship!"  
And she started running, toward the farmhouse.

Chakotay ran after her, calling.

She got to the house but the door was locked and all the windows were dark. It didn't let her inside.  
She struggled, rattling the old wood by the handle and then striking it. "Can anybody hear me? It's me.  
Let me in!! I've got to get to the bridge!" she said angrily.

Storm clouds were covering the moon and the wind was rising on the lake when he got to her.  
"Kathryn. We can't leave this way. Getting angry isn't going to solve anything. This is your mind remember? It's not a physical place. There aren't any exits.." he said, gently taking her elbow and pulling her away from the farmhouse door.

"When I first came here and became your Seconah. I entered through.. that ...door." She said, an angry frown matching the wild whip of the wind in her hair.  
"If I created this place then. I can leave it any way I choose..."

The moon fled. And the waves crashed on the distance beach. But there was no rain. There never could be on a perfect summer's night. Even the air remained sweet and warm, even as it raged.

"It's your own emotions shaping here and now. Let ME listen. And then we'll know more.."

That stopped her and the winds died, falling into silence.  
Slowly, the crickets song returned when he led her to one of the rockers in the brighter end of the rustic porch. He sat her down, then sat next to her in a second chair.

The moon returned, and somewhere.. and somewhere,  
something answered Chakotay's attentiveness..

..................

He thought he heard a klaxon.. a red alert. And then,  
he too, heard the doctor's voice through a combadge somewhere above him... faint but distinct.

The EMH sighed, "Admiral Komach managed to rig a site to site beam from Earth through a Jovian satellite. It was an illegal long distance carrier wave and it rendered you and everyone unconscious when he and his guards made an escape..." There was a pause. "Sam, your vital signs are looking good. And so are everyone else's in that room."  
Boothby and I have rigged a treatment into the ship's life support system. Everyone's being treated whereever they lay right now.

##So that's how... That's why Kathryn and I can't leave here.  
We haven't been fully revived mentally by this ....treatment of the doctor's yet.##

He turned his face away from the tunnel..

.......................

Chakotay opened his eyes to see hers reflecting the same worry that now etched his own face. "I found out more. Komach used a long distance carrier wave to escape.."

Janeway rose to her feet, pacing. And the wood boards creaked under her bare toes. "So that's why the EMH's playing captain in the Big Seat. We've all been incapacitated..." She threw up her hand in an impatient gesture. She fumbled fingers under her chin.  
And she crossed her arms. "Remind me to order B'Elanna to give that Boothby parameter a thorough overhaul..." she growled. "No doubt it was him who suggested it to the doctor in the first place. Boothby knows everything I know. He's my command consultation program.  
Why wouldn't he know what we've been working on with that ECH module. But he gave my ship over to a hologram.. With Enterprise hanging five hundred kilometers off the port bow with a perfectly good captain on b---"  
She retraced her steps.. "Wait a minute. Picard's still on the holodeck.  
He's in the same boat we are.."

Chakotay joined her, leaning on the wooden railing overlooking the quiet moon lit lake. "Or he was... Listen, I think you're making a mountain out of a mole hill.. Boothby allowed the EMH to take over because it was the best option at the time... Komach had fled..." He spread out a palm in a there you go gesture.. "There couldn't be any further risk from Sospiria or we both would have "overheard" something about her. I think the risk to the ship is minimal. Or if it isn't, someone out there is making sure that risk falls to zero."

Kathryn tossed her head, brushing impatient hair out of her eyes.  
"That isn't good enough.."

Chakotay actually laughed.

Kathryn whirled, defensive. "What's so funny?"

"You. Always the captain. On or "off" the bridge. And believe me,  
we are as far off the bridge as we can get right now.. " He corrected himself ruefully... "Wait a minute. I must be on the bridge for the doctor's voice was very loud to me."

"I'm jealous.." she joked, relaxing just a tad.  
She went back to his side and parked a hip on the porch rail. "I'd give anything to wake up right about now."

"Patience.." Chakotay said, taking her hand and tapping it in encouragement. "They're working on it. I overheard that we're all getting treated with an airborne cure.."

"Yeah, well, I'm not smelling anything but clover and night lake right now.." Kathryn said, nestling against his shoulder.  
"Unconsciousness is for the birds..." She drew out her nutty scented wheat ear on its long stem and held it up against the moon, studying its silouhette.

"Rahelon wouldn't agree with you there, Kathryn."

"Oh, you...." she said. "It was just a figure of speech.  
No disrespect intended, Rahelon!" she shouted to the nonpresent redtailed hawk guide of Chakotay's.

"Hush.. come "listen" with me, captain. Maybe we'll finally "feel" enough of the outside to snap awake..Then we can see you later, alligator.."

"In a while crocodile.." she joked back, "Now I know my Lancelot can take that joke. He's a sort of easy going spirit guide gecko kind of a guy.. He's no reptile.."

Chakotay dropped his head, "Yeah, but Komach's still a snake."

"I won't argue that one with you, Chakotay." she chortled.  
"But please, no more puns.. You're killing me."

"Never fear of that, Kathryn. It is something I will never do.  
You are my Seconah."

"Yeah, and don't you forget it."

"Yes, maam."

-  
(attachments)  
Image: Janeway and Chakotay arm in arm.

*animated gif* A glimmering star.

Gif: An Indian necklace made of beads.

Image: An Earthrise over the horizon of the moon.

***********************************

From :"Roxy Dee" Subject : [voyagerliveaction] Kim's finest hour~~ Date : Tue, 23 Oct 2001 19:39:52 +0000

Captain Picard smiled at the nurse when she indicated he was finished treating him. He hopped down and returned to a stool at Geordi's side. "Hope you've been listening, Geordi.. Our two ships just may have to go undercover and blow the lid on Section 31 once and for all..on our own.."

And he patted his shoulder. He hunkered down on his seat to wait for LaForge's return to consciousness.

Sometime later, the engineer's sense of urgency lifted him back into himself. "Look out! Komach's got a--"

He felt hands on his shoulders and realized that his visor wasn't on and that he was in sickbay.

"Easy..Lieutenant." came a vaguely familiar voice. It belonged to a nurse he kind of remembered from all the physicals he had to take every two months. She was one of the technical staff who helped him maintain cohesion between his visor and his embedded optical nodes. "Take it slow.."

Geordi whispered, "The Enterprise? I'm back on the Enterprise?"

"Yes." she answered him, "Captain Picard brought you and Data back with him the moment he realized the command chain on Voyager was broken. He was here with you a moment ago but has left to get something to eat."

"What happened? Is the captain all right?" he asked.

"He's fine. And so are you. Sonic backlash. All the crew on Voyager are being treated as we speak. Most are still reading as comatose. And the bridge is being commanded by something called an ECH."

Geordi frowned, "Never heard of it. "

The young sounding nurse gently checked Geordi's visor nodes with a diodine relay. "Neither did Captain Picard. He found out that it is an experimental aspect of their EMH that Janeway apparently was working on."

"Huh. Interesting." Geordi said, distractedly. "Listen, If I'm checking out, I really need to get down to engineering. If I was hit with sonic backwash on Voyager, there's a chance Enterprise's warp and impulse engines suffered similar effects. More beams might come as well."

"No chance of that lieutenant." the nurse said, handing Geordi back his visor.

"Huh?" he said and he clicked it back on. Rainbow hues and sight returned. "Can you tell me more?"

"We are being blanketed by an EM field from Project Pathfinder, to block out any more long distance transporter beams according to Mr. Barclay."

"Smart man. Where is he n-- Oh, he's over there, working with Lt. Commander Data. Listen, can I go?" Her aural hues through Geordi's visor changed into those of skepticism. "Ok,. I promise I won't leave sickbay. If the captain was here earlier, no doubt he wants to speak to me about something important."

The nurse regarded him with aplomp. "Any dizziness?"

"Nope."

"Double vision?"

"None."

"How many fingers am I holding up?" And she lifted her hand.

" Fi-- ah, you're not going to fool me. Four fingers and a thumb."

She laughed. "You passed. I am going to keep you to your promise. Now shoo.."

Geordi clamoured off the biobed and went over to Data and Barclay's side by the sickbay science terminal to see what they were working on. He was very satisfied when he found they were investigating Admiral Komach in great detail. ::What a worm. If we find that illegal transporter station of his, I'll rip it out myself, piece by piece, personally.::

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Harry Kim rose easily from his biobed on Voyager. He noticed Dr. Bashir and Samantha Wildman talking nearby as they moved little Miral into the secondary ward near Mr. Tuvok. He watched them lower the lights so the infant could get some sleep. Theirs were the only beds he could see from where he was.

Kim jumped out of bed, walking forward. He spoke aloud, "How are they, doctor?"

Both Samantha and Dr. Bashir turned around from where they stood. Julian recovered his surprise first. "I should be asking that question of you, Harry. Tuvok's stable. Miral was never harmed. And the room we are making in between them is for a Mr. Paris from the bridge. He's had trouble regulating his internal core temperature and is coming for a little observation. So,...how are you doing? You seem to be moving around well enough."

Harry stretched, testing his muscles. "I'm fine. Shouldn't I be?"

Julian and Samantha's eyes opened in amazement at his lack of a blinding headache, inevident nightmare sweating and total absence of general confusion. Dr. Bashir pursed his lips, "No.. You should. It's just, you've come through a sonic backlash from a transporter, as the first person I've ever seen to do so without ...without any lingering symptoms.." He flicked on his medtricorder. "Hmmm. Fascinating. You are in perfect health."

Harry grinned, addressing Samantha. "What did I miss?"

At that moment, Boothby came online in a priority all ships hail.

=^=Boothby to any available crewman. Report to the messhall. Medical Emergency. An El Aurien is down..=^=

Kim didn't even hesitate. He pulled a medkit from a nearby equipment cart. "That sounds bad. I can go. I'm no Tom Paris, but I know my way around a medkit. Tom's rubbed off on me." He started to head out. "Hey, doc. Am I cleared for duty?" He asked shrugging impatiently. "We've got a med call here.."

"Certainly, certainly. Go. I'll save you time. Keep in touch with me at all times and tell me what you find there. Computer. Initialize a site to site transport of Harry Kim to the messhall. Priority One. This is Bashir. Code 45 Beta Nine." Julian tossed Kim his med tricorder and the young ensign caught it neatly.

##Site to site transport configuration is ready.## toned the computer.

"Energize.." Bashir said.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Harry Kim ordered full lights in the room the instant he could move. "Hey,.. It's Ensign Kim! Shout if you can hear me.."

A low moan from the bar showed Harry where his person lay. It was feminine. He tapped his combadge to sickbay. =^=Computer, open continuous commlink to sickbay.=^=

The computer over his head warbled in reply. "Sickbay here, ensign. We're reading you." came Julian's voice.

Kim moved over to the far side of the messhall to where he heard the sound of the woman's voice.

On his way, he thought he saw two pinkish faces in the windows but dismissed them when they disappeared when he glanced over in that direction.

"Doc. I've got her. It's Guinan from the Enterprise." Kim shoved the few remaining liquor bottles on the bar out of his way so he could get closer to scan her vital signs. "Hey,..easy. Just relax. I've got a commlink with a doctor. You're gonna be fine. Lie still." he told her.

Guinan opened her eyes slowly. "I feel like a bag of broken eggs.. What happened?" and she gasped, when she tried to move. Her face was gray under his light.

Harry studied the readings on his tricorder and spoke aloud. "You've been struck by a sonic backwash from an outlawed transporter beam dematerializing three people from the holodeck. You've no broken bones, and no bleeding anywhere. But you've got 35 % carbon dioxide still in your tissues.. Can you breathe all right? Let me help you sit. That should help a bit."

Guinan nodded. "That reading is normal for my species, ensign." She got upright with Harry's help and hung her long legs under their robes over the edge of the bar, She leaned heavily against him as he scanned her more thoroughly. "Though I can't explain away this pain in my side.." she stifled a cry and held an arm over her stomach.

"Doc, I'm reading a large area of bruising over her left hip. And her blood acidity is around 6.4 pH."

The surprise in Julian's face was clear, =^=What? Those signs are typical of an El Aurien who's been recently resusitated. Those marks are from compressions delivered by a rescuer.=^=

::I WAS seeing somebody else out there... Q!:: Harry swung his tricorder around, looking for another presence with them. "I know you're out there. Show yourself." he said nervously.

Quince made an appearance.

Guinan's vital signs rose into anger levels on Harry's tricorder. "You..."

Harry restrained her from standing. "Hey.. now just take it easy. I don't know quite why you two have it in for each other but I'm not about to let either one of you have at it. You.." he turned to Guinan, "are in no condition to argue and you.." he turned to Quince, "...have no business being here."

"Oh, but I do young Harry. It was me and my associate who cheated the reaper of his prize. It wouldn't do to lose such a fine, long time adversary now would it?" Quince said, taking the hand on Guinan's other side as Harry helped ease Guinan down to sit against the bar from the floor.

Guinan took the Q's help only until she was seated. Then she whipped her hand away. "Don't touch me, Q. In fact, if you want to help, why don't you hand over that little piece of equipment back to me from over there?"

Quince looked to where she was pointing. The Golden Gun was the only thing in sight. His face flamed in likewise anger, but he turned back to Guinan. "Not a chance. A foul ball is a foul ball. I'm not about to give you another inning."

Harry tried to ignore the two while he got his baseline scan for his medical relay to Julian. "Listen you two. Don't you think your blood feud or whatever it is can wait? We've got an injury here."

Quince moved into Guinan's face closely, glaring into her eyes. "He's got a point. Could've been far worse. It could have been just a cooling corpse sitting here."

"Are you telling me that you and Q saved my life?"

Quince nodded slowly, "Oh yes.."

Guinan closed her eyes as she struggled to concentrate. "Now that strikes me as a bit odd right there. My existence's just a drop in the bucket. I'm of no importance to you. Or,... I wasn't,..until now.." It was Guinan's turn to stare back at Quince. "What could you possibly gain by it? Why even bother? Unless..." Guinan winced as her side bit her again. "unless,.. you two are in trouble with the Continuum again..."

Quince withdrew, his stare faltering away from hers. "Just remember who did you a little favor barmaid.. You owe us. We may even ask you to end our little Q/El Aurien stand off once and for all eventually."

"Or you'll ask me to hold my silence on other matters. The Borg coming to my planet for instance??" Guinan snarled. She widened her eyes as pain gripped her.

"They already know about Quentin and his crimes. It is of no consequence. Just remember your debt to us or we could conveniently arrange other ways to craft the demise you so narrowly avoided by our good graces today."

And Quince faded out.

Harry was highly unhappy. "Just what was that all about? Some old war between you two? If it is just a squirmish, it's gone deadly. You almost died..."

Guinan laughed while the doctor instructed which medication Harry was to give her to stabilize her condition. She closed her eyes. "I am not meant to die just yet. I am to remain with Captain Picard for a little while longer yet." she said, remembering a time in history where Data's head was buried deep in a mine on Earth.

And then she remembered the Nexus, where part of her still lived. "He'd never forgive me if Ten Forward ever closed before his tour of duty was up. I have many things to show him. Now, in the past, and in the future..."

Kim didn't understand all that she was saying.

He stopped trying when the hostess blacked out on him. "There she goes, doc. Secondary shock." he said as tones on his med tricorder soured as she slipped into coma. He quickly gave her the Lexine in his hypo to keep her breathing. "I'm giving her the stimulant you told me to give her."

=^=We're ready to receive you...=^= Bashir said.

Kim pulled a spare combadge from out of the kit and stuck it on Guinan's shoulder. "Computer, Two to beam directly to sickbay."

They disappeared into sparkles.

-  
(attachments)

Image : Harry in a dark room with a tricorder.

Gif: A lcars display showing the red alert configuration.

Gif: A Star Trek Voyager poster, showing the entire cast in collage over a black starfield.

************************************

From : "Katherine Bird" Subject : Seeing Red Date : Wed, 24 Oct 2001 19:25:09 +0100

Samantha Wildman kept tensely silent throughout Harry's entire response over the commlink from the messhall.  
Her feelings drifted from anger to worry to fear as she heard Quince and the injured woman square off.  
::El Auriens are rare as a people. What threat could just one be to a Q?:: she wondered.

She contented herself with helping Bashir set up the treatment ward to receive Guinan. Then Harry had to beam her in right away when her consciousness failed suddenly.

Bashir said, "Miss Wildman. You are going to be my nurse since Mr. Paris over there can't be while he's dozing."

Samantha glanced over her shoulder to see the two med techs bring him on through the ward and into place between the sleeping forms of Tuvok and Miral. "Is he sedated?" she asked Julian. "Looks like he's out again."

"No. That's most likely due to his pyschogenic hypothermia.  
He was already shivering on the bridge, according to the holodoctor, moments after he woke up. We will be warming him and letting natural sleep take its course. His system's had enough foreign chemicals pumped into it with the ADH and the meperidine. I don't want to further compromise his recovery by giving him more." the physician said.

Harry and Guinan materialized in the middle of the floor.  
Technicians lifted the woman onto the biobed Harry had used and Bashir immediately got to work analyzing her metabolism and overall condition. "The Lexine's doing its job. Nice work Mr. Kim. If ever you want to join the emergency medical department...."

"No thanks, doc. I'll stick to Operations if you don't mind."  
he grinned. "Besides. Tom fills those shoes nicely."

Julian saw the young ensign glance over at Tom across the room. "Your friend's better already.  
Why don't you go over there and see for yourself?"

Harry nodded gratefully, and he went over to that darkened side of the ward.

Over the next few minutes, Guinan was coaxed out of her coma and into normal sleep. And Tom's shivering form was nestled in heated blankets until he stabilized.  
Bashir and Samantha began to relax. The Egyptian doctor looked at the bar hostess.

"She'll be out another few hours at the mimimum. Her body's got a lot of healing to do. It seems her genetic makeup is susceptible to sonic frequencies. Especially her AV node. It was most likely shorted out and that would explain why her heart had stopped beating."  
Julian said, studying the computer screen scanning Guinan's internal organs. "Another few minutes and there would have been no chance at all of a recovery, despite revival attempts."

Samantha sighed wearily and said, "I hate politics. People always get hurt for the sake of them... Doctor, if you don't need me any longer.." she began.  
Bashir looked up from his datapadd, "It's all right. Go sit by your daughter. I'd want to do the same thing if I had a child to worry about." he grinned gently at Sam.

"Thanks, Julian. Now that all the excitement is over, she is occupying my thoughts right now."

Sam walked over to the far end of the ward and wearily sat on the edge of her daughter's bed. She stroked Naomi's arm, "You've had quite the afternoon, love..."  
she said to the unconscious child. "Mum'll be right here when you wake up." And she kissed her forehead.

A moan nearby alerted her and Bashir to Captain Janeway's monitor. Unlike Tom, Janeway became aware similarly to Harry, without pain or discomfort. "Doctor.." the captain said, "How is everyone?" she said instantly.

"Fine. No fatalities." he said, concentrating.  
Bashir looked down at her running a close scan. "Now you've been busy. Your central cortex's showing elevated neurotransmitter levels. How curious."

"Being knocked out triggered a dreamquest trance in me. And my first officer." Janeway said ruefully, rubbing her face. "I feel fairly good all things considering."

"Dreamquest?" I don't think I'm familiar with that term."

Janeway sat up, testing her body's reactions. "A trick Chakotay taught me. A sort of self meditative analysis technique. How are his vitals?" she said.

"Stable. He should be awakening at any moment."  
Bashir reaffirmed to the Voyager captain. "He's on th--"

"The bridge. I know. And you've treated all of us with ADT and triox as well. I don't mean to be hasty here,  
but, tell me, has the ECH been on top of things? It's been bothering me to no end having a hologram up there manning the controls." She said, swinging her legs over the side of her bed.

Bashir tilted his head in amusement and said resolutely, tapping his insignia pin, =^=Sickbay to Boothby. We have someone needing a full progress report as soon as possible.=^=

The holoprogram flicked into view on the wall near Bashir and the captain. "Captain Janeway. Now, before you start in on me about the hologram wearing your pants, let me get you up to speed. Voyager and Enterprise are being blanketed inside an electromagnetic field from the Midas Array, compliments of Mr. Barclay. Our shields are up. And the worst casuality is Guinan."

Janeway blinked. "Guinan? I thought she was one of those sent off ship before we returned to orbit."

Boothby scowled, "So did I. Apparently, her species can remain unseen by sensors when the need arises, and she was immune to the Q's power as well. She wasn't wearing a com badge which complicated things."

"What do you mean?" Janeway said in no uncertain terms.  
Janeway stood, moving over to the hostess's bed. Her robes had been removed and replaced with a sterile gown, her head was covered similarly in a wrap, like a turban. And her eyes were closed. The captain studied the readings over her bed. "She's only sleeping now.."

"Yes. We've managed to stave off any complications."  
Wildman said. "Her secondary shock was prevented by Harry's quick actions. He responded to her bioflag."

Janeway winked at Kim, "Good work, Harry. Looks like Tom's time in sickbay's rubbed off a little on you."

Harry blushed.

Bashir went on with his report on Guinan.  
"The sonic backlash actually, killed her. And....the Q brought her back best they could, manually."

::They could have really botched that up. Somehow I don't see any Q being up on biped first aid techniques:  
Janeway straightened, all business, "Making the Q third on my list of things to do. Right now, covering the bridge and handling Sospiria are topping the list. Where is she ? I don't see her on any of these biobeds." the captain said, mentally seeing who was in sickbay or on Boothby's medical watch screens.

Bashir answered before Boothby. "Captain Picard said she appeared in a protective state, still in the starlab. He said he saw some kind of energy field around her. I haven't been able to scan through it to see how she's doing."

Boothby added, "Picard and all the Enterprise personnel transferred to his ship when he learned everyone was down over here. He managed to tell us that much before he departed."

"Is the containment field around her still in place?"

"Yes. Everything is as it was left, captain." Boothby replied. "The level ten wasn't disrupted."

Janeway sighed, thinking, "Keep an eye on her Boothby. If she so much as twitches, I want to know about it. Am I free to go, doctor? I've rather pressing priorities beckoning."

Julian completed his scan of Captain Janeway. "I don't think any sickbay surgeon through the course of history's been able to keep their captain in a biobed longer than two seconds once consciousness sets in. Who am I to ruin that trend?"

"It's an unwritten rule from Command School, irritate the hell out of your ship's surgeon to keep him sharp. Doctor, keep me informed on the crew's conditions."

And she was gone.

--------------------

Janeway entered Deck One alone. The ship was secure so there was no need for security to escort her.

The ECH saw her coming and sprang out of the command seat as if it bit him. "C-Captain, I.. How are you doing? Doctor Bashir didn't tell me you were awake..." he said defensely self conscious.

Janeway paced over to him after medscanning Seven and the others on the bridge for her own peace of mind. She knelt by Chakotay and touched him on the shoulder. "Beat you back, Commander.  
Any time you are ready..." she said to him.  
Then she stood, not taking the chair the ECH offered her. Both she and the holodoc stood beside it. She began to smile. "Take your seat doctor. Your training's not yet complete. If we're going to shake the bugs out of your command program we'd better get started. With Chakotay still taking a nap, I can just as easily be your first officer until he comes to."

The holodoc's nervous air evaporated and he smiled tenatively.  
"Voyager's your command, captain. Surely you should--"

"Are you questioning one of my orders, doctor? Here on the bridge,  
The captain's got the overriding authority. How she delegates personnel is completely under her own perogative..." she said seriously.

The smile wiped off of the ECH's face. "You can't be serious."

"I'm entirely serious."

"But what about sickbay? There's still dozens of crew unconscious.."

"Dr. Bashir and Boothby have everything in hand. Guinan's out of danger. In fact, Julian looked almost bored already when I myself woke up. There's almost nothing to do right now except wait down there. And I know that bothers doctors almost as much as it bothers captains."

"But captain.."

Janeway angled her head and lifted her finger, silencing him.  
She began tsking, minisculely shaking her head and her eyes swept up and down him critically.

The ECH looked down at himself as if his pants suddenly found themselves around his ankles. "What? Is something wrong with my uniform?"

Janeway lifted her tricorder and adjusted a few dials.

The doctor flinched when he felt something on his collar rearrange in a small holo-tweek.

"Your pips were crooked." She said, taking Chakotay's chair.  
"Have a seat, doctor." and she smiled hugely. "Red does become you. You should consider wearing it more often."

The doctor, self consciously felt the alignment of the rank pins she had straightened and then slowly sat down in the big chair.  
"Not a chance. Commanding a starship isn't like giving a hypospray.  
You can't just give things a shot and have everything go your way immediately afterwards. It's extremely frustrating."

"Now you know why captains get so cranky visiting sickbay."  
And she pantomimed firing a gun with her quip at him and she winked.

"I stand forever respectful from this point onward.." he swore softly.

"Good man."

-  
(attachments)

Image : The EMH with Janeway and Chakotay in sickbay.

Audio: Chakotay- Well, Kathryn, You got us home.  
Janeway- Right place. Wrong time.

Image: Voyager inside an emanating purple energy field.

********************************************

From : Fran Catrair Subject : [voyagerliveaction] Code Blue Voyager Date : Wed, 24 Oct 2001 23:37:16 -0700 (PDT)

B'Elanna looked regretfully after Tom, who was being taken down to sickbay. She was worried for him, but realized that she had other duties to take care of. Tom was out of immediate danger. Miral was sleeping peacefully in sickbay. It was time she assumed her engineering duties.

Standing up, she walked over to the engineering station. #Computer, run a Level 3 diagnostic of all systems and report immediately back to me.# she ordered.

#Acknowledged.# came the reply.

Nodding with satisfaction, she further assessed the situation. Captain Janeway entered the bridge. ::She must have been reading my mind.:: B'Elanna mused.

She was intending, as the lone, conscious senior officer on the bridge, to assume command, like in that holo simulation the Captain had ordered her to conduct a year ago; when the ship had been caught in that carousel coordinate when Naomi and the holodog, Molly, were on the Borg cube. Then, the 8472 and Guinan had followed. The Captain had delegated authority to her to form a team and come up with a solution, using the facilities on the bridge. She regretfully looked over at Janeway.  
Secretly, she was hoping to utilize the experience again; for real this time.

The Captain caught her eye, nodding at her and winking. B'Elanna smiled back at her. " Did something happen, Captain? Wanted to see what it was like to wear Chakotay's shoes? I think his feet are a little too big." B'Elanna lightly called over to her.

Janeway laughed. "Yeah, tell me about it." she said. "I thought the doctor here should get some more experience in his program. Let him see how fun it is to wear those pips." Janeway concluded, elbowing the ECH, who was sitting in her chair.

"That's not funny, Captain. I don't enjoy you sitting here, watching me. It makes me nervous."  
the ECH concluded, pulling the bottom of his red tunic down nervously.

"Ah, so NOW you know what it's like to be a Captain. You're always watched." she concluded, nodding at him.

Janeway decided to end the doctor's discomfort. #Computer, deactivate ECH program. Authorization Janeway, 9 Alpha Gamma 4 Beta 2 3.# she concluded.

#Transfer complete.# the computer responded.

The EMH was now standing in front of them, wearing his familiar blue medical tunic. He breathed a sigh of relief, and appeared to relax slightly. "Permission to return to sickbay." he said.

Janeway stared at him slightly and shook her head. "Denied. I need you to stay and bring Commander Chakotay and Seven back to consciousness. They appear to be taking a long time in coming to." she concluded, glancing worriedly at the two of them, who were the last bridge crew to awaken.

"I assure you, Captain, they are both fine. It just takes some longer to awaken. Why, B'Elanna here literally growled herself awake in no time, and suffered no ill effects. Mr. Paris was another story. We just have to make do the best way we can." he finished, trying to appease the Captain.

Janeway looked at him and sighed. "All right, I get you.", then something else he said caught her attention, and she looked over at B'Elanna. "You 'growled' yourself awake?" she asked, her eyebrows raising slightly.

B'Elanna blushed and blurted out, "Don't ask."

Janeway smiled at her and decided to accept her engineer's comment.

A beeping noise sounded at B'Elanna's engineering station, and she moved over to it. ::What the?:: she thought. "Captain, I'm receiving the results of the Level 3 diagnostic I ordered the computer to perform a little earlier. The sensors are reading a build up of photostatic energy in the warp coils. The levels will become dangerous within the next 30 minutes. We need to purge the system manually, but in order to do that, we need to shut everything down. That would include shields and life support. I will send this information over to Commander La Forge as well." she concluded.

Janeway ran her hand across her forehead. ::Good thing B'Elanna thought to do that. I was so worried about waking people up and who was in command, that I forgot all about the ship itself.:: she thought to herself. Now, they just needed to wake up the ship.

-----------------------------------------------------

Lady Q looked on at Q's and Quince's antics with amusement. They were really quite playful, when she allowed herself to see that. When they decided to 'disappear' when Miral's nappy became, what could she say, 'unpleasant', she and Amanda were left to their own devices once again.

She noticed the sad, distracted look on Amanda's face and frowned, thinking. ::What was the girl sad about?:: she wondered. Then, it came to her. Her son, Q2, was nowhere in sight. He had seemed to disappear. The last she seen of him was on the bridge, when he had rescued Seven and B'Elanna. She had no idea where he could be. Looking at the girl, she nodded encouragingly. "Don't worry, my dear. I'm sure he's just gone away to become comfortable with his Q powers again." she finished.

Amanda looked like she was about to cry.

Lady Q would have none of that. "Come now, let's go off hunting for him. He might just 'pop' up when you least expect it." she finished, intentionally dropping the pun. When Amanda didn't pick up on it, she just shrugged.

She was about to 'pop' them away, when she noticed the new arrivals in sickbay. One in particular drew her attention. It was the El Aurien bartender, Guinan,  
who had been driving Q and Quince crazy earlier at the Voyager welcome home party. ::Wonder what's wrong with her?:: Lady Q thought to herself. She felt a strange pang of sympathy, and suddenly snapped her fingers and appeared at the El Aurien's side, dressed as a nurse; in a blue medical tunic.

She picked up and held the El Aurien's hand, with Amanda Q looking on at her curiously, but staying where she was.

Lady Q knew Guinan was a rare breed. She knew of the feud between the El Auriens and the Q, and took it upon herself to personally help this one. ::I will NOT have her wake up or die, alone.:: she thought,  
furiously. She might kill me, but I feel I owe her that much.

-  
(attachments)

Image : B'Elanna in a close up on the bridge, looking alert.

Image : Lady Q in an historical dress, beaming.

Gif: Voyagerliveaction's Year 2000 April logo.

************************************* From : "Samantha Rose" Subject :[voyagerliveaction] Lingering Date : Fri, 26 Oct 2001 02:01:22 +0000

The images floated across Owen's face, saying words that he could not hear. The images were from his past, or rather a past that never was. He could see his own father, his son, his wife...everyone he ever knew and loved. No, the scenes were changing now.

Now Owen saw Komach and his guards. Then there was a bright flash of white light, the Q. They were in Voyager's starlab. All was quiet for a few moments, then there was another blinding flash of light and pain, extreme pain.

At that time, Paris opened his eyes not to see any of the images from his dream, but the face of a medical officer. Noticing that the Admiral was conscious, the medic began scanning him with a medical tricorder. Owen began to wave him off, but a splitting headache prevented him from doing so.

There was no further struggle from Owen as the medic treated the lingering symptoms and moved to the next awakening bridge officer. Looking about him, Admiral Paris saw that most of those who were on the bridge were up and about. The Admiral struggled to his feet and steadied himself on the nearby console.

The retreating EMH caught sight of the senior Paris and came over to him. "It's good to see you on your feet again, Admiral." the holodock brought out his own medical tricorder and began taking readings of the senior officer's vital signs.

"It will feel good to be back on my feet as soon as my head stops spinning..." he rested against the console as the doctor finished his scans and grabbed a medkit. The EMH loaded a hypo and pressed it to the Admiral's neck.

"Here, this should take care of the dizziness." Owen watched as his surroundings came back into focus. The doctor placed the hypo back into it's rightful place and returned the medkit.

"Thank you, Doctor. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some business to attend to." he nodded to the hologram and headed over to where Captain Janeway was kneeling over her first officer.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Q2 opened one eye, and then slowly the other. The planet Jupiter filled most of his vision, stars filling the remainder. He untucked his legs from underneathe him and pulled his fingers out of his ears. Looking around, Q2 saw that he was floating freely in space.

In his hastiness to escape Komach's illegal beam out, in which the immediate side effects actually effected him, the teen Q had flashed to the first place that came to mind. The scenery was pleasant, but Q2 wanted to get out of there as quickly as his fingers could snap.

Dormant instincts brought the Q back to the starlab. There was something in the room that had pulled him there. ::But what is it?:: he thought to himself. Then it hit him, there was a faint scent of roses in the air. Amanda had been there apparently, by the scent of eccentric lavender, with his mother.

He took one last look around the lab before flickering out once again. He then showed up in sickbay, the scent trail leading him to her next destination. Glancing around all Q2 saw were the patients who were taking longer to come out of their comotose state.

There was no sign of Amanda or Lady Q there either. Q2 flashed himself to the Mess Hall with a heavy heart. He sat at a table away from where the medical officers were wrapping up their work and stared out at the stars.

He could see his father and Quince beyond the view port talking animatedly about their life saving rescue of Picard's barmaid. Neither Q noticed the teen sulking inside the ship. Q2 gave a sigh, but not even the mere sliver of a thought about his returned omnipotence could raise his spirits. Why must he be a teenager in love?

(attachments:)

*animated gif* : A blooming rose.

Gif : A steel com badge bar.

Image : Nice publicity photo of cast in wardrobe on Voyager engineering set.

Audio: Janeway : Imitating the captain, huh.  
Surely that violates some sort of Starfleet protocol.

From : "patti keiper" Subject : Fatherly Worries Date : Mon, 29 Oct 2001 06:53:12 +0000

It was the El Aurien bartender, Guinan,  
who had been driving Q and Quince crazy earlier at the Voyager welcome home party. ::Wonder what's wrong with her?:: Lady Q thought to herself. She felt a strange pang of sympathy, and suddenly snapped her fingers and appeared at the El Aurien's side, dressed as a nurse; in a blue medical tunic.

She picked up and held the El Aurien's hand, with Amanda Q looking on at her curiously, but staying where she was.

=========

Dormant instincts brought the Q back to the starlab. There was something in the room that had pulled him there. ::But what is it?:: he thought to himself. Then it hit him, there was a faint scent of roses in the air. Amanda had been there apparently, by the scent of eccentric lavender, with his mother.

He took one last look around the lab before flickering out once again. He then showed up in sickbay, the scent trail leading him to her next destination. Glancing around all Q2 saw were the patients who were taking longer to come out of their comotose state.

There was no sign of Amanda or Lady Q there either. Q2 flashed himself to the Mess Hall with a heavy heart. He sat at a table away from where the medical officers were wrapping up their work and stared out at the stars.

::Now isn't this interesting.:: Q thought as he saw his son come into sickbay and then not see his mother nor Amanda standing by the barmaid's bed. ::Is he so heartsick, that he is blind to his own family? His natural radar should've told him we were right in front of him.

::But that can happen if you're in love..:: Q stood deep inside his invisibility, pondering just that sort of concept. ::My son, in love? Oh my. How extraordinary. He blunders right on through this sickbay without even seeing the object of his attentions.

Q leaned on his elbow and palm while he hung in the air and thought ::Should I zap myself to the messhall and see what the reason is? Or should I stay out of it...?:: Q bit his lip while he thought so hard Bashir looked up when a hotspot bloomed on his sensors over one of the empty patient beds.

Q hastily quelled the steam from his head and saw the human doctor return to his work on the barmaid. His empathetic feelers saw that Quince was very put off. Most likely due to his faceoff with the barfreak. But Q senior wanted to devote time for his family for the current moment, so he decided on a course of action. He thought of who might be able to counsel him best on the art of love. ::I know.. Kathy fits that bill. I mean, after all. She's fawned after that holoMichael Don Juan long enough. Why else would she have reprogrammed the ship's computer to deny herself access to his personal parameters?::

Pleased that his newly awakened paternal instinct was still guiding him true. He paused long enough to drift another paper airplane down on top of Guinan's sheeted belly so that Amanda and Lady Q would catch it. "He's in the messhall." is all it read. "Love Q. Be right back.."

----------------------

Q appeared right in between Admiral Paris and Captain Janeway as they both knelt by Chakotay's head. "Sorry to interrupt a good top brass discussion over konked Chuckles here. But I've a more pressing matter..." he said, zapping Janeway back into her center seat and himself into Chakotay's first officer chair, leaving the Admiral yards away over Chakotay's still form. Q called out. "Sorry Odd Owen. But I've a more pressing need for Kathy right now. Whatever petty deliberation inside your head can wait until I'm done. Now.." and Q turned back to Captain Janeway.

The expression on her face had no shred of tolerance. "Q.... I don't care if you're a thousand times more powerful than us...."

Q yawned, stretching in Chakotay's chair, "That's a billion.. actually.."

The captain went on as if she didn't hear Q's pompous quip, "What gives you the right to barge onto the bridge and effect events in any way you feel like it? We could have been treating my first officer. Pulling me away like that could have been risky.."

"You weren't. And it wasn't a tad risky, Kathy. I know. I made sure to check for tactile contact first. Neither you nor Odd Owen over there had your hands on anything about him.. That's physically anyway.. What you thought earlier in the dreamscape's another matter. Tell me, quite frankly.. do you love him?"

Captain Janeway's face raged for a split second, then cooled as she was fully aware of the junior officers present on the bridge. "I will not turn this encounter into a soul seeking session Q. I've wounded to worry about.. Guinan...."

"..is stable.."

"Chakotay....."

"is about to wake up..."

"Seven of Nine.."

"...is having a rather pleasant dream at the moment about Chuckles over here.. Shall I tell you more?" Q said smugly.

Janeway blinked at that, glancing over at Chakotay briefly, before she caught herself. She decided to evade that entire vein. "Get off my bridge, Q. And while you're at it.. Take your trapesing trio with you when you go. Having Voyager home means that we won't be much further fun to you any time in the near future."

"Ah, mon capitan.. easy.. Is that how you repay us Q for saving Guinan's life?"

Janeway didn't bat an eye. "Quince jeopardized her in the first place by bringing Komach here in his rigged armchair."

Q blinked, "Point taken." He swept up Janeway's hand and said, "Oh, Kathy.. I'll tell you the reason why I am having this conversation with you..." and his face did fold into some semblance of desperation and uncertainty.

The captain jerked her hand away from Q's and summoned security wearily.."Do I dare ask to take a raincheck?"

Q said, "No. You're a captive audience.. You see.." and he crossed his legs, while Janeway buried her face in her hand. "It's like this.. My son's in love... to the point of not being able to function in the presence of the past object of his affections.."

"Sort of like you and Lady Q..eh?" Janeway said, feeling daring.. Her anger gave her courage.

Q ignored the barb. "Oh, Kathy. I'm serious. Amanda's his first flame.. Sort of like what you felt for that strange knobby kneed fellow Hobbs, when you were diving in that quarry field trip when you were sixteen."

Janeway startled. "You were spying on us?"

"No, of course not. I just read it from your mind right now."

Janeway contented herself with scanning all the officers on the bridge who were still unconscious from her status board. It was as far as she could reach inside Q's confining proximity restraint. "Well, if you can read my mind so readily, get what it is you're looking for ... and leave....." she said, meeting Q's eyes levelly.

Q sighed. "Getting telepathic impressions of concepts and memories and hearing them live aren't the same thing."

"Tough.." And Janeway attempted to stand. Of course, Q's field held her in place.. "This isn't helping our relationship one iota Q. Especially now. If you're really feeling like a changed man. Do the decent thing and back off. Let us humans be human. It's the least you can do. Or what you've absorbed and learned from us over the years has absolutely no meaning and all you're suffering at the hands of the Continuum is completely worthless, all for nothing."

Q really didn't want to get his current favorite captain irked. And her words really did sink into his not quite so thick anymore Q hide. "Done." and he gestured. Janeway was free to rejoin the admiral. "Can I still pick your brain for some answers about my son? You've so much experience... With Hobbs, and Mark and Michael... and now with.."

"Q! Enough..." Janeway shot out of her chair in about two seconds, returning to monitor Chakotay. Slowly, her anger cooled and she agreed as though the deal was rank in her mouth. It was, in a way. But she pulled a few aces. "Only if I'm not aware of you doing so and that you wake my first officer."

Q mulled over that. "Fair enough." But inside he thought. ::When Chuckles is awake. It's HIM I'll ask about my son's current love sickness problem..:: He began smiling. ::I didn't promise to not interfere there, now did I?::

Q got up and followed Janeway back to where Owen was kneeling over Chakotay. Janeway glared at him until he remembered his agreement. "Oh.. here.." he said, waving a hand over Chakotay's face.

Janeway held her medscanner over him as Q's power hastened his recovery process. "Q..... Now, Seven."

Q set his hands on his hips in a good imitation of his favorite Kathy and said, "Now why should I do that? She has absolutely nothing of value that I can use in that borged brain of hers concerning love, now is there?"

Janeway sighed very heavily and didn't even try to conceal her true feelings. She literally tuned Q out, focusing on Chakotay's face as his eyelids fluttered.. "Commander.. Can you hear me? I need you to regain focus here. The crisis is over.."

-  
(attachments)

Image : Mark on a datapadd, Janeway's ex-flame.

Image : Q and Captain Janeway in compromising poses in her quarters.

Image: Smirking Q.

****************************************

END WEEK FORTYONE RECAP 10-28-01

.com/voyagerliveaction Graphic Site.

.com/group/voyagerliveaction Writer's Site.

WEEK FORTY TWO RECAP 10-28-01

.com/group/voyagerliveaction Writer's Site.

.com/voyagerliveaction Graphic Site.

**********************************

From : "Clairissa Fox" Subject : The Bubble from Sospeeria Date :Mon, 29 Oct 2001 17:15:43 +0000

I dreamed about food. I don't know why I did it. I saw the painter sipping his soup when we took a break from my painting and his beard got into the bowl. The pony reached out and nipped it and I started laughing. Then I woke up.

I was in sickbay! And mummy was right there. Hi mom. Am I ok? Then Dr Basheer came over to me.

Hello Naomi. Feeling better? And he checked me out with the tricorder.

I'm ok. How is everybody else? There are a lot of people in the beds here.

Oh. Just a really loud noise called a sonic made everyone faint. Even you.

I did? I don't remember.

But I was happy. I gave mum a huge hug and then I saw the pretty lady in the big hat on another bed.

Ginan! Ginan! She doesnt look so good Dr. Basheer. Can I go see her?

I saw that Lady Queue and the younger Lady Amanda Queue were sitting by her bedside just watching her face. I knew by the lines on her face that the other Q had done something really bad to her.

Basheer looked at me. I dont see why you cant. And I can almost imagine what you are thinking right now Naomi. Yes, the Queues made a mistake and it hurt Ginan but they helped best they could and shes now on the mend.

I looked at mum and Basheer. Do you see the two Lady Queue over there? They are holding Ginans hand.

I saw Dr Basheer and my mum look very fast over there. But I could tell they couldnt see them so I added. Theyre just making sure she isnt sleeping by herself. Like mum did for me. Its ok. Its ok. Ill let you know if they do anything else thats bad.

So I got up and I went over to Ginan. Ginan! Ginan! You can wake up. The two Lady Queues are here too. I dont know what happened to you but I can guess. The loud noise made you faint worse than us. I remember hearing it. It was when Admeeral Comack took a transporter beam to Earth that wasnt Voyagers. That was wrong. But I will stay with you and with the Lady Queues until you are better. Im sorry I dont have Flotter here. I think he was left in the silly inventors workshop when we were working on my painting with the pony. But dont worry. I can go get him later.

I turned to the mum Queue. Why did Quince and your husband bring Admeeral Comack here? He hurt Ginan and then they had to do first aid things to get her alive again. Didnt they know that the Admeeral was a bad man? He was the one who took 7 and Belanna away from the ship.

Then I looked at the Lady Amanda Queue. Those are pretty flowers you are holding. Did your boyfriend give them to you? Hes not here now. But I can get Mr. Bootby to tell you where he is. I havent met your boyfriend yet. He knows my Auntie Kathy real good. He even calls her by that name too!

Then I looked around. Auntie Kathy was one of the people fainted on the beds in sickbay. I guessed she was on the bridge now. I almost left to go there when I remembered my promise to not follow her. That was how I got into trouble on the holodeck in the first place when Ginan had to come and get me out of there because I got scared by what I saw. So I didnt go. Mum smiled at me when she saw I was so grown up.

Then I talked to Bootby.

Bootby! Bootby! Are all the people ok? Hows the ship? Should I be at my station at home with the computer?

I saw the grumbly man appear on the screen by me. Naomi Wildman. Everyone is fine. Or soon will be so dont get scared. Theres a problem Captain Janeway is dealing with about the warp motors and the lights may have to go out soon for a while. Belanna can fix it. We are not at red alert but going back home and helping us watch the sensors is something you can do for us.

I can do that here. I am with Ginan who was hurt very bad and the Lady Queues are with me helping her too.

They are?

I was surprised that Bootby didnt see them either. I wonder why I can. But I said. These Queue are nice. They are keeping Ginan company. But I dont see the other men Queue anywhere.

Thank you Naomi for that news. All right. You stay in sickbay and watch your computer station and Voyagers sensors from there. Your mum can help too.

Thank you Bootby.

So I turned on my screen and turned the sound off so Ginan wouldnt be awakened from her sleeping and I watched. There was a different kind of glow around the warp motors. And I saw Belanna tell Auntie Kathy about the photostatick energy that would get bad in a half an hour! I saw the same kind of energy over Sospeeria who was still fainted in the star lab where we had left her. I wonder if her bubble was causing the trouble Belanna was seeing. So I called Belanna who was still on the bridge.

Belanna! Belanna! I know what the problem with Voyagers motors are! Its Sospeeria! Her faint bubble is glowing and so are the motors! If you wake her up. Maybe any new energy will go away so you can fix them. Do you really have to turn off all the lights and the air too? That might scare your baby. But I will watch her for you ok?

I saw my mum go over to another computer spot across the room to do the science things she had to do for the bridge. Maybe she could tell Auntie Kathy about what I saw about Sospeerias bubble being the same color as the energy in Voyagers motors. Then they could fix things faster.

Then I worried about my friend 7. I saw on other sensors that 7 was still fainted on the floor near Auntie Kathys chair and so was Chakoty. Auntie Kathy and Admeeral Paris were trying to wake him up.

So I told the hollow doctor about the bubble idea.

Doctor! Doctor! That bad energy in Voyagers motors might be from Sospeeria! She might not know shes doing it because I see her still fainted on the rug in there. If you wake her up. Maybe she could stop the bubble thats making the photostatick energy Belannas seeing and then we wont have to shut down the air and lights to fix it.

I heard the hollow doctor answer me. I hear you Naomi. I will tell the captain what you told me. Stand by.

Then I waited to see what would happen. I wanted Voyager and Ginan and 7 and Chakoty to all be fixed. I had to see them be ok. I had to see. I had to see for me.

-  
(attachment)

Image: Kate Mulgrew and Scarlett Pommers from the Paramount backlot in costume.

*****************************************

Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2001 11:07:03 -0800 (PST) From: "Jeff Seltun" Subject:[voyagerliveaction] Back into the Lion's Mouth

Captain Picard returned to sickbay on the Enterprise and smiled. Geordi's bed, was empty. He spied his engineer tapping away on a computer console leaning shoulder to shoulder with Reg Barclay and Mr. Data.  
"Geordi.." he called out.  
He saw his engineer turn at his voice.  
"It's all right. You're doing what I wanted to discuss with you already, trying to get to the bottom of Komach's little Section 31 ring before anyone else gets subjected to their kind of justice. Carry on."

Picard saw Geordi nod and he moved over to the nurse in Beverly's office. ::It's too bad Beverly's not on board ship right now. I could sure use her.:: he thought as he wondered about Guinan. The medical alert on her disturbed him. He couldn't recall a time where he had ever seen his mysterious companion weakened or even distressed beyond her usual quiet manner before and it rocked him to the core.  
He leaned over to the nurse and asked,  
"How is she?"

The nurse replied, "Oh, it's you, sir. Guinan was resusitated by the Q and evac'd to sickbay by one of Voyager's bridge officers. A Mr. Kim. Does this ring a bell?"

"It does. That young officer and I were on the holodeck dealing with Sospiria when the sonic backwash took us.  
What is her condition now?" Picard said, hiding the concern cracking his voice.

"She's resting. There's a little girl by her side."

"That would be little Naomi Wildman. Captain Janeway's "assistant". Charming girl. Usually, children bother me."

The nurse was wise enough not to comment.

An orbit away from Enterprise, things were developing on Voyager's bridge.

A beeping noise sounded at B'Elanna's engineering station, and she moved over to it. ::What the?:: she thought. "Captain, I'm receiving the results of the Level 3 diagnostic I ordered the computer to perform a little earlier. The sensors are reading a build up of photostatic energy in the warp coils. The levels will become dangerous within the next 30 minutes. We need to purge the system manually, but in order to do that, we need to shut everything down. That would include shields and life support. I will send this information over to Commander La Forge as well." she concluded.

And Torres sent on the information to Geordi LaForge.

The visored engineered lifted his head urgently and he located Picard standing in the office with the nurse.  
"Sir.. I think you should see this.."

Captain Picard didn't like the sound of Geordi's tone. It sounded like his I-don't-know-what-the-h*ll-this-is tone,  
the worst kind.  
"Geordi?"

Reg simply stood aside and let Captain Picard see the sensors B'Elanna had sent them about Voyager's warp coil nacelles. "A photostatic buildup? What could cause that I wonder? It can't be from the protective blanket from the Midas Array you've set up.."

Reg vehemently shook his head. "Impossible sir. The EM field is just an external transporter beam disruptor. Nothing else."

Captain Picard tapped his combadge to Voyager's bridge.  
=^=Enterprise to Voyager. We read your Level Three Diagnostic Anomaly.. Any theories?=^=

He heard the click of an opening line.

Janeway spoke from her place above Chakotay. =^=I've just heard myself. We're still getting details. Torres has double checked the problem. It's still looking like we're going to have to perform a complete electrical and environmental shutdown to effect repairs. With dozens of my crew still down, I don't like that option.  
The unconscious will suffocate if the air suddenly ceased flowing around their heads. =^=

The nurse next to Picard spoke up. "You could send crewman to fan the air around them during your repair,  
to keep carbon dioxide from pooling up around their mouths. It can be done easily enough."

"Perhaps.." Picard said. "But that only solves part of the problem. What caused the buildup in the first place?"

Right then, the EMH spoke up into their link =^=Excuse the interruptions, captains. But Naomi Wildman may be on to something. She's just comm'd me with this..=^=

And part of the computer screen showing a ship to ship vid split into a schematic of B'Elanna's warp coil aura and the view of Sospiria still lying in the star lab. The energy signatures were nearly the same type.

Janeway didn't hesitate. =^=Transporter room. Lock onto the lifeform in stellar cartography and beam her into the pattern buffer immediately.=^=

Picard saw Sospiria sparkle out. The rising level of the warp photostatic activity stopped its deadly climb. But it did not fade out. It stayed the same intensity.

"Captain. Moving Sospiria ended the addition of more adverse energy. Looks like your little Naomi was truly on to something there. " Picard told Janeway. "Are you sure B'Elanna can deal with your repairs effectively?"

Janeway just grinned. "The day B'Elanna doesn't do what she says she can do is the day I give up black coffee forever."

Picard saw his fellow officer smile. "If you need assistance with your wounded during the period of airlessness.."

Janeway nodded. "We'll manage. I think we both should keep our shields up until we stop Komach and his people."

"Understood, captain. Picard out."

And Picard began to relax. He turned to Data.  
"Mr. Data. Keep a sensor lock on Voyager's pattern buffer.  
Make sure Sospiria stays discorporealized. If there's any change in those readings. I want to know about it. Unconscious or not, Sospiria's effect will be neutralized if I have to send her into one of Enterprise's lifepods and tow her behind us."

"Aye sir. I've already run analyses on aniphasic lifeforms. Sospiria won't be harmed by our transporter systems being stored in this manner. It is an effective control over her."

Picard nodded. "Keep me informed." And he returned to the office and the monitor showing Guinan's lifesigns.  
He sat in Beverly's chair as one reading rose.  
"She's waking up...."

He toggled a switch. ##Mr. Boothby. Tie in Guinan's Voyager bed comm to my terminal here on the Enterprise..##

The wizened gardener program appeared briefly. "Nice move on the Caretaker female. Not many would use a transporter to restrain a being of such strength."

Picard erupted. "It's a stopgag measure only. Technically, it's bending the rules about Federation citizen rights with an unauthorized incarceration."

Boothby smiled, "She's not a Federation citizen. And a proven danger to Voyager's crew."

"Exactly. It's only that technicality which is allowing Kathryn to act so .. shall we say...creatively. It's touchy legal ground."

"You want touchy, Picard? How about letting me call in the Calamarain to rid us of the Q entourage?" Boothby said angrily.

Captain Picard said, "Nice idea but that would be hiring a mercenary. A high offense with the Prime Directives."

"Do we care at this point? They almost killed Guinan.." Boothby said.

Picard couldn't help but grin. "I've learned over the years that it's best to ignore Q like anyone would ignore a bumble bee in the family garden. Eventually it goes away."

Boothby grumbled. "Yeah, well these are really slow stinging insects. They're overstaying their welcome. Did you know that that Quince fellow actually took over my programming parameters until he was ready to make an appearance on Voyager? He used me as a "hiding" place. "

That disturbed Picard. "No, I wasn't aware of that."  
Voyager's computer functions were integrally bound to Boothby. The "possession" would have slowed his functioning critically, endangering the ship with highly delayed computer response times.  
"Let me know if it happens again.."

"I'll do that." and Boothby snicked out.

Captain Picard leaned back in Beverly's chair and dismissed the nurse helping him watch Guinan as the hostess opened her eyes. She seemed to know right away that her captain was linked and watching her.

Guinan's whisper was almost drown out by happy shouts from Naomi announcing to the whole sickbay that Guinan was awake and aware.  
"Captain. I don't feel Sospiria any longer. Where is she?"

Picard raised his eyebrows. ::She isn't concerned with the Q almost ending her existence in the messhall?:: "Captain Janeway was forced to instate her into Voyager's transporter buffer. An unconscious wild energy from the female caretaker has caused a photostatic buildup in the warp coils that needs to be purged with a complete shutdown of electrical and life support systems.."

Guinan's face grew larger in the pickups as she raised on her elbows.  
She seemed to frown at two other faces surrounding hers that Picard did not see. "I'm still surrounded by Q, captain. But listen. My people know nothing about Sospiria's species. Her body may have self preserving instincts that react without her thinking about them. I feel she's been rendered inert for now, but a latent reaction is there, barely leashed. Consider releasing her far from the Enterprise and Voyager. She may lash out before she's fully awake without her needing to make a decision on it first."

Picard frowned. :: Don't tell me we have to borrow Komach's long distance transporter to get her back where she came from..::

Guinan seemed to read his mind, "You may have to deal with the devil to do it. Section 31's the only one with a pole long enough to release this particular tiger. And you may have to enlist the Q to infiltrate Komach's complex again to get to their transporter.  
I'm sure Geordi and Scotty and B'Elanna can find away around that sonic backlash complication so Earth won't suffer it when we transfer Sospiria from Voyager's buffer to theirs for her sendoff back through the rift she came through."

Picard's earlier peace left him and tension returned in force.  
"Try to get some rest, Guinan. I'll.....see what I can do."

Guinan didn't smile, "You do that."  
Her image faded out.

Then Captain Picard sent an all ships to both Voyager and Enterprise's comm bands so all crewman everywhere could hear him.  
"This is Captain Picard. I'd like to adjourn a meeting with both ships bridge officers via conference screens in ten minutes. It is a matter of the utmost urgency.  
We'll reconvene through Boothby at 15:20. And any officer grade personnel are welcome to head it."

All on the bridge of Voyager and in her sickbay heard that summons. So did all departments on Enterprise.

They hastened to be ready for it.

-  
(attachments)

Image : Data with Spot, his cat.

Image: Picard promo smiling in a closeup.

*************************************

From : "Cory Anda" Subject : [voyagerliveaction] Things that go bump in the night Date : Tue, 30 Oct 2001 09:47:48 +0000

She(Janeway) literally tuned Q out, focusing on Chakotay's face as his eyelids fluttered.. "Commander.. Can you hear me? I need you to regain focus here. The crisis is over.."

::Over...over...over...over.. over and out. Roger that.::

----------

Chakotay opened his eyes. He was in his usual place to Janeway's left. He blinked a few times. "Captain?"

Janeway looked up from the datapadd she was reading. And a coffee mug was in her other hand. She looked up smiling. "What is it, Commander?" she said, not looking up from her reading, "I'm about half way through with the London Tales from the Underworld. Glad you suggested it. My skin's crawling and I've only reached chapter five." and she laughed.

"I don't understand. I thought I heard you say that the crisis is ov--" Chakotay broke off, seeing Tuvok at his station, working calmly. And there was no alert on the screen. Open stars drifted on the forward viewscreen.

Janeway glanced up at him. "I must have been mumbling." And she turned back to him and held up her padd. "Mr. Hathaway's just discovered the body of the young seamstress in the Thames, page sixty.. There must be something deeper here I have yet to fathom." she said. "You sure know how to pick a good mystery. I'm stumped." and she grinned.

::You aren't the only one.:: Chakotay thought. He ran a diagnostic on the ship and found nothing was amiss. ::Where's Sospiria? What about the unconscious crewmen? And Seven..:: The commander turned in his seat and looked to where he remembered hearing Seven to be while he and the captain were inside the dreamscape. But the place where he knew she should be on the floor was empty.. ::What?::

His motion attracted Janeway's attention. "Chakotay? Are you all right? You seem a bit..jumpy. Now I know you've just read this book not an hour ago. Don't tell me you are still a little creeped out..."

Chakotay's feelings of confusion only mounted. "Kathryn, didn't B'Elanna tell you we'd have to shut down all systems to purge an unknown energy buildup in the warp coils?"

Tuvok looked up from his station. "Commander Chakotay. Voyager's engine output is running nominal at 99.8 % of normal efficiency. Did you receive a terminal hard copy from her outlining that concern?"

Chakotay again felt a feeling of foreboding. "I...don't know. I..seem to remember hearing something like that from over th--"

He subconsciously glanced over to the spot on the rug where he had heard sounds from where he had lain in his memory.

He briefly saw a flicker of energy dance from Tom's console to ooze into that spot on the rug. He shot to his feet. "Red alert!"

The lights bloodied and Janeway rose, in surprise, "Chakotay. What's going on here?" But she did not countermand his order.

The lights on the bridge flickered and went out, casting an eerie half glow from the emergency cells on their arm chair consoles. And total silence reigned. Even the slight hiss of the lifesupport ventilators ceased. "There. That's B'Elanna now. She's purging the energy surge.." Chakotay insisted. "And you yourself put Sospiria in the transporter buffer the moment you heard that the warp coils were being compromised. I just saw some of that energy leave Tom's console and strike the place where I was layi--" he broke off.

Janeway decided to trust her first officer. And she struck her combadge, "This is the bridge. Condition Blackout. Lifesupport and complete power grid failure. Secure all stations. Run level One diagnostics on every system in all departments. Travel in groups of two with portable respirators. Arm yourselves. All department heads sound off when all crew is accounted for immediately upon completion."

Then she rose calling the EMH to report to the bridge. "Doctor to the bridge. Something's wrong with Chakotay. He's acting confused and unoriented to time and place." She went to his side. "It's all right, Commander. We'll get to the bottom of this soon. Why don't you just sit down and rel-"

He ripped out of her grasp. "Kathryn, there's nothing wrong with me. This is what I remember. Tom had just rescued Seven and B'Elanna from Admiral Komach. But the Q brought him here and he escaped using a long distance transporter whose backwash knocked us all out. Including you. It had a secondary effect of causing a photostatic buildup to begin in the warp coils and B'Elanna wanted this complete shutdown to purge it before it reached dangerous levels. I was lying right over there.. My guess is that Sospiria was somehow effecting the systems through her personal shielding. Naomi's the one who discovered it." Chakotay said, thinking hard and panting more. His world was turned upside down.

Tuvok looked up in the gloom in the process of fitting his station with a portolight. "None of these events have taken place. We arrived home to Earth. And this is the night following the reunion party held blue landed in a field on the Janeway homestead. There must be another cause for Voyager's complete system failure that we are seeing here. I am attempting to ascertain the reason why for both this widespread malfunction and your own medical condition."

"I am not sick, Mr. Tuvok..." Chakotay said, "I know what I saw.."

Just then there was a com page over all the bridge crew's badges, "Captain. This is Secondary Lifesupport. Deck Twelve. Section Nine. Aft. We've a missing ensign. She's not responded to roll call. And with sensors down. We can't track her using bio signatures."

Janeway nodded to Tuvok. "Get down there."

He went.

The EMH came from the turbolift. "Captain what's going on? I barely had time to transfer myself to my mobile emitter when all of sickbay went totally black. There's not a single watt of power down there." He approached the chairs he saw Janeway standing nearby, her slight form only a shadow in front of him. "I also heard your call about Chakotay. How are you seeing in this pitch blackness anyway?"

"Just fine. Tuvok set up portolanterns. He's over here." the EMH heard Janeway's voice say. The red light flashed eerily above them, casting a blood red glow over them all.

"Ah, there you are Commander.. Why don't you have a seat and let me take a look at you?" the holodoc said.

Chakotay flinched at the bioprobe whose blue and green flashing diodes seemed unnaturally bright on the darkened bridge. "There's nothing wrong with me. That's the problem. I should be lying over there with symptoms of sonic backwash.." he said, pointing.

The blue flicker he thought he saw move on the floor from Tom's console was gone.

The EMH shrugged, "Did you eat today? Notice any unusual symptoms this morning. Headache. Fever. Nausea."

Chakotay looked at the holodoc after briefly looking at the place on the rug where he knew he had lain. "No. Nothing."

Janeway was about to say more when the com came online. It was Tuvok. "Tuvok to the bridge. We've found the ensign. She's dead. Her throat's been slashed."

"What?!" Janeway said.

"And in the room one of the consoles appears to be glowing blue.. Moving closer to scan-- **Crackle..** Ahh!" Tuvok screamed. It was a hideous sound. Vulcans did not scream.

"Tuvok!!" Janeway shouted. "Security to Deck Twelve. On the double!" into the silent darkness surrounding them.

Just then, the overhead speakers came online in seconds and a horrific sound oozed out of no specific gender,##*K*E*S*L*A*B*O*R*A*T*A R*E*D*J*A*C*!## And it went dead.

All the companels concealing blue bioneural gel packs burst open by themselves in white sparks revealing gel packs under siege. They were glowing blue and pulsating.

Then one twisting root of blue lanced out, grabbing Chakotay by the throat in energetic fire. He felt his eyes melting under the onslaught, his flesh, vaporizing, "NoooooO!!" His life began to fade and his awareness steamed as alien energy possessed him.

---------------

::Over over over let it be over.....::

"Chakotay? Can you hear me?" a woman's voice insisted.

The first officer opened his eyes to absolute darkness except for emergency lights. He thought he was blind and panicked briefly.

"Easy commander. It's just B'Elanna's manual shutdown. We've almost completed the purge on the warp coils. We've been keeping the air moving around your head while you woke up. Sorry if it got a little stuffy." the EMH said. "Try to relax..."

His eyes quickly got used to the dark and he saw Kathryn, Q and Admiral Paris crouching over him. He shot a look over at Tom's station but that console was dark. ::Where's the blue fire?:: He swallowed hard. "I saw blue fire there. Right over there. Watch yourself. It blew up right at me.." he told them.

They all exchanged puzzled glances.

B'Elanna went over to Tom's station and scanned it. "I don't see anything here. Just Boothby running things in there via portable secondary solar conduits."

Chakotay accepted Admiral Paris's and the EMH's hand to sit him up. "You don't understand.. On Deck Twelve Section Nine. Tuvok found a body who's throat had been cut. And then a voice from the speakers said something like Borata..or Kesla or something like that right afterwards."

Janeway frowned. "Tuvok's still in sickbay, Chakotay. He has yet to wake up from the sonic backlash. Fully 23% of the crew is still unconscious. Security teams are manually fanning the air in those areas so they don't suffocate while the purge is in progress. Doctor, do you think he needs some more oxygen?"

Chakotay shook his head, still dizzy. And the doctor gave him an injection of Triox. "No, listen to me. I'm not hallucinating. I know what I felt."

The EMH spoke up as he studied the readings he was getting on Chakotay. "Sensory deprivation such as this thin air and the sudden lack of lights and sound could have triggered another vision, like the captain just told me about that you and she shared earlier."

"No. It's not the same. I wasn't in a quest. I was here, on the bridge. Vision quests never take on any setting from real life. They're always recreations of natural landscapes. Check the crew count. Something's wrong, captain." he said, fighting to get to his feet.

Q scoffed, "Oh.. and I suppose there's a mass murderer loose on board ship. Fits well with Chuckles doom and gloom here..doesn't it?"

Janeway shot Q an irritated look. She tapped her combadge. "This is the bridge. Condition Blackout. Lifesupport and complete power grid is still all stations. Run level One diagnostics on every system in all departments. Travel in groups of two with portable respirators. Arm yourselves. All department heads sound off when all crew is accounted for immediately upon completion."

Chakotay heard her and suffered an eerie deja vu. "You said that then, too." he told her. He let the admiral and EMH park him in his chair when his legs suddenly weakened underneath him.

Just then there was a com page over all the bridge crew's badges, "Captain. This is Secondary Lifesupport. Deck Twelve. Section Nine. Aft. We've a missing ensign. She's not responded to roll call. And with sensors down. We can't track her using bio signatures."

"Understood. Mount a manual search." Janeway ordered.

Then a horrific account came over their combadges. "Boothby to the bridge. I'm sweeping Deck Twelve Section Nine. I've found the ensign. She's dead. Her throat's been slashed."

"What?!" Janeway gasped.

Chakotay shivered. "I hate being right. But if what I saw and felt wasn't real.... What's going on here?"

Janeway's voice was quiet "I intend to find out." And she began to snap out orders to do everything possible under the full Blackout Condition. Anything at all to regain safety for the rest of the crew.

Behind them all, in the pitch black gloom and in the bloody red of the alert lighting, a blue spark snaked from the rug into Seven's eye implant where she lay on the upper deck.

No one noticed.

------------

Tom shot awake on his biobed in sickbay where Bashir was fanning his face to circulate air, "Seven!! Look out!!"

"Lieutenant! Calm yourself. You're fine. We're in a blackout to purge a buildup in Voyager's warp coils..." Julian said, holding him still.

Tom's blind panic died off and his breaths came less agonized and the reason why he cried out faded along with it. "But...but.." He couldn't remember what had frightened him so badly.

Then he saw little Miral sleeping next to him. "Give me Miral." he said urgently. "I want to hold her.."

Bashir said, "Your daughter's fine.. She's sleeping soundly. Surely you don't want to wake h--"

"Now or I'll get her myself..!" Tom demanded.

Bashir's reassuring smile dropped off his face in the gloom. "All right. All right.." He picked up the newborn, cradling her in a sheet. "Here she is.. Here she is.. GENtly.."

Tom grabbed her from the doctor and held her close to his cheek, "I'll keep you safe. I'll keep you safe. Don't worry.."

Bashir noticed the helmsman's vitals calmed significantly soon after so he let him continue to hold the child in his arms. Then he looked to Tuvok nearby on a second bed. He was still out, being fanned by a nurse in the thin air so he could have fresh air around his head. "Remind me to flay Komach alive for his little transporter stunt. I don't think I like the fallout from the casualities." "I don't think I can take another hour of consequences like these."

Then Boothby came online and told him about the ensign.

::Why didn't we catch her bioflag alert? I can't believe B'Elanna's power down effected that critical system. I'm reading green on all indicators inside that alerting computer network.::

Bashir had glanced down at his hands when he heard the captain's request for an autopsy as soon as the blackout ended so he didn't see Seven's biosign monitor flicker eerily through her combadge link to sickbay from the bridge.

Nor a corresponding blue flicker from the pattern buffer from sickbay's cargo transporter console.

##R*E*D*J*A*C*B*O*R*A*T*A*K*E*S*L*A*!## came a sound from Boothby's interfaced visage. He was whispering it so no one heard him.

-  
(attachments)

Image: Janeway and Tuvok on a scary ship.

Image: Bashir portrait, serious.

Image: Chakotay fires phaser on bridge.

Image: Boothby, a tiny pic.

*animated gif* Spinning vortex in blue.

Gif: Red Alert Lcars bar.

*  
From : "Roxy Dee" Subject : [voyagerliveaction] Have You Danced with the Devil in the Pale Moonlight? Date : Wed, 31 Oct 2001 17:37:03 +0000

"Doc.. is he going to be ok?" Harry said, very concerned. His mind was still reeling from the news of a murder on board Voyager.

Dr. Bashir came out of a darker shadow in the emergency glow of the lights surrounding them away from Tom Paris's bed. The move startled Harry, who couldn't see that well in the darkness. "Sorry if I startled you, Mr. Kim. Lt. Paris is going to be fine. Not everyone woke up as easily as you and the captain did. Now, I sent all of my staff to those crewman still unconscious to keep air circulating around their heads. Got a strong stomach? I've been asked to examine the dead ensign and perform her autopsy, and I need a helper to record details in a tricorder for store until the primary computer core comes online again."

Kim swallowed drily. He didn't really feel like seeing any dead people at the moment. But, that seemed to be his only option. Twelve decks of ladder climbing to get to his station on the bridge was an idea he didn't relish. "Not my idea of fun but I can handle it."

"Good." And Dr. Bashir called Boothby through his comline. =^=Boothby. Can you tap into one of Voyager's shuttles and use its transporter to transfer the ensign to biobed three? It's a separate power source so you should be able to manage it."

There was no immediate reply from the darkness. Harry Kim and Dr. Bashir exchanged glances.

Julian asked, "Did they shut down Boothby for the purge?"

Harry shook his head. "They couldn't have. He's on the same priority solar backup as Sospiria's transporter buffer and the medical equipment here in sickbay. Let me try." And the young man tapped his badge, =^=Boothby, this is Ensign Kim. Did you copy?=^=

A few moments slipped by, then Boothby appeared on battery on Tom's bedside computer monitor. His eyes were glowing. "I heard the doctor Harry. Sorry I was late I had some ......pressing matters to attend to. Sacajawea is linked to me via cable. I'll have her transporter bring the body to you."

Dr. Bashir frowned, "Boothby, is something wrong with your imaging array? Your eyes are just showing as blue light here."

Boothby shrugged, speaking slowly, "The ship is on backup batteries. Perhaps my resolution is less to compensate. I may have further delays in communications ties as well. Enterprise has extended her shields to cover us for Torres's purge. The interference is retarding my functioning."

Harry tapped a few keys on the tricorder. "I am reading your transfer computing matrices rate. It's still in the normal range."

Boothby blinked his eerily blue eyes at them, "I cannot explain the difference. Stand by.. Transporting." And his image flicked a few times, his simulated clothing breaking down into dots under the emergency power.

Kim frowned. "I'll let the captain know about Boothby's problem as soon as we've finished here. I don't relish the long climb facing me to get to the bridge."

Dr. Bashir said, "You can always use antigrav boots."

Kim grinned, "That's right. The thought never even occurred to me."

Julian grunted, "That's because we had to use them all the time on Deep Space Nine whenever our Cardassian systems acted up and we had to get from place to place.." The young doctor was mindful of the other patients near them, John Torres, Leah Brahams, Tom, Guinan and Naomi. He created an opaque screen using his tricorder around the biobed to hide it from sight.

Kim took a few steadying breaths as he watched sparkles materialize in front of him. ::Easy Harry. Remember your training.:: The effect died off and the dead ensign's corpse shimmered into being. But the area being taken by the fluxing shuttle energies was somehow, smaller than it should have been. ::Oh no.:: And he covered his mouth in sudden nausea. He saw a horrific jelly like mass quiver on the bed as it sagged out of the transporter's hold, looking like a deflated balloon, complete with hair and clothes. "Where are her bones?"

Dr. Bashir hastily hit his combadge, "Sickbay to Boothby. Abort! Abort!"

But there was no answer.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On the bridge

A bright nimbus of energy sparkled in the air before the command chairs, filling the pitch black bridge with the stench of copper.

Janeway flinched. ::That's the smell of....blood.:: She and the EMH, Admiral Paris and Chakotay backed up a few steps involuntarily.

B'Elanna, quicker than them, drew a phaser from a nearby cabinet and covered the area spinning in the air. She shouted when she saw another nimbus of transporter energy take Seven of Nine from where she lay on the deck. "Captain! Seven's disappearing!"

Janeway snapped out an order. "Janeway to Boothby. Block that transporter beam!"

Boothby's image appeared on the main viewer, his eyes still an eerie blue fire. "C...cann-- ot....com...ply.." The voice sent shivers down the spines of everyone on the bridge. It sounded like a blend of Seven of Nine's and Boothby's voices. Then,.. " ...Revers..ing..."

The spinning nimbus of transporter effect somehow doubled in size before them all. The yellow energy began to solidify whatever it held.

Janeway gasped.

Through the sparkles, she could see Seven of Nine, suspended limply in the air, still unconscious. She was spinning in a sort of macabre dance with a bloody human skeleton that was still steaming. Its arms were on her shoulder and waist and the dripping feet were moving of their own accord in steps to silent music no one could hear. Then the transporter finished its task, dropping exBorg and skeleton to the deck in a gory entwined heap.

"Oh my god." Janeway whispered. A memory of when she had been deathly terrified returned. When the Borg had claimed her. She shook the vision away from her eyes.

Q screeched in pure horror undignified of a Q and vanished in an escape of his own crafting.

B'elanna moved from her place, breathing hard, but still covering the horrific pair with her phaser.

The EMH could see better in the gloom and he reacted. He first checked Seven for signs of life on his tricorder. "She's alive. And this skel-" He swallowed hard, "..and these remains are from the murdered ensign on Deck Twelve."

Right then, gravity made the red stained skull flop off and it rolled to land upright in front of Chakotay and Janeway. The glow of the red alert lighting made it seems alive, but it wasn't.

The overhead com shot into life on battery power.

## SEE included audio file ##

And the skull was pulled in a sudden jerk of unknown power to pop over the EMH's own head like a mask. The EMH staggered as his holographic vision was impaired and he tried futilely to tug off the slippery cranium. "Get it off! Get it off!!"

He seemed like a headless horseman, wearing his pumpkin. The holodoc was terrified to the limit of his evolved programming and he screamed in raw fear.

Janeway shouted at Torres...an order......a plea. "B'Elanna!!"

-  
(attachments)

Image: Harry very hassled.

Image: Janeway getting stabbed with Borg throat tubes.

Audio: JacktheRipper- Redjac! Redjac! Redjac! (insane laughter)

*animated gif* A skull burning in blue fire.

*animated gif* A blood drop forming in the air, dripping from nowhere,  
that lands in a pool of blood that vanishes.

*  
From : "Samantha Rose" Subject :[voyagerliveaction] Werewolves in London (Voyager) Date : Thu, 01 Nov 2001 03:21:45 +0000

Q screeched in pure horror undignified of a Q and vanished in an escape of his own crafting.

Q2's head shot up as a high pitched squeal filled the air around him. The chair that he was seated at started to shake and he turned around to see Q gripping it along with his son's waist. Q2 grabbed his father's hands and attempted to release the vice like grip.

It hit, again, that he had his Q powers back. With a snap of his fingers he flashed out of the chair and soon stood next to the table. He tapped his father on the shoulder.

"Uh," the elder Q jumped a mile, literally. Q2 only shook his head and flashed himself to where his dad was.

"What is wrong with you? You look like you've seen a ghost." He gave the paler of the two a questioning look.

"No, but it might as well have been one!" Q senior pointed down at Voyager. Q2 looked down at Voyager and then back at Q. With a shrug of his shoulders his snapped himself back to the Mess Hall. He tried to access the Boothby program the "old fashioned way" but had no such luck.

Stepping out the doors, Q2 was almost run over by one of the red-shirted ensigns. ::Ooh, that is one ill-fated ensign:: he thought to himself as the red shirt retreated around a corner. Another shrug lifted the teen's shoulders as he decided to search around for the cause of this sudden panic.

His Q senses, still on the mend, brought him back to the dimmed sickbay. He glanced around a bit more carefully before his eyes fell on a shadowed figure hudled in a corner. It was...crying? Q2 walked gently over, seeing no one else around. He knelt down by the figure and placed a hand on the shoulder, a pair of birght blue eyes looked up at him.

"Amanda?" He wasn't able to get out another word as she flung her arms around his neck in a frightened embrace.

"Q! Thank god you're here!" she pulled away and sniffled a bit. Q2 snapped her a hankerchief and handed it to her. She took it and wiped her eyes.

"What's wrong, why are you crying?" He helped her to her feet.

"Th-that..." she pointed a shaky hand at the opaque force field that surrounded the bio bed. Q2 walked over, Amanda gripping his arm to stop him. He shook her off, and gave a reasurring nod, then headed over to the bed. Using his Q invisability, Q2 poked his head inside and immediatly withdrew.

He walked back over to Amanda, taking deep breaths as he did. It took him a few moments to regain his footing.

"Wh-what was that?" he didn't wait for Amanda to grab a chair as he slide down the side of the console to the floor.

"I don't know exactly. Dr. Bashir got a call about a dead officer on Deck Twelve and had her beamed in for an autopsy. Well, I was curious so I peaked in on them, what I saw terrified me."

"Why didn't you just flash away, like my father did?" Q2 looked up as Amanda sat down next to him.

"Q wasn't in here..." she gave him a questioning look.

"That means that something similar must have happened somewhere else on the ship. The last time I saw him was on..."

"...the bridge." Amanda finished his sentence for him and they both disapeared from Sickbay, reapearing on the bridge. As soon as Amanda saw Seven and the Doctor, she hid her head behind Q2. The teen turned away as well taking another deep breath, now fully understanding why his father had fled.

The Doctor's cries continued and without looking, Q2 rid him of his burden. Along with that, he put up a Q-field much like the opaque one in Sickbay. This eased everyone's fear somewhat, but not entirely. The next step was to figure out exactly what was happening on Voyager.

-  
(attachments)

Image: Dr. Bashir promo in the grey DS9 outfit.

*animated gif* A flaming fire in slow motion on black.

Audio: The famous Q finger snap of power noise.

************************************** From : "Katherine Bird" Subject : [voyagerliveaction] Eater of Souls Date : Fri, 02 Nov 2001 21:47:48 +0000

Dr. Bashir froze as Harry did when there was no reply to his frantic command at Boothby to abort the transfer of the murdered ensign to the biobed. "It didn't work." he stated. "How could that have happened? There's no malfunction registering at all with Boothby's interfacing."

Ensign Kim could only look at the soft mass that was the ensign and try to keep hold of his stomach.

Julian said, "And you were right about the lack of bony tissue. She's been stripped of her skeleton.  
I've never heard of a transporter doing that."

Harry could not be so investigative and could only watch as Julian himself reconfigured Sacajawea's systems and asked it to locate all the ensign's biotraces from whereever they were.

The doctor set up the coordinates and was shocked to find most of her on Voyager's bridge. He tapped the comm system. =^=Sickbay to the bridge.=^=

=^=Janeway you're calling about a malfunction.  
=^= came her voice after a short pause.

Julian said, "Captain. I don't understand what happened.  
I was using one of the shuttle's transporters to move the ensign to perform her autopsy when the beam somehow diverged. I can't explain it. I had it rigged and linked to Boothby. Strangely, everything checks out.  
What would you like me to do?"

Janeway got a hold of her nerves quickly and just as quickly lost them again when the EMH was invisibly rescued from the ensign's skull affixed over his head. It just vanished. But she heard a telltale sound of a finger snap. ::What the h*ll:  
But she knew the accident itself wasn't of a Q's doing.  
::He had been just as frightened as we were before he left.:: But she shoved that thought aside.  
"First things first, doctor. I don't want to risk anyone else in any transporter until the purge is complete. That includes any crew who's still unconscious. Seven of Nine had a close call when the ensign's beam intercepted her and sent her a few feet away.  
Thank god the ensign's remains stayed separate from Seven when they both materialized inside a cojoined beam." She looked to the holodoc who grimly knelt by the blond woman to examine her more closely. :: At least, blood can't stick to a hologram.:: a small part of her thought.  
But the same wasn't true about Seven. Where the skeleton had fallen against her, red smears shone on her uniform.

Julian asked, "Do you want me to recover the body?"

Janeway nodded to Admiral Paris and Chakotay to get Seven out of the way. "Gentlemen.."

Chakotay and Admiral Paris first moved, then laid Seven down on the carpet on the other side of the bridge. They covered her with a silver sheet from the doctor's medkit.

"Yes doctor. We're clear. We'll deal with Seven medically right here." she said.

This time, the shuttle's transfer went cleanly.  
And the skeleton arrived in sickbay on top of the ensign's fleshy shell. Bashir quickly interred them both into a stasis field leaving it where it lay and shut off the link with Sacajawea.

The EMH finished scanning her. "Captain.  
Seven's "fine" considering what happened.  
She's still showing signs that the ADT is awakening her. I could speed up the process."

"Do it. I want to be sure she's all right."  
The captain eyed the intercom distrustfully.  
"And would someone analyze the com system?  
I want to know how that voice was generated with no ship's power running into it."

Janeway got up from her chair and got a wrist light on to illuminate the floor as she made her way across the dim bridge to them. She knelt by Seven,  
leaning close. She waited until the doctor gave Seven an injection.

Seven of Nine opened her eyes and looked about in confusion. She put hands up to rub her eyes but Janeway stopped her so she wouldn't get blood on her face. "Easy Seven."

"Captain? What.." she broke off when she saw the blood covering her hands and B'Elanna holding a phaser. "I don't understand. Is the ship under attack?"

Janeway and the EMH exchanged glances.

The doctor replied. "That is the question of the hour, Seven. You were inadvertently moved by a transporter and tangled with a murder victim. That explains these bloodstains. But you're checking out just fine."  
he said to calm her. "You didn't do anything wrong if that's what you're thinking. Most of the crew was knocked unconscious when Admiral Komach used an outlawed long distance carrier wave to escape."

Seven sat up, taking Chakotay's hands to rise to her feet. The EMH passed a protolaser over Seven to sonic scour away most of the blood on Seven's hair, hands and uniform. He did the same for the admiral and Chakotay.

"And the power out?" she asked, indicating the lack of lights on the bridge.

Janeway answered. "B'Elanna here found our warp coils building up photostatic energy and we're currently purging the system."

Seven said. "And Sospiria? Unconfined, she poses a substantial risk to Voyager."

"She's holding inside the pattern buffer, but I think it's unlikely that she was the cause here." the captain said, of the stains on the rug by Tom's station.

"The Q?" Seven guessed again.

Chakotay sighed. "They were just as surprised as we were. Guinan says Amanda and Q2 disappeared from sickbay right afterwards."

Janeway nodded at B'Elanna. "Play back what we heard coming from the intercom."

Torres played back the odd sounds and maniacal laughter.

Seven asked, "Redjac? I'm not familiar with that term."

Admiral Paris said, "It's something we can investigate once main power is restored."

---------------------------------------------

Guinan was in a light dose. She was ever grateful for Naomi's presence near her. The human girl was a calming influence.  
And even Lady Q was less intrusive than most Q being in so close a proximity. Q invisibilities didn't fool her senses at all. She knew who and how many were with her but she was tired.

Then Guinan felt Sospiria go into limbo and soon after,  
another feeling that made her skin crawl. The air filled with the scent of human blood. She woke up and glanced around her with all of her senses alert.

Something was changing the feel of the ship. A sense of foreboding will and evilness. "This is new.." she said aloud, making Lady Q jump.

Samantha Wildman returned to her bedside. There was a phaser in her hand. "The captain's just ordered a shipwide security alert. An ensign was found with her throat slashed, then later, a transporter mishap multilated her body in a malfunction that has never happened before. Some strange voice appeared on the bridge over the comm, laughing and chanting "Redjac.." over and over again."

Guinan narrowed her eyes. "Borata.. Kesla.."

Samantha blinked, "Yes, that's right. I think it said those words too. What are they?"

Guinan shook her head. "Vague terms about certain legends telling of a soul eater who preyed upon the living. Redjac is such a term. Rang a bell." she shrugged.

Samantha hugged Naomi who knew something was wrong but couldn't place it. "Mum? When are the lights coming back on?"

Samantha shushed her daughter. "Shhh, honey. Soon.  
Don't worry."

Julian noticed Guinan was awake and he went to her.  
"Been brought up to speed?"

Guinan nodded. "Not exactly my idea of a great way to wake up. Can you clear the air? Smells like a carnal factory in here."

Bashir apologized. "Life support's offline until the purge is complete. I could get you a nasal suppressant.  
I know how well developed your sense of smell is."

"I'll be fine. Has anything unusual been happening since then?" she asked.

Julian thought. "No.. not appreciably."

Then Sam piped up. "Boothby's been acting lagged.  
His reactions are slow and his imagery projection's a little off but that's all."

Guinan's eyes widened. "And he's linked with both ships..."

Julian asked, "Do you think whatever this malfunction is that it's transmissable?"

Guinan regarded him. "What do you think?"

-  
(attachments)

Image: Guinan wearing rust, looking stern.

Image: Naomi and Samantha Wildman in a hug.

*  
From : "patti keiper" Subject : voyagerliveaction] Q on Safari Date :Sat, 03 Nov 2001 19:48:07 +0000

Q saw the ship hanging below his feet in space. He was still trembling. ::What is wrong with you, Q?:: he admonished to himself. Why does a little mortal gore terrify you so?::

He shored up his resolve and then swam back to the ship. He took a hold of the hull and stuck his head through the main sensor array on the bridge, hanging upside down through the rounded ceiling where the array was situated. It was still dark in there,  
and the red alert was still on. Q first cracked one eyelid open, then the other.  
::Whew, Seven's dance partner is gone.  
What a hideous scarecrow..:: he sighed.

Q fully materialized and snapped Amanda and Q2's invisibility off so all on the bridge could see them. He saw Admiral Paris,  
Chakotay and Janeway by Seven of Nine and the EMH standing by the rail across the bridge. Only a stain on the rug showed Q where his fright had originated. He threw on some bravado for the humans sake.  
"Forgive my abrupt departure dear Kathy,  
but I've been conditioned to flee at the first sign of non Q power of a certain magnitude.  
And believe me, the beam that caught up this dear sweet niave.." Q swept up Seven's hand to kiss it when he saw that the EMH hadn't yet cleaned off the left one,.."Yyehh... " Q hastily dropped her hand and gave her a gallant bow instead,  
" ...wasn't all Voyager's.."

Janeway stepped up to Q, waving away the jumpy security guards who covered the three Q with phasers. "Just what do you mean, Q?"

Q tented his fingers before him, thinking.  
"Mon capitan. Us Q have seen the vast reaches of space and time. We've seen wars unimaginable and great wonders... and horrors that could curl your toes with the best of them."

Janeway rolled her eyes. "Spare me the dramatics,Q.  
If you have information that can shed some light on this matter concerning the murder, then do so."

"I can do better than that! But first, how about shedding some real light for starters." And he snapped his fingers.  
B'Elanna's engineering purge of the warp coils completed in moments and Voyager rebooted all systems back up to normal levels, including life support. The odd scent of gore and staleness washed away in the fresh air.  
Outside, Voyager's shields reinstated themselves,  
pushing away Enterprises's covering shields as they came online.

Everyone on Voyager's bridge winced at the return of full illumination to the bridge.

"And how about a little carpet cleaning?" and he snapped away the last evidence of blood from the carpetting where Seven and the ensign's bones had lain.

Q drew Amanda's elbow to him and he whispered in her ear. "Please forgive my earlier display of...skittishness.  
I don't have a stomach for Edgar Allen Poeisms."

Amanda folded her arms and leaned in on him too, "Thanks for the honesty Mr. Q. I admit I was a bundle of nerves in sickbay seeing the other half of that hideous little scene myself.." and they both smiled and their mutual confessions.

Q2 didn't catch their comments and a look of feeling left out crossed his face briefly before he hid it.

Seven of Nine got to the point, watching while the EMH lasered clean her other hand. " Trying a direct approach in telling us what you know would be a more efficient method to get us to react to it faster, Q."

Q snapped his head around to Seven. "You've been taking lessons from that doe eyed Counselor Troi now haven't you?  
All that psychology's mere poppycock. Seven, don't get your bun all in a kink over any of it." and he sighed.

Chakotay crossed his arms together over his chest,  
"Well?"

Q pursed his lips in a look of bored irritation. "Way to take the fun out of it Chuckles."

Janeway erupted. "Having one of my crew brutally murdered and then turned into a carnival show isn't my idea of fun Q!  
If you aren't going to help us figure this out, then leave!"

Her storminess didn't even ruffle Q's Voyager uniform.  
"If you insist.." He padded over to a computer console and crooked a finger to every one to gather round, whistling a "Come Here" to them.

Q2 started to grin. He liked it whenever his father schooled lesser species. It was a very high level of style to play with them without using Q powers. "This..." he said, rubbing his hands together. "....is going to be good."  
He fell in next to Amanda, taking an opportunity to slip a hand into hers before he could get embarrassed.

Q fingerpopped on an old Victorian's professor's suit complete with Albert Einstein bucked teeth.  
"And here is the nachahh of the universh.." he said.  
He coughed and reverted back to his clothing of choice.  
"There are always prey.." he said lightly. Then the mood darkened ominously and Q grew deadly serious. "And there are always predators. I do believe that we're all in the presence of one no Q has ever encountered before.  
I don't recognize the signature. Not the macabre dance thing nor the kindergarten spooky voice over the PA.  
None of it. I wouldn't be surprised if the Barmaid's hackles were rising at all this. She sure as h*ll won't be able to sleep this near to it."

Admiral Paris groaned, "Near to what, Q? Quit beating around the bush."

"Haven't you pathetic little humans been listening??"  
Q said. "I already told you. The Continuum compels us to retreat in the face of any biological power that reaches a certain magnitude. One that messes around with the natural set of laws, time or space or those "rules"  
created by people such as yourself that operate your pieces of technology. Now this twisted thing, whatever it is, carried your transporter to a level beyond what it was capable of. That got my attention. Naturally it would scare any Q. The ability to mess with the status quo means an ability to HURT Q."

Quince appeared, sitting on the computer console.  
He was playing with the ensign's skull and held it out, "Alas Poor Yago,.. I knew her well.."  
He tossed it to the doc, who barely reacted in time to catch it. "You lost this souvenir, doc.  
Saw the kid toss it away to the sidelines."

The EMH noticed in disgust that Quince had cleaned it up so that it was bright and shiny white.  
"Have some respect for the dead Quince!"

Quince was unruffled, "I am. I am. I returned that part of her to ya didn't I? If you'd like? I can put her corpse back together again for old times s--"

Q started banging a chalkboard stick on the console.  
"Quince, I know you're famous for dramatic entrances but I am currently giving out Category Five info here."

That got Quince's attention, "Category Five? An unknown?? How intriguing.." he looked to Captain Janeway. "You don't know how rare those are Captain. Sort of like you humans discovering a new fish in the goldfish bowl. Only our goldfish bowl is the universe." Quince got comfortable on his computer and folded his arms eagerly respectful.  
"I'm all ears Q. Is it on board this ship? Is it truly predatory? Has it performed a trick yet? Have you seen it?"

Q glared at Quince saying. "Yes. Yes. Yes. No.  
And we won't get a chance to see it if you keep delaying me. The Barmaid thinks it can move through Boothby."

Janeway said, "What? Boothby's linked to the Enterprise. She'll be in danger."  
And she swept a finger to B'Elanna and Chakotay and the Admiral to contact the Enterprise not using the Boothby interface.  
"Looks like we'll have to have Captain Picard's little conference a little earlier. Patch us together through conventional means. Get them up to speed on all of this. And see if you can exit Boothby from Voyager's mainframe.  
He's been on mothballs before. He can be so again if he's being used as a killer. It's looking more and more likely that he could be with his being a fully activated hologram."

A horrible revelation struck everyone and they all, Q and human, looked at the EMH.

The holodoc bristled. "Don't look at me. I'm not connected to that harebrained Boothby."  
He pointed to his shoulder insistently.  
"I'm on my portable emitter right now. I'm safe from it. he she..whatever it is.."

Chakotay looked like he had something to say.  
"Captain. I saw something when I was waking up. It had to do with the bioneural gelpacks..."

B'Elanna looked like she was about to say more,  
too.

All waited for them to add more.

Then Amanda Q started jumping up and down.  
"Oh,! This is more fun than a pile of tribbles.."

Q rolled his eyes. "Kirk would know about that one."

-  
(attachments)

Image : Amanda Q talking with Q by a computer.

Image: Voyager's viewscreen, showing the Enterpise's saucer section.

*animated gif* Tribbles, multiplying madly. :)

*  
From : Fran Catrair Subject : [voyagerliveaction] Legends of the Mind Date : Sun, 4 Nov 2001 21:55:00 -0800 (PST)

B'Elanna felt annoyed when Q interfered with the completion of the systems purge. It was bad enough; that all these bizarre things were happening onship. Now, the Q had to become involved as well.

Putting her phaser away and placing her hands on her hips, B'Elanna glared at Q. "You know, you have NO idea what kind of damage you could have done with that little stunt, Q." she glared at him, but Q just smirked at her and continued his little presentation.

The holodoc bristled. "Don't look at me. I'm not connected to that harebrained Boothby." He pointed to his shoulder insistently. "I'm on my portable emitter right now. I'm safe from it. he she.  
whatever it is.." Chakotay looked like he had something to say. "Captain. I saw something when I was waking up. It had to do with the bioneural gelpacks..."  
B'Elanna looked like she was about to say more, too.

B'Elanna looked over at the EMH. "I think he is safe, Captain. He has been here with us, on his holoemitter. Not only that, but you recall, Boothby's programming was designed differently from our EMH. I have full confidence in him." she finished. The EMH looked at her gratefully, and the Captain looked at them both and gave a satisfied nod.

Suddenly, B'Elanna felt a chill creep over her body. Gasping, she took a step backward and pulled her phaser, looking around frantically.  
"What is it, B'Elanna? What's wrong?" the Captain asked, alarm in her voice.

B'Elanna continued glancing around, frantically. "It's here...it's here." she said, panic in her voice.  
"What's here? Talk to me, B'Elanna!" Janeway ordered, taking cautious steps toward her chief engineer, trying to calm her.

"There's an old Klingon legend." she began, looking around at the concerned faces on the bridge. "That there was a being...one that would kill Klingons and separate the respective layers of their bodies; including their souls. This would prevent them from entering Stovakor. And, their souls would wander aimlessly for eternity. This being was so terrifying, no one would speak his name. He would only be known as 'beast'." she finished, her voice quaking in a whisper. Her eyes darting aimlessly over the bridge.

Janeway reached her chief engineer and placed a reassuring hand on her arm. "B'Elanna? It's all right." When this didn't calm her, Janeway used another tactic. "Lieutenant, pull yourself together!" she ordered.

B'Elanna blinked hard, her eyes focusing on Janeway's face. "Captain?" she said, confusion on her face.

"It's all right, B'Elanna. We'll face this situation together, all of us; whatever happens."

B'Elanna looked at her captain gratefully. At least her legend hadn't been discarded outright. "Now that our systems are fully functional." her gaze rested on Q for a moment, "I will run another diagnostic of our systems. Might be something new since this incident has occured." she finished, getting back to business. She had to get back to business. She couldn't let her mind wander and think about that legend again.

Captain Janeway looked at her engineer and nodded. "Don't forget about that other link with the Enterprise, B'Elanna. We need to connect with them, and have more people to bounce ideas off of." she finished.

B'Elanna began the setup of the diagnostic. She moved over to the console where Chakotay was beginning the means of setting up communication with the Enterprise. Somehow, she just had this feeling that this date in time must have meant something; in another time.

--------------------------------------------------

Lady Q was surprised when Guinan awoke, fully alert and conscious. Of course, she should have realized the powers of the Al Aurien. Giving her the space she needed, she stood up and moved over to Biobed Three. As Amanda Q was curious to the events over by the obstructed biobed, so was she.

Lady Q flinched visibly at what she saw there, but she did not cower away.

Bashir was surprised. "Why didn't this bother you like the other Q?" he asked her.

"My dear doctor, my counterparts have obviously never experienced childbirth. As a doctor, you should appreciate that." she said, smiling at him.

Bashir smiled back and winked at her. He didn't seem bad, for a human. And, if she wasn't mistaken, he had been enhanced somehow, so that would make him interesting to study at a future time.

Lady Q decided she would like to find the other Q, and had a feeling where they might be located. She promptly snapped herself to the bridge. Sure enough, Q, Q2, Quince and Amanda Q were all there. Smiling at all of them and crossing her arms, she moved over to Q, smugly saying to him, "You have this habit lately of leaving without me, my dear. So...what did I miss?"

-  
(attachments)

Image : B'Elanna in Engineering gold, on the bridge.

Image: Lady Q in historic dress.

*animated gif* The Starfleet UPF symbol in navy,  
spinning.

*  
END WEEK FORTY TWO RECAP 11-04-01

.com/Voyagerliveaction Graphic Site.

.com/group/voyagerliveaction Writing Site.

WEEK FORTY THREE RECAP 11-04-01

.com/Voyagerliveaction Graphic Site.

.com/group/voyagerliveaction Writing Site.

*************************************

Date: Tue, 6 Nov 2001 01:39:12 -0800 (PST) From: "Jeff Seltun" Subject: Jack Be Nimble Jack Be Quick Jack JumpsOverToVoyager's Wick

Captain Picard was highly agitated when he finally got through to Voyager. He acknowledged B'Elanna Torres only briefly when the engineer got on the comm telling him the two way visual and audio link was ready for him. "Thank you,  
Lt. Torres. We were about to use the usual comm channels as well. It seems Boothby's acting up.  
We have shut him down over here for the time being."

The captain stood before the viewscreen,  
"Mr. Data. On main viewer..."

The android had completed his work with Mr. Barclay and so had Geordi, who was now at his engineering console behind the command chairs. He listened intently. ::Oh, man. Captain Picard's really worried.  
He didn't even tug down his uniform that time.:: LaForge thought to himself.  
::I wonder what's up? Boothby shut down just fine without a hitch.::

Jean Luc barely waited for the image of Voyager's bridge to reach his when he spoke up. "Captain. We've just registered a cessation of lifesigns on one of your crew. What happened?"

Picard saw Kathryn Janeway's mouth tighten for a bit, showing stress that only another starship captain would recognize. She spoke reassurance that her body english did not reflect. "No one else is endangered at this time but it seems there's been a murder. My ensign's throat was slashed. Then part of her body was beamed here around one of my unconscious officers, Seven of Nine. She's unharmed."

"Any extenuating circumstances, captain?"  
Picard asked.

"You mean besides the Q?.." and she sighed heavily. Picard saw all four Q behind her protest but they didn't do much beyond muttering about it.  
Captain Janeway sighed. "We had to have a complete shutdown of electrical power and life support for a time to elimate a photostatic surge in our warp coils. Q has since fingersnapped everything to rights." he saw the red haired woman say as she rubbed tiredly at her forehead.

"Photostatic?"

"Yes. My captain's assistant, Naomi noticed an odd corollation between a field Sospiria was generating and what we were reading inside the warp coils. I've since put the caretaker female into the pattern buffer to immobilize her. Don't know if that will hold her despite her unconscious state."

Captain Picard said, "Guinan mentioned an apprehension about Boothby being linked to Enterprise when I spoke to her a few minutes ago..."

"Really.." Janeway said. "He is acting up. Reacting slow and his graphics are breaking down in areas my officers say." Janeway gestured to Torres and Chakotay to try to shutdown Boothby. "We'll do the same. Action first and then questions later for him on the holodeck."

Picard nodded. "Same conclusion I've reached,  
Kathryn. Anything else not quite right?"

Janeway sat in her chair, "Yes. This." and she flipped her bridge playback button.

The sounds of the strange genderless voice filled the air with the crazy laughter and the three words no one knew.

Captain Janeway sighed. "That came right after the skeleton appeared in a dance."

"A skeleton in a dance?" Picard asked.

Janeway waved a hand at him. "Someone's idea of a hideous trick or treat joke, I guess. And captain, there's something else.."

"What's that?"

"Even when the transporter beam was completely dead, the skull managed to attach itself to my EMH on its own, flying through the air.."

Picard frowned. "Telekinetic forces? Any signs of an intruder?"

Janeway frowned, "None so far.." and she dryly dropped her hands on the armrests of her chair. "But my first officer suffered delusions of a blue fire coming from the ship's bioneural gelpacks and coming from our helm station."

Geordi piped up. "I'd like to see those packs,  
captain, right now."

Picard held up his hand to LaForge. "We're going to have to do that remotely. Could you arrange it captain?"

Janeway looked to B'Elanna and Admiral Paris and Seven to expose the four biogelpack compartments under the tactical, helm,  
science and weapons console.. She realized that the visual inspection for Picard's man would be childsplay through the main viewer because of the special unique visor he wore.

Picard watched as panels were uncovered,  
revealing the heart of the biogels underneath the computer consoles they ran. They were glowing blue. The second the one nearest Seven of Nine opened and the woman had looked at it, she reeled.

The holophysician stepped forward, "Seven?"  
he grabbed her arm. "Are you ok?"

Seven of Nine shook off her dizziness, "I am fine.. I...just got dizzy for a moment.  
Perhaps I am not yet fully recovered from the backwash."

"Would you like to go to sickbay, Seven?"  
Captain Janeway asked her.

"No. I would be of more use here, captain.  
The EMH can no doubt keep "an eye" on me here." the exBorg replied frankly.

Janeway studied Seven for a long while but then nodded. "All right. Doctor,  
she's under your supervision from now on. I'll hold you responsible for deciding whether she's fit for duty from moment to moment."

"Aye, captain." the doc answered.  
"I understand."

Janeway turned back to the main viewer,  
"So, what to you make of the bioneural gelpacks from over there? B'Elanna hasn't yet scanned any of them. She's running a diagnostic first.."

Data, who had been silent throughout the two captain's and engineer's conversation got one of his looks that Jean Luc knew so well. "Mr. Data. Something bothering you?"

Data angled his head, "Yes, captain.  
Those words that voice used on that recording.. Kesla, Borata, Redjac.  
I have records of just such an occurance of a similar situation during the missions of James T. Kirk and his crew. "

"Oh?" came from both Janeway and Picard.

Data nodded eagerly. "It was on an away mission on shoreleave when their chief engineer, Montgomery Scott, was accused of stabbing a showgirl to death. During the following investigation, several more people died in power blackouts. All were stabbed. Proceedings moved to the Enterprise of the time, with planetary officials and Kirk looking for either an indictment or a way to clear his man's name. They too heard that voice you played back a few minutes ago. Those three terms are referring to a killer entity the humans knew too, from ancient London England. Jack the Ripper."

A startled look shot through his audience on both ships. "From over three hundred years ago, Data?"

The android nodded eagerly. "Yes. Kirk discovered the energy surviving in the briefing room with him as it jumped from host to host, trying to incite terror upon which it feeds. They sent it back to the originating host, who was really the animated corpse of one of its victims,  
and then beamed the entity into space."

A lightbulb flashed in Janeway's mind.  
She looked up in deep concern. "What about Sospiria?"

"What do you mean, captain?" Amanda Q asked.

Janeway looked at the fearful teenaged Q girl. "What if Sospiria isn't what she seems?  
She did act contrary to how we knew the Caretaker behaved. She tried to "kill" me before she found we were contacting her through holoprojectioning. What if,...we weren't really talking to Sospiria at all?"

"That's crazy.." Torres said.

"Is it?" Picard said. "If what Data has on file is true. Sospiria could have been nothing more than another animated corpse hosting the entity. It makes sense. Why else would she leave her mission to care for the Ocampa to come through Leah Brahams window here,  
to us? The Ocampa don't have space flight capability. They could have developed a defense using their latent mind powers to protect themselves against..this...soul eater and forced it to seek elsewhere."

Janeway rose from the center seat, "And we gave it that chance for new hunting grounds. The observational window in the starlab.... and then I discorporealized that host's body into Voyager..." her face paled.

Picard stood, moving into the pickups.  
"Captain. You may have just loosed a killing energy into your ship's computer.  
It has no host to return to with Sospiria spinning on standby in your transporter buffers."

Chakotay thought hard. "It's trying to use Boothby. Only he's not real flesh and blood."

Janeway nodded eagerly. "That would explain a great deal. Biological energy never has good cohesion with holotechnology. We know that already. Perhaps we have a chance then."

Admiral Paris spoke up, "Before it figures out how to kill again using Voyager herself as a killing machine."

Picard simply said, "Well, it looks like we have our work cut out for us. Let's get to it. Captain."  
he said, "Enterprise will keep a continuous comm tie with Voyager through the main viewer.  
We'll be live with you from here on out while we investigate this matter. There's no telling if what your first officer saw in his dream about the blue fire holds merit. It may be a preclusion to an adaptation on the part of the entity with your bioneural gelpacks. Watch yourselves."

"Understood." Janeway said, rising and moving to the science station. She tapped her combadge.  
=^=Janeway to sickbay. I need Tom and Tuvok on their feet as soon as possible for bridge duty.  
We may have another intruder aboard.=^=

"Understood." Bashir answered.

Julian had the Vulcan and the helmsman awake and up to Deck One in five minutes.

Janeway looked up. "Tom, take your station. It's still showing clear of foreign energies."

Tom hesitated before sitting in the flight seat,  
"I don't know if I like the sound of that."

Q laughed, "Foreign energies equals Jack the Ripper himself for starters..." he told Tom.

That made Tom look up tensely.

Amanda added, "In incorporeal form without its biological host, whom we think , is Sospiria.  
It isn't having much success with holobodies.  
Boothby's too structured for it to control."

Lady Q couldn't help badger the humans. "For how long? Any predator entity must be very good at adapting to any new hunting ground environment." she grinned.

Quince agreed with her. "Especially on a starship with bioneural technologies. The bridging from the transporter buffer to them should be easy."

Janeway glared at him. "Thanks for the vote of confidence. Would an emergency shutdown of the transporter, warp and impulse systems stop it?"

Data replied, "There's no way to tell. It may release the entity to kill again. Or it may harm crew another way to get the terror emotion it needs to nourish itself. This is a fascinating problem, sir." he said, looking behind him to Captain Picard.

"A matter of opinion, Mr. Data. Jack the Ripper was indeed, quite impossible to find by Scotland Yard in London's history. Let's hope we're better than they are. Before it attacks again."

-  
(attachments)

*animated gif* A rotating Ship's integrity scan.

Image: A computer panel's view of Janeway,  
Tuvok and Seven examining it in green.

Image: The personnel file of Picard on a Lcars screen.

**************************************

From: "Clairissa Fox"  
Subject : [voyagerliveaction] Bad Jack Gets Me Date: Tuesday November 6, 2001 16:14:09 GMT 0:00:04

I looked at my mum. I saw the talk on the bridge in my computer. Bootby is going to be a bad guy and hurt people?

I backed up away from my console without touching it. Then I thought to myself.  
Bootby wasnt a living person so how was Bad Jack staying on Voyager?

I went to the pretty ladys bed and asked her the same question.

"You overheard what's being said on the bridge."  
Guinan told Naomi. "You may be right. This is what I think is happening. Bad Jack is known as Jack the Ripper. And he killed a lot of people a long time ago on Earth before he found a way to get into outerspace. But I thought Captain Kirk beamed him out harmlessly into space. How did he get on board?"

I know! I said. Remember I saw Sospirias light in the warp coils? Its why Auntie Kathy put her inside the transporter! Maybe Bad Jack came with her to Voyager!

The hostess looked very grave and she glanced at the stasis field surrounding the murdered ensign. ::There's no way Redjac is returning to host with her. He can't. The body's been pulled apart and can't walk.:: "Naomi. This situation is bad. I don't know how things are going to turn out. It may be that Redjac can't directly hurt us using the holoprograms. He'll be searching for someone else to move around.  
But I have to be sure of where he is so I can warn the bridge."

Ginan got up from her bed and went to my station. She hit a button and called up Bootby. I was scared so I hid behind her.

Bootby appeared on my screen but he couldnt come out of it like he did before in the starlab.  
What can I do for you Ginan? he said.

Guinan eyed the image distrustfully. Now, not only the eyes manifested as a blue glow,  
so were the teeth. "The bridge has entered the commands to shut down your program.  
Why hasn't it taken effect?"

I saw Bootby blink slowly and his face wasnt pink anymore. It looked like a gel pack did on its inside.

Ginan! Ginan! Bad Jacks trying to get into Voyagers energy bags! He must be! That is why hes turning color!

The hostess turned to the little girl and said. "Go to Dr. Bashir and get out of this part of sickbay. Take Miral with you. Now."

I was scared but I took up Belanna's baby and left.

I didnt see what happened after that since I wasnt with Ginan and Bootby anymore.  
So I told Dr. Bashir about it.

Julean! Julean! Ginans talking with Bootby.  
And the Bad Jack might be inside of him.  
Dr. Bashir looked up from the report he was filing on the ensign's autopsy which he had just completed. "Naomi. What's this about? " he said, rising from the sickbay office chair. "Who's Jack?"

I began to cry. I heard the people on the bridge talking with Auntie Kathy and Captain Picard.  
He lived a long time ago and he came with Sospiria to Voyager! Then he killed the ensign and made her do those gross things with Seven with her bones. Hes a ball of light and hes trying to use Bootby to live! But how can he do that doctor? He needs a person to be his house to eat our scaredness.  
Now everybody thinks hes trying to get in Voyagers energy packs.

Dr. Bashir struggled to make sense of the tiny captain's assistant and knelt next to her.

Then he understood in very rapid order when he heard Guinan asking Boothby to shut down. Boothby's image on her screen did not end. "Something's wrong indeed, Naomi. You did well getting out of there. Guinan can take care of herself. Now,  
take Miral to her mother on the bridge. Tom Paris is there, too. I just released him and Tuvok to duty. She needs to be protected. Then come back here and your mother and I will figure out how to safeguard ourselves."

Ok. Dr. Basheer. I will. I will go real fast.  
So I left sickbay and took her to the bridge.

I saw Auntie Kathy look up at me but I said.  
Dr. Basheer told me to bring Miral here.

I went over to Belanna. Here Mrs Torres. Your babys ok. Julean said you could keep her safe better than anyone else. Bootby may have Bad Jack inside him. I think Bad Jack is going to use the gel bags to find someone to live in so stay away from glowing pictures ok?

I lifted Miral and saw Belanna take her.  
She said Thankyou Naomi. Ill watch her carefully.

Then I turned. I am leaving Auntie Kathy and going back to sickbay to mum. Be careful with Bad Jack. I dont want you to get hurt!  
I said going inside the lift.

Then I saw 7 of 9. She was leaning on the rail looking sick.  
7! 7! Are you ok?

7 looked at me and I saw her eyes get blue.

I screamed.

7 ran at me with a piece of the rail she had torn off in her hand. It was sharp. She ran to me and held the doors of the turbo lift open. Then she stabbed me in the arm yelling in a creepy voice and laughing like Bad Jack.

I think I blacked out when I started bleeding real bad from my shoulder.

I dont know what happened next.

Dr. Bashir looked up from his report. He had already checked on John Torres who was still sleeping soundly on his bed. So was Leah Brahams.  
Harry Kim was in the office, still researching Admiral Komach per orders.

It had been over five minutes since Naomi Wildman had left for the bridge.  
::Where is she? She should have been back by now.::

He got up and saw Guinan still trying to reason with Boothby, still trying to get the holoprogram to shutdown verbally. The doctor went to her side. "Guinan. Something's delaying Naomi." he told her nervously looking at a grinning Boothby.

Then Boothby said suddenly. "You want me to shutdown? All right. My work here is done!" and he laughed in an evil tone in a voice that wasn't his own. Dr. Bashir sighed in relief when his sensors showed that the Boothby consult program had indeed gone inert and dead.

Guinan was very disturbed. "That can only mean one thing doctor. Redjac has found a living host somewhere on Voyager."  
The hostess slipped on her hat over the turban and into her robes.

"Wait a minute Guinan. You aren't well enough to leave sickbay."

"No one will be well enough soon if I don't go to the bridge."

Just then the bioflag alert system sounded.  
It was Naomi Wildman's.

"Oh no." Dr. Bashir said. Her vital signs appeared on his screen traumatically low.

Guinan rushed from sickbay as fast as she could run to get to the scene.

-  
(attachments)

Image : Naomi on the holodeck.

Audio : Seven- And you hope to achieve this goal by emulating me?  
Naomi- Are you mad?

Seven- No. There are many on this crew that would benefit from your example.

*****************************

From: "Roxy Dee"  
Subject: Possession Date: Wednesday November 7th, 2001 09:07:02 GMT

Geordi LaForge leaned into the pickups showing on his viewer. He could see the gelpacks clearly through the visual imagery. ::Wow. Would you look at that?  
The spectral phosphorescence is off the scale:  
"Captain. I'm definitely reading extraneous energy coming off of every gelpack under that science station. I've seen scans of Voyager's neurosystems before and this, is not normal."

Janeway looked into the main viewer and was not pleased. "I was afraid of that. Only one problem.  
We can't dissect any of them from the ship itself.  
They're integral."

From the corner of her eye, Janeway kept an eye on Seven of Nine. She didn't like the way Seven denied her symptoms. Usually, Seven wouldn't protest anything Janeway told her. But she had to trust the woman when she said the EMH's scrutiny would be sufficient surveillance for her state of health.

Seven of Nine appeared to be holding onto the railing of the ship, white knuckled but alert.  
And the holodoc was making his way over to her with another med scan so Janeway turned back to the viewer. "We're working on shutting Boothby down, captain. But the mechanisms over here for that are sluggish with his delayed response time."

Geordi looked up at Janeway from his place on the viewer. "That's funny. Our consult program ended just fine. Have you tried manual control?"

Janeway looked at Chakotay who gave a subtle nod.  
"Yes."  
But then, Boothby's frozen image suddenly ended without fanfare on a sidescreen. "That was easy.  
Computer. Where was the termination point of the Boothby holoprogram?" she asked.

##Program terminated via verbal command from sickbay. Originator Guinan from the USS Enterprise.##

Janeway smiled. "Leave it to a bartender to get through to a difficult customer. Now..." she began when the turbolift doors opened.

I saw Auntie Kathy look up at me but I said.  
Dr. Basheer told me to bring Miral here.

I went over to Belanna. Here Mrs Torres. Your babys ok. Julean said you could keep her safe better than anyone else. Bootby may have Bad Jack inside him. I think Bad Jack is going to use the gel bags to find someone to live in so stay away from glowing pictures ok?

I lifted Miral and saw Belanna take her.  
She said Thankyou Naomi. Ill watch her carefully.

Then I turned. I am leaving Auntie Kathy and going back to sickbay to mum. Be careful with Bad Jack. I dont want you to get hurt!  
I said going inside the lift.

Janeway made sure the little girl was off the bridge when she turned back to Picard. She didn't see Seven react at all.

The EMH cried out suddenly, "Seven! What's wrong?!"  
But a blue rope of energy lanced across her vision pinning the EMH into place. It was coming from Seven's hand.

In horror, Geordi saw the blond woman break a segment of the rail itself off into her free hand with incredible strength before she leaped into the turbolift with Naomi Wildman. They all could see Seven's face contort with rage as she raised the shard like a dagger and bring it down over the little girl. But then the lift doors closed and it was gone.

Geordi shouted, "Captain Janeway! That energy from the gelpacks. It's in Seven of Nine now! "

Janeway shout to her feet, snapping an order.  
"Computer! Return turbolift! Emergency priority!"

##Turbolift parameters have been rerouted. Turbolift is descending to Engineering level fifteen.##

::The depths of the ship? There's nothing there but observation ports and relay corridors from the main computer stack.:: Geordi thought.  
He turned to Captain Picard, "Captain. I don't like this.  
Who knows what's going on with Seven of Nine. And I saw the beginnings of shock in the little girl just before the turbolift bulkheads shut. She may have been attacked."

As if in echo, he heard Voyager's computer begin a bioflag. ##Bioflag alert. Naomi Wildman Deck Two. Deck Three...Deck Four....##

The energy lance holding the EMH flicked off and he shook his unreal head. He knew right away the minute he tied into the computer what had occurred.  
"Geordi's right captain. Naomi's vital signs are showing she's unconscious. Seven's are off the scale. Send me into the turbolift! I can't be harmed by whatever's inside Seven of Nine."

Janeway pointed to B'Elanna to attempt to take control of the turbolift before it reached the highly automated Deck Fifteen. It was a maze down there, a veritable gelpack conduit haven. There were many places sensors couldn't reach due to normal power fluctuations in the power relays.

But then the computer's continuous bioflag hit a final destination. ##Naomi Wildman is on Deck Fifteen.  
Bioflag is registering critical lifesigns...Bloodpressure 80 over 46. Respiration 10. Pulse--##

The EMH yelled out. "Computer silence audio. Relay to me directly."

Janeway looked at the EMH. "Doctor. I can't risk your program in a beaming to that Deck. Your matrix would destabilize the moment you got too near a power biogelpack node conduit. That's more disruptive than a phaser shot to you."

The EMH called again. "But captain..."

Captain Janeway rose to her feet. "We're going to have to go down there and retrieve her ourselves.  
Chakotay. B'Elanna. Go with the doctor to Deck Fifteen. See what you can do.. I'll stay here and coordinate the search with the Enterprise's sensors. We can't trust our own for the moment."

Geordi looked up on the main viewer, "Captain,  
with all due respect. I can see whatever this strange energy effect is. I can help you. I'll be able to see around all the power fields and find Seven for you using my visor..."

Captain Picard and Captain Janeway considered.  
Then they both lowered the shields of Voyager and Enterprise. "All right Geordi. Go. Keep in constant contact with us.." Picard decided.

"Aye sir.." And Geordi was gone. In about thirty seconds. He beamed onto Voyager's bridge,  
joining Chakotay, B'Elanna and the EMH as they entered the turbolift.

Geordi spoke very little as he stood with them in the lift descending to Deck Fifteen in a second lift.

-----------------

Harry Kim saw Guinan snap into action. "I'm going with you!" He said.

Guinan halted just before a turbolift outside sickbay. She seemed to close her eyes, sensing with an ability beyond his tricorder. "She's on Deck Fifteen..."

Harry aimed his tricorder that was linked to the site where Naomi's bioflag was originating.  
"You're right.." he said increduously. "But we'd better hurry. Her lifesigns are getting weaker by the minute."

Guinan and Harry stepped into the turbolift and Harry told it to carry them into the bowels of Voyager. ::Didn't Captain Janeway get lost down there once?:: Kim thought.

He tried to put that thought out of his mind.

-  
(attachments)

Image: Harry in front of a purple Lcars display.

Image: Geordi taking off his visor.

Image: Next Generation bar: The command crew's eyes in soft shades in a row. Very cool.

*******************************

From : 'Cory Anda'  
Subject : That Which Survives Date: Thursday November 8th, 2001 18:23:18 GMT

Chakotay nodded to Kathryn and waited by the turbolift for B'Elanna. But the engineer seemed to be checking on the sensors at her station.  
"Torres, we'll meet you down there. Get that baby safe before you come down."

Then he and Geordi got into the lift.  
It was a tense short ride that seemed to take an eternity.

Then the lift halted. Geordi and Chakotay plastered against the walls of the turbolift as the doors opened, with phasers drawn. The EMH was the first to stick his head out onto Deck Fifteen. "Hello? Seven? Naomi?"

He paused trying to peer into the darkness. He cautiously exited the turbolift to crouch over wetness on the carpet.  
"This is blood." He said scanning it. "Naomi's.."

Chakotay snapped an order to the air, "Computer. Full lights.  
Deck wide."

##...## came a metallic groaning. It sounded like steel collapsing on itself but there was no movement. The deck stayed pitch black. But the computer interface normally running was nonexistent. The voice tie ins were dead.

Geordi said at last when everyone got hold of their thudding hearts, "I can see in the dark. Follow me."

Chakotay followed the Enterprise engineer and so did the holodoctor with his phaser drawn and ready.  
He shouted. "Seven!! Naomi! Can you hear us?"  
His voice echoed away down the long twist of corridors.  
::I've always hated Deck Fifteen. It's almost unnatural down here.:: his mind said. "Let's go.." and the three of them left the turbolift. ::Feels like the inside of a Borg ship down here.::

Just as suddenly, the door of the lift opened again and Harry and Guinan appeared in a bright swathe of light from the new arriving turbo. Chakotay lifted up his phaser again. "Ensign.. Guinan.. Glad you could join in.  
Next time. Announce yourself. Geordi and I almost did a little housecleaning.." he said, hefting his phaser.

Kim shrugged. "Sorry. Didn't think about that."

Then all of them turned to Guinan, who was moving without opening her eyes. "Still alive.."

The EMH smiled. "Yes. She is. Her vitals are sinking but they're still strong." the doctor said of Naomi.

Guinan angled her head fractionally still keeping her eyelids tight shut. "I'm not talking about the girl.  
It's the other. Quince came to sickbay and told me about Jack the Ripper and how Kirk once fought and defeated him. It is he to which I'm referring."  
came the hostess's quiet voice.

Chakotay shifted on his feet, still checking dark corners from his cover as they advanced into the darkness following Geordi. "Let's not let our imaginations get the best of us. We're on a rescue mission. And Naomi's the target.  
Let's move out."

Silencing, Guinan, Harry, the EMH and Geordi began to sweep the lightless Deck with visor, tricorders and an El Aurien's empathetic sense.

----------

Tom Paris whirled in his chair when he heard Captain Janeway snap out the order for B'Elanna to be one sent on a rescue mission to find Naomi and Seven from Deck Fifteen. He said, "Captain. Permission to leave my post. I can take care of Miral."

Janeway saw the look of determination in both her helmsman's and engineer's faces. "Go. Mr. Tuvok.  
If you're fully recovered. Take Tom's station."

The Vulcan smoothly took Mr. Paris's place at the helm.

Tom Paris went up to where B'Elanna was lingering,  
completing her hasty biogel pack scan of Deck Fifteen.  
She had up Naomi's vital signs on another screen and she was near to tears. "B'Elanna?" he said, taking Miral from his wife's arms. "I can watch her. You ok?"

Torres closed her tricorder and rechecked her phaser for its stun setting. "I'm fine. There's nothing like being a mother and seeing a child in danger. I have to leave."

Tom gripped her arm, drawing near. "I feel just as deeply as you here. But getting emotional isn't going to help that little girl if you let your feelings get in the way.. Just rely on your knowledge of that deck and the gelpack network to guide you."  
He toggled a few switches. "You'll have company besides Chakotay and Geordi and the doc.  
Guinan and Harry are reading as just arrived with them."

B'Elanna tried to look away.. and Miral cooed softly in Tom's arms as he cradled her.

"Hey.." Tom said, drawing B'Elanna's chin into his warm hand. "It's all right. I'll be watching everything from the bridge." And he kissed her forehead. "Be safe.  
Get Naomi out of there and get Seven subdued for the doc. I have all the faith in the world that you can do this..."

B'Elanna smiled and turned to the turbolift,  
nodding to Janeway that she was on her way.

--------------------------------------

Deck fifteen's complete inky blackness made Chakotay jumpy. He spoke aloud. "Doctor.  
Is there any chance Naomi's still conscious?"

The EMH considered, linking with the datastream he was still receiving from the little girl's bioflag alert linked with the computer. "No. Her blood pressure suggests she's out and being carried.  
Upside down."

"Being carried?" Chakotay asked.

"Yes, Seven must be climbing somewhere with her. Naomi's head must be hanging down with readings like these." the doc said, tapping his head.

Harry shuddered.

The EMH noticed, "It's not cold down here ensign.  
Are you well?" he said aiming his tricorder at him.

Harry nodded and rolled his eyes.

Chakotay chuckled. "I know what you mean. This reminds me of when the Hirogen were hunting us in the corridors after turning our holotechnology against us. Remember that I was an american soldier?"

The EMH smiled, "And Seven was that incredible night club singer." His face fell, "Not a night stalker like she is now."

Guinan said, "Watch it.. There's blood on th--"

Harry slipped and had to be steadied by the EMH to keep him from falling. The ensign's face turned three shades of white in the dim wrist lights the away team were wearing.

Guinan added, "He's doing this deliberating. Baiting us to follow him to a place of his own choosing.  
The host doesn't matter. Seven's simply a way for it to get around."

The EMH asked, "What purpose is Naomi serving?  
Injuring her doesn't make sense."

Guinan added, "He's feeding on her terror. Snacking until he can find someone else to prey upon."

Everyone froze as an unnatural voice came over the commsystem. Even those on Voyager's bridge and Enterprise's on the main viewer overheard it.

-  
(attachments)

Image: Chakotay with phaser by 7's alcove. (6k),

Image: Tom and B'Elanna in a caress.

********************************

From: 'Katherine Bird'  
Subject : From All That Is Good Date : Thursday November 8th, 2001 13:45:46 GMT

##Terror. Terror!! Kill you all. Ahhhhahahahahaaaaa#  
came the awful voice.

Samantha was nearly beside herself with anxiety.

Dr. Bashir made sure he firmly gripped her by the shoulders to get her attention. "Lieutenant. Listen to me. Your daughter's alive. We can see that on our screens here. But you're going to have to get control of yourself. Help is on the way. You heard the captain. She's sent an away team to respond to Deck fifteen, where Naomi's life signs are coming from."

Samantha looked up with more than a little fear.  
"I heard Guinan and Quince talking. My little girl's being held prisoner by some crazed remnant of Jack the Ripper. I have to get down there..."

Bashir stopped her. "No you don't. Where do you think the away team will be sending Naomi once they find her, hmm?"

Samantha Wildman began to calm down.

Bashir smiled, "That's right. She'll end up here.  
We're in the best possible place to intercept the rescue team when they arrive."

((((Listen to sound file above))))

Samantha sighed, trembling. "I hate this. A year ago it was me in trouble in that shuttle with Tom and Tuvok. Now it's my little girl.." and her face screwed up in stress.

Julian took the woman into his arms into a hug.  
"It's all right. It's your perogative as a mother to be worried. But Naomi's on Voyager. She isn't going anywhere that the EMH can't eventually find her. And that means a doctor is very near at hand to treat her."

Samantha wasn't listening to the Deep Space Nine physician any longer. She was coordinating a different kind of scan. "I can lock onto her.  
Beam her here.."

Julian stopped her hands. "You can't. Captain Janeway froze all transporter activity just now." he said,  
pointing to a light blinking yellow on the status screen. "A sensible precaution. We don't have assurances that Boothby's fully deactivated yet."

Sam struck the console in anger. "I can't just sit here and watch that screen show my daughter's life trickling away..."

Dr. Bashir drew her face away from the computer panel.  
"Then let's do something constructive. We can rig the gelpacks array to fire a warning if any energy flux returns to them and where..."

Samantha frowned. "I don't understand."

Julian said, "Guinan said the gelpacks were a possible conduit for this energy force Redjac to navigate through while it was finding a new host away from Sospiria.  
It used Boothby to find Seven's implants to take control of her. If the away team manages to stun Seven,  
he just may return into the ship's computer to find another host. And we'll be ready for him with a tracking system.  
Get my meaning?"

Samantha sniffed. "Yes. We can aim the fire supression system's passive sensors to pinpoint energy rises in the network and show us where they are from moment to moment. A continuously updating map. Doctor, you're brilliant!"

Dr. Bashir grinned sheepishly. "I do say I had good hints from Guinan. Shall we get to work?"

Just then John Torres and Leah Brahams awakened on their biobeds. John was still groggy and remained in a half sleep state. Leah, was bright eyed and bushy tailed moments after her eyes opened.  
"Doctor. Lt. What's going on? I was in the Star Lab.."

They quickly filled her in. The Project Pathfinder scientist face went through all the emotions the crew had gone through as she heard the tale in its entirety to its current point of development. "And Naomi's still down there?"

Bashir nodded, when Samantha once again lost her voice.  
"With Seven of Nine. There's no telling how this Jack the Ripper entity found the power to leave Sospiria once she was placed in Voyager's pattern buffer. Our theory is that it found a conduit through Boothby's shipwide network until it located Seven's Borg implants.  
They were a natural bridge to a new living host that was irresistible."

Leah became all clinical. "Is Geordi on board? We could use his visor to track this woman possessed by it."

Bashir nodded. "I am reading Geordi LaForge's biosignature down there. The bridge must have beamed him aboard before Janeway shut down all the transporters."

Samantha finished a quick flurry of button presses from where she was working. "I think that's it. We can now track the entity if it leaves Seven of Nine back into the bioneural gelpack array.."

Leah went over to look over her shoulder. "This might work." she grinned. Then she frowned. "Oh,  
I feel so bad. An experiment of mine's responsible for that ensign's death. It was my spatial window which brought Sospiria here in the first place. So in a way.. I'm responsible for your daughter being in danger.." she said to Samantha.

Sam took Leah's hand. "No one could have predicted this. I blame no one for anything. People have free will. And so, it seems, does Jack the Ripper. If he hadn't been attracted to Voyager. He would have found some other ship to terrorize. At least, we know we will eventually defeat him. And I'll just bet, this Jack fellow doesn't know we have Kirk's records showing just how to do that."

Bashir smiled. "Let's research Captain Kirk's historical logs and find how he did it, shall we? Then we'll be an ace in the hole for the bridge."

The doctor, the scientist and the mother all got to work.

---------------

Guinan halted the small group following Geordi.  
"Something's changed."

The EMH looked down at his tricorder quickly.  
"Naomi's still shocky but not seriously."

Guinan tilted her hat impatiently. "I'm not talking about that.. I'm talking about him.."

Harry and Geordi and Chakotay circled back to join the EMH and Guinan where they were talking.  
They kept their backs towards each other while they talked, studying their dim surroundings.  
Chakotay nodded to Guinan to continue.

The hostess was firmly not using her eyes, but a deeper sense, the one she had access to concerning beings who travelled through time.  
"He's tired. He drifted a long time disembodied before he was caught up in Sospiria's displacement wave bringing in more aliens for her experimental biological testing. The process reassembled himself once he touched Sospiria's mind powers. Redjac couldn't feed on Kes's people for they defended themselves uses their own mental prowesses.  
That ensign was the first life force feeding he's had in hundreds of years. Naomi's becoming the second."

The EMH shuddered. "We have to hurry. He might decide to layer her as well.."

Guinan shook her head. "He has to eat slowly. Gorging on his first victim hurt him and so did his time spent inside Boothby searching for Seven. It seems the holotechnology he used burned him. I am feeling pain, but it's not Seven's nor Naomi's. The Gelpacks were mere stepping stones for it to move about."

Geordi pointed to the floor. More of Naomi's blood was spattered there in front of them.

Guinan nodded. "We must hurry. Redjac doesn't know how quickly human children can die when they're injured."

The small party continued their search of Deck Fifteen using Geordi's artificial eyes and Guinan's empathetic senses through the darkness.

The EMH grumbled. "Come on, B'Elanna. Get your rear in gear. If anyone deserved some wholesome light on the matter. It's us. I think even I'm beginning to develop Mr. Neelix's fear of the dark. It's high time for some of your engineering wizardry to help out."

Behind them, the turbolift doors opened.

-  
(attachments)

Image: Sam Wildman looking shocked.  
Audio: Bashir- Apparently my healing touch is something of a legend around here.  
Image: Green Next Gen crew card.

*************************************** From: 'Patti Keiper' Subject : The New Bully Date : Friday November 9th, 2001 17:04:03 CST USA

Q and Amanda Q studied Lady Q.

Q stepped forward with his hands on his hips. "I can't believe you were so busy spying on other matters that you missed the entire creepshow."

Lady Q just folded her arms across her chest, not saying anything.

Q shrugged, "You'll soon know soon enough my dearest. Just open those obsidian eyes a little wider and you'll see what I mean. Our favorite Borg's just skewered Kathy's assistant and.. as usual.. We can't get involved. Not now. Not after how close we came violating the Rules with Guinan's near end."

Amanda Q strode forward and came nose to nose with Q. "How rich." she spat. "I'm beginning to see the resentment these humans feel being toyed with by us."

Q scoffed, "You're only saying this because some tiny vestige of humanity sits in your elevated Q bones even now..." he grinned. "It's amazing I am even letting my son pursue you."

Amanda Q refused to be offended. "Funny. I thought your son was come of age. He has free will now, you know."

That set Q senior aback. "I'll give you that point. Matters of love are inviolate." He said, watching Kathy direct the others through the paces of dealing with the current crisis. He saw an away team go to Deck Fifteen where Seven of Nine was hanging like a spider from the ceiling, with Naomi's limp form dangling from her gripping hand around her leg. "And I know how Kathy loves that little girl." he said, softly concerned. "She's like a daughter to her."

Amanda set her chin on Q's shoulder. "Then why don't you rescue her?"

Q turned to the teen Q female angrily. "Haven't you been paying attention? This redjac scarecrow can do much more than just do a little scaring. He can HURT Q. I got a taste of that being near his little bones dance stunt on the bridge. I know. I felt a bit of it. That skull almost shot onto MY shoulders if I hadn't deflected it to the holobaldy first."

Amanda showed a little sympathy. "There's no reason we all can't go down there and watch. Now is there?" She said, looking at Janeway fret in her chair giving unnecessary orders to cover her worry.

Quince began to grin at Amanda. "No. There isn't. I'm gone. I love a good horror flick." And he poofed out to Deck Fifteen.

Q turned to his son, real worry in his voice. "Don't be stupid, Q. Don't be like Quince. Don't go down there. He'll be mincemeat in two seconds believe me. Stay here and I'll keep it from finding you." He said, very protectively.

Q popped out. Amanda challenged with the recklessness of the young to Q2, crooking her finger. "Since when has your father ever stopped you? I'm going there with popcorn.. Coming?" And she popped out, following Quince and Q.

--------------------------

Amanda bumped into Quince a long distance away from where Seven hung, batlike from the high ceiling of the gelpack array chamber. The blinded humans and muffled barmaid had not yet spotted Seven and Naomi up there. Q had been stupid enough to pop in where Seven could see him.

Quince thought, ::Don't tell me it's a fatherly instinct throwing Q to the wolves so to speak.:: He watched Q with fascination as his partner in crime walked into the lion's den.

---------------------------

Q realized his mistake when he didn't feel Amanda and Quince immediately at his side when he got there.

Seven's malice gripped his mind. ::That's not Seven..:: Q thought. ::It's--::

##Redjac. Redjac. Redjac! AHhhhhahahaahahhaaaaaa...## It said through Seven's mouth. ##This prey is mine. I found it first. The body is small but the bloodfear is hot.##

Q glanced down and swallowed hard. Naomi Wildman still had both her skin and uniform on. He mentally sighed in relief setting a measure of his power to monitor Voyager's bioflag readout on the little girl. He stretched an energy net below the two, in case Jack decided to drop the unconscious girl in a lunge for Q. Q saw it toss Naomi's foot from palm to palm where it held her suspended so high off the floor by her heel.

The net lit up the chamber and the away team below shouted as they saw Seven, Naomi and the three Q floating by the ceiling.

Q shot another barrier which ricchochetted Chakotay's phaser shot away. "Don't shoot Chuckles.. You might get it mad enough to do some skinning and I'm sure you don't want another repeat of that scene, now do you??"

Q saw the Voyager far down below him lower his weapon.

Q looked up at Seven, who's eyes were grinning demonical blue in a fierce glow of alien energy. He felt fear as it's mind began to caress his. He made himself holographic energy so Jack could not get a direct hold on him.

Seven snarled and began flailing Naomi about by her leg.

Q nulled the gravity in the room to ease the damage to her.

This had the unexpected side effect of allowing the away team below to start floating upwards.

Q studied his Q colleagues. "Oh, no. Is this getting involved? I was only trying to keep Naomi from getting a bad hairdo."

But there was no instantaneous bolt of judgement in the air from the Q continuum.

Q sighed slightly. "Guess I'm still on the tightrope...Heh.." he said weakly relieved.

Having had enough contact with the major creepy, he swam back the length of the room to float behind Quince. "I hate lions. And that one doesn't like to be disturbed during mealtimes." and he began to rub down the goose pimples arising under his uniform. Unlike his son. He hated the element of personal danger. It failed to turn any cranks at all in him.

The away team realized the failure of Gravity wasn't Voyager's. They found a locker in the glow of Q's net under Naomi and they all got on antigrav boots gathering together to decide what to do to save Naomi from Seven without killing either one.

Seven seemed to relish the vultures circling its meal. ##Ah,, more food. BorataKeslaRedjac! Await your turn for this one is sweeter! I need more seasoning...##

It made a motion with the rail shard in Seven's hand that looked like another stabbing was about to happen to the little girl. The shard lanced downward not at Naomi's shoulder but at her midsection this time.

Q was too stunned to see what happened next from the away team.

-  
(attachments)

Image: Q leaning on a pillar in engineering.

Image: A drunk Seven and the EMH in engineering.

Gif: A wonderful front view of the USS Enterprise's face. *******************************************

From : "Samantha Rose" Subject : [voyagerliveaction] Blinding Emotion and a Visit Date : Sun, 11 Nov 2001 01:32:41 +0000

Q turned to his son, real worry in his voice. "Don't be stupid, Q. Don't be like Quince. Don't go down there.  
He'll be mincemeat in two seconds believe me. Stay here and I'll keep it from finding you." He said,  
very protectively.

Q popped out. Amanda challenged with the recklessness of the young to Q2, crooking her finger. "Since when has your father ever stopped you? I'm going there with popcorn.. Coming?" And she popped out, following Quince and Q.

Q2 stared blankly at the spot which Amanda had onced occupied. Everything had gone by so fast just now, the Q were there and then...gone. He looked around the bridge in mild surprise.

The crew stayed on task as if nothing had changed other than the events surrounding little Naomi's abduction. ::Naomi:  
Q2 jerked from his train of thought as he remembered the Wildman child.

He looked over at Captain Janeway who sat in her chair, head in hands. The teen could tell that she was tired. Had anyone slept since this had started? Janeway must have felt him watching her. She looked up at the teen Q with no emotion but determination to rescue her lost crewmember.

All Q2 could do was nod. He was gone in a flash of light.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Admiral Paris waited as the Enterprise's transporter room came into focus. He stepped off the pad after the transporter effect quickly dissipated. Captain Picard had quickly agreed to the Admiral's transport to the Enterprise when Geordi had beamed over to Voyager.

Stepping outside of the transporter room and took a deep breath before heading straight for the nearest turbolift.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Seven seemed to relish the vultures circling its meal.  
##Ah,, more food. BorataKeslaRedjac! Await your turn for this one is sweeter! I need more seasoning...##

It made a motion with the rail shard in Seven's hand that looked like another stabbing was about to happen to the little girl. The shard lanced downward not at Naomi's shoulder but at her midsection this time.

Q2 flashed in on Deck Fifteen long enough to see Seven bring the piece of metal high above her head. He made one split second decision and flashed himself above Seven. Grabbing her wrist, Q2 held fast to the ex-borg.

With sickening quickness, Seven's head darted around to look at the teen Q. Q2 felt frozen as the eerie blue eyes bore into his own. He could sense his Q power being almost completely neutralized throw Redjac's gaze. In his Q subconscious he could feel what was coming next. ::This may hurt a bit::

Q2 tightly closed his eyes tightly as he was sent hurling through the leviated gravity towards the opposite wall. He braced himself for the impact of body meeting wall, but was surprised to feel himself slow down and come to a halt.

He first opened one eye, and then the other. With one look he wanted to close his eyes again and just disapear. An unhappy Q met his gaze. There was something else there, though.  
Genuine fear.

This puzzled Q2, but he had no time to think it through.  
Seven had resumed her task of "seasoning" her meal. Q2 looked to his father and back at Seven.

"Let me help her." he pleaded with his father.

"You know the risks of dealing with an entity like this." the Q senior grabbed his son's shoulders firmly.

"I know exactly what could happen. But what will happen if that little girl dies is worse." he pauses, "Please, let me help her."

There was no immediate response from Q. Quince and Amanda watched from not far off. Amanda had already reduced her popcorn bucket to a wad of paper and Quince was popping what was left of his small handful of the buttery treat.

"Dad," the rarely used title caught Q's attention, "I don't care what happens to me, just as long as Naomi comes out of this alive. I can't explain what is happening inside me right now, but I do know that I have to help."

He looked over at Amanda, who was drying her eyes with a hankerchief. She gripped the cloth in both hands and smiled.  
Quince reached over and grabbed the hankie from her hand and loudly blew his nose in mock tears. He shook his head,  
"Beautiful, just beautiful..."

-  
(attachments)

Image: A full length pic of Seven as a Borg.

Image: The Enterprise D bridge, empty.

*animated gif* The UPF logo warping into shape.

Audio : An electronic beeping which resolves in a whirring activation noise.

Audio : Yar- If you think the blood looks bad on my uniform,  
wait until the decks are dripping with it.

Gif: The Paramount logo in blues.

From: Fran Catrair" Subject :[voyagerliveaction] A Matter of Urgency Date :Sun, 11 Nov 2001 12:40:50 -0600

"Hey.." Tom said, drawing B'Elanna's chin into his warm hand. "It's all right. I'll be watching everything from the bridge." And he kissed her forehead. "Be safe. Get Naomi out of there and get Seven subdued for the doc. I have all the faith in the world that you can do this..." B'Elanna smiled and turned to the turbolift, nodding to Janeway that she was on her way.  
B'Elanna waited impatiently for the turbolift doors to open, shifting her weight from one foot to the other, her mind reeling at the recent turn of events. When the doors to the turbolift opened, she drew her phaser checking to be sure it was indeed on stun. Unlike the others, she didn't need to worry about lights; she knew these passages like the back of her hand. Taking off at a fast clip, she headed to the area the gelpacks power was stored.  
As she got near to the the area, she noticed the floor suddenly wasn't there. ::What the?:: she thought. ::I'm not running THAT fast!:: Then, she realized that the gravity field had been altered. Turning to the nearby locker, she pulled out the remaining pair of anti-grav boots stored in there.  
Her gravity field restored, she continued forward at a cautious walk, hearing voices ahead of her. When she turned the corner, she saw the others in front of her, staring up at the ceiling in stunned silence. Following their gaze, she noticed the young Q2's action. The presence of the Q around her surprised her, including what they were doing to rescue the young girl.  
B'Elanna knew time was off the essence. She had shifted her phaser to her other hand, and had pulled out her tricorder. Making some quick calculations from the readings of the gelpack network above her, she knew they were becoming unstable.

She could also read that Naomi's life signs were slipping away. Knowing how Samantha Wildman felt; knowing how she would feel if it was Miral up there, she looked at Chakotay. "I have a suggestion. It might sound radical, but I suggest we shoot Naomi." When Chakotay started to protest, B'Elanna held up her hands, in a calming gesture. "I know how it sounds. But if this creature is feeding off of her fear energy, it would have no use for her if he felt she was dead. He just might drop her into that net of Q's there." she said, pointing to the area underneath the two. "That being done, we could be in better position to neutralize Seven."  
Chakotay considered the suggestion, as the EMH started to protest. "That's one of the most ridiculous things I have ever heard! You want us to kill Naomi? I won't have any part of it!"

B'Elanna gave him a look. "Like the 'part' you played in bringing that holo-Cardassian here a few years ago, when that creature was attached to me?"

The doctor looked at her, taking a step backward and protesting hotly. "It saved your life didn't it?"

B'Elanna was about to reply when Chakotay stepped in. "B'lanna, Doctor, please. We have more pressing matters to deal with right now."

The argument stopped, and B'Elanna took a breath. "As soon as she is released, the bridge can lift transport restrictions and beam her to sickbay. Dr. Bashir can revive her there." Turning to look at Geordi, she continued. "We need to neutralize those gelpacks as well, Commander. We both know that with the prey gone, he will immediately go back into the gelpacks network; possibly look for another host. What do you think? A forcefield? Or, perhaps 'freeze' the gelpacks network, so he can't 'travel' in it?"

As B'Elanna and Geordi considered these ideas, a ship-wide distress call automatically went up over Voyager. #Lifesign grave condition, Wildman, Naomi; Deck 15# Looking up desperately at the situation, B'Elanna dropped her tricorder, shifting her phaser to her other hand and firing at the crewmember known as Seven of Nine.

Lady Q sighed in agitation as the other Q once again disappeared from her, leaving her behind once again. ::When this situation settles down, I'm going to have a talk with that husband of mine.:: she thought to herself, determination on her face. Setting her Q sense outward, she found where the others had disappeared to. Her face starting in alarm, she quickly followed the others to Deck 15.  
When she looked around her, Lady Q shuddered visibly. Deck 15 was dark and creepy. She was standing now next to Amanda Q and Quince, who seemed to be enjoying the show going on around them. Lady Q noticed the source of her alarm right away, as Q2 was within arms reach of the Jack entity. She noticed he appeared disheveled, but determined to do something. Q stood nearby, frozen; staring at the scene in fascination. Lady Q made a quick decision, snapping Q2 over to her side, and snapping Q over to their little circle for good measure. They were now safely away from the humans and their situation.  
Q2 was angry. "What are you doing?" he protested. Even Q looked surprised.

"I will not have my family sacrificing themselves for that creature!" she said, pinning them both with a look. "I just found you both, I'm not going to lose you now!" she finished, determination showing across her features.

Q was tongue-tied and couldn't speak.

Even Q2 had simmered his anger, looking in surprise at his mother's emotional outburst. He had never seen his mother react with any kind of emotion before. "Now" she said calmly, "We need to figure out a plan." she looked around the circle at Amanda Q and Quince, who were looking admirably at her, suddenly interested in the situation. "What can we do, TOGETHER, to help them?"

-  
(attachments)

Image : Torres in Engineering.

Image: Close up promotional shot of Torres.

Image: Full length of 7of9 in a ship hallway. (20k),

Image : LadyQ and Q laughing out of doors.

*animated gif* A rotating Voyager combadge on black.

**************************

From : "Samantha Rose" Subject : [voyagerliveaction] Taking Action Date : Mon, 12 Nov 2001 01:01:42 +0000

Admiral Paris entered the turbolift and called for the main bridge. The familiar hum of the 'lift vibrated against the walls as Owen waited to reach his destination. He had already started to compile a list of ideas to present to Captain Picard on how to deal with the Redjac entity.

It wasn't long until the turbolift doors opened to reveal a busy Enterprise bridge. Officers were going from one station and in the middle of all of it, was the Enterprise's Captain.  
The Admiral slapped the data PADD against his palm and made a bee-line straight for Picard.

"Captain, I have a few ideas here that could use your touch."  
Owen held out the PADD for Picard to take. Jean-Luc took the information and began skimming over it. He nodded and motioned for the officer he was working with to continue work.

The two men stepped to the side of all the bustle and started to discuss the situation.

"I believe if we can neutralize this entity it will be possible to prevent it from going any further. The only way that can work is if the being's power is depleted more from what it is now." Admiral Paris looked to Picard for any suggestions he may have on the matter.

--------------------------------------------------------------

Q2 was angry. "What are you doing?" he protested. Even Q looked surprised. "I will not have my family sacrificing themselves for that creature!" she said, pinning them both with a look. "I just found you both, I'm not going to lose you now!" she finished, determination showing across her features. Q was tongue-tied and couldn't speak. Even Q2 had simmered his anger, looking in surprise at his mother's emotional outburst. He had never seen his mother react with any kind of emotion before. "Now" she said calmly, "We need to figure out a plan." she looked around the circle at Amanda Q and Quince, who were looking admirably at her, suddenly interested in the situation. "What can we do, TOGETHER, to help them?"

"Well, if we are going to do anything the first would be to create some sort of diversion to take that...thing's.  
attention away from Naomi." Q2 looked to each of his fellow Q for approval. They nodded and he continued.

"What about it's ability to hurt the Q?" Amanda asked, the small demonstration earlier on Q2 still fresh in her mind.

"If we split up it will be harder for it to concentrate on just one target, including the child." Quince piped up from his oh-so-relaxed postion against the bulkhead.

"Okay, now the question is how are we going to create that diversion?" Q2 snapped a Q-playbook and pencil into his hands. He began going through the process of writing X's and O's on the surface at a rapid pace. When he was done, he placed the pencil behind his ear and showed them all the final product.

"Oh look! Hugs and kisses!" a big grin spread across Amanda's face as she percieved the drawing in a school girl fashion.

"No, it's a set plan for a diversion. Now, right here..."

"Set plan?" Quince interrupted the boy as he came down from his perch, "Why would we need a set plan?"

Q2 looked blankly at the Q-cop and sighed. He flashed away the playbook and pencil and put his palms out in surrender.

"Okay, we'll wing it, like we always do." He shook his head as the rest of the Q nodded.

"That's my boy!" Q senior slapped his son on the back and flashed into position along with the others.

"Why do I even bother?" Q2 mumbled to himself as he too got ready.

--------------------------------------------------------------

Q2 reapeared next to Guinan and the small rescue team. She didn't even look at him, her senses telling her exactly who it was. Commander Chakotay and those around him also took notice and turned too look at the teen.

"Q, what is going on up there?" Chakotay looked to the youngest Q for an answer to his question.

"Don't worry, Commander. We have it under control. If all goes as, er...planned, then Lt. Torres won't need to re-activate the transporter." He spilled it out in a whisper.

"What kind of plan are you talking about?" The EMH looked to Q2, a bit annoyed.

"Well, we're sorta winging it," he recieved a collective look of shock from the group, "but don't worry! Naomi will be fine if you just listen to what I have to say." he had them move in closer.

"We're going to create a diversion for you. If it works,  
Seven should drop Naomi onto the Q enery net." he pointed to the glowing pale-blue net.

"And after Seven let's go of the child...?" Geordi asked,  
keeping his visored eyes on the dangling ex-borg and her prey.

"I'll snap her and the doctor directly to Sickbay. From there we'll have to..."

"Let me guess, wing it?" The Holo-doc crossed his arms, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Exactly." Q2 acknowledged the photonic's inquiry. "Do we all agree?"

Commander quickly anticipated the other's response and nodded. Q2 smiled and returned the gesture. He flashed not far from the bipedals and waited as the other Q did there work.

--------------------------------------------------------------

Amanda peered out from behind a bulkhead. She looked across,  
past Seven and Naomi, at Lady Q. Lady Q gave her a thumbs up and they both came out of hiding. Amanda came up on one side of Seven and Lady Q the other.

Amanda created a brief distraction while Lady Q grabbed the shard of railing from Seven's hand and discarded it. At that point, Q and Quince joined in the shirade and continued confusing the being within Seven of Nine.

Seven looked from one Q to the other and to the child which she still held by the foot. This was beginning to put strain on Redjac's control over his host and he subconsciously let go of Naomi.

As Redjac's efforts were being concentrated on the other Q,  
Q2 did as promised. Once the Wildman girl hit the Q net, he flashed away the net and Naomi to his own arms. With a nod to Chakotay and his team, Q2 disappeared only to reappear in Sickbay.

He was met by a collected Bashir and a not yet calmed Samantha Wildman. Q2 placed Naomi onto the nearest bio-bed and stood back as Dr. Bashir took action.

-  
(attachments)

*animated gif*- The UFP Logo inside MultiSpinning gold rings.

Images: A series of screen grabs of Q2 portraits.

OFFTopic image: Angel in disquise, a comic character.

*  
END WEEK FORTY THREE RECAP 11-11-01

WEEK FORTY FOUR RECAP 11-12-01

.com/voyagerliveaction Graphic Site.

.com/group/voyagerliveaction Writing Site.

From : "Roxy Dee" Subject : Divide and Conquer Date :Tue, 13 Nov 2001 21:46:26 GMT

Turning to look at Geordi, she continued. "We need to neutralize those gelpacks as well, Commander. We both know that with the prey gone, he will immediately go back into the gelpacks network; possibly look for another host. What do you think? A forcefield? Or, perhaps 'freeze' the gelpacks network, so he can't 'travel' in it?"

As B'Elanna and Geordi considered these ideas, a ship-wide distress call automatically went up over Voyager. #Lifesign grave condition, Wildman, Naomi; Deck 15# Looking up desperately at the situation, B'Elanna dropped her tricorder, shifting her phaser to her other hand and firing at the crewmember known as Seven of Nine.

Geordi flinched as the Voyager engineer's fire bounced off the energy field Q had erected to prevent such hostile fire from the humans. The light flared brighter but Seven didn't seem effected by the attempt. The hideous other voice erupted from her mouth again as Q2 appeared near the ceiling.

"B'Elanna. Didn't you see Chakotay's shot fail too? Q had a valid point on not pissing whatever it is off." He glanced upwards. It seemed to Geordi that the Q were planning something. Q2 seemed to float near Chakotay talking with him and he was pointing animatedly upwards to the little girl.

Geordi took those few moments to address B'Elanna. "I agree that the bioneural gelpacks must be made impermeable to Redjac. But aren't those systems integral to lifesupport? You've only just gotten your lifesupport systems back online. Data seems to think that there's another way to deal with all this. He "remembers" Captain Kirk dealing with this same entity over fifty years ago. He told me that Kirk got control over it by sedating the victim and beaming him out into space."

B'Elanna harrumphed loud in her throat. "Yeah, well. Seven isn't exactly a fresh corpse now is she?" she snapped.

Geordi held up his hands, "I know that. It's odd that Seven's still alive. It must be a recent adaptation on the part of Jack the Ripper." He thought hard. " Let's flood the room with anesthezine. Knock out Seven. And then go from there. Guinan. What do you think?"

"I think you should act. Now. That little girl doesn't have much time." the hostess said, floating weightlessly against a console. She had not donned a pair of antigrav boots, preferring to stay out of the way.

Chakotay floated back down to the away team. "The Q are going to try something. Get ready."

Guinan, Harry, Chakotay B'Elanna watched as Amanda Q, Q2, Q and Quince all maneuvered around Seven of Nine, bullying her like a pack of dogs on a fox until she dropped Naomi. Q2 caught the tiny girl as she fell and the two suddenly winked out.

"Where did she go?" Harry shouted.

Geordi consulted his tricorder. "She's in sickbay. And she's still alive.." he grinned. "Now, it's up to us. Get on some respirators. I'm programming the intruder gas flood right now. In three... two....one...."

Harry protested, hastily grabbing up masks for everyone around him. "Redjac will just jump into the biogel packs...!"

Geordi said, "Bridge!! Lift transporter restrictions! Stunning Seven with anesthezine. Send her to the Delta Flier. Immobilize all of its primary systems except life support and send it off Voyager into orbit once you read Seven of Nine is inside. It's the only way to isolate her!! Stand by on my mark!"

Kim barely got his respirator on in time when the soapy bloom of paralyzing gas flooded out. "Don't let Seven touch any conduits!!" he shouted.

Geordi grabbed an anti grav tractor beam and used it to hold Seven as the cloud of gas spread to encompass her. Seven struggled to reach a computer console access hatch in the ceiling above her. Geordi yanked her away from it using the green beam.

##No! I will not be prevented!## she shouted. ##I will kill this body if you do not c----## abruptly Seven went limp in the zero gravity as the sedative reached Seven's lungs.

"Now! Captain!! Beam her off now!!"

Geordi watched as Seven of Nine disappeared from Deck Fifteen. Simultaneously, the Q restored the gravity to the room. LaForge was gasping inside his respirating filter. He trained sensors on the cargo bay as Voyager's bridge officers beamed the shuttle into open space devoid of all power except for battery enough to run Seven's life support. He watched the tiny ship's signature leave his scanning range. They had done it. ::Whew! That was close.::

Harry Kim reversed the gas. "Computer. Purge Deck Fifteen Engineering section 40 and restore normal environmental settings..."

##Environmental restoration complete.## the computer replied.

Harry Kim sighed, tapping his combadge. "Kim to the bridge. I think you did it."

Janeway's voice came over the comm. "And so we have, Ensign. Good work. Seven's showing strong vital signs in the shuttle holding 2000 meters off our port bow."

Geordi broke into the communication. "Captain. The entity threatened to kill Seven if we went ahead with isolating her from the ship."

"Understood. We'll maintain sedation on her until the EMH can be sent over there to try and separate the lifeforce from Seven without harming her. Janeway out."

Harry saw the lights around them snap into being and smiled hugely. He peeled off his emergency air supply. "I'm heading to the bridge? Anyone going with me?"

Chakotay nodded, not even bothering to take off his antigrav boots. He headed off.

Geordi stopped B'Elanna from following. "Lieutenant. I think we should find out if Sospiria's pattern is truly free of Redjac's influence before we try rematerializing her. If what Data says about prior hosts to this thing, she may be just a corpse. We can determine that by running a baseline DNA analysis from the bridge or sickbay. The lack of cellular turgor will prove that she was never alive. That will be in the pattern buffer biotrace. It's your call."

Harry Kim sighed over hearing part of the conversation. "Now that would be tragic. Then the Ocampa would be without their protector. Who would send them the energy needs they require from Sospiria's newly constructed array? I remember that they only had enough stores to run their underground city for five years.."

Guinan frowned. "What predator doesn't disrupt the lives that do not fall beneath their claws. Perhaps Sospiria's lifeform is resilient. As an anaphasic lifeform, she might have been able to survive the consciousness invasion with her lifesigns intact. She has the power to attain a pure energy form. I can sense it."

"Let's hope so. B'Elanna. I've just scanned these biogel packs. They're fine. We can concentrate on determining Sospiria's viability as our priority. Just give the word. I'll do anything you require. Captain Picard transferred me over here to provide expertise so.. " And he threw his hands up in the air in a Here I Am gesture. "Your wish is my command."

He watched as Chakotay and Harry and Guinan left the room to return to the bridge. The Q seemed to see them leaving and their heads moved together in a conference of sorts. "What's next?" Geordi asked Torres.

---------------------------

Harry Kim kept his tricorder on the bioflag system readouts on Naomi Wildman. He could see that she was in sickbay for the On Biobed Scan indicator was lit in the corner. ::Stay with us, Naomi. Bashir's right there with you. Be well.::

Harry quickly followed Chakotay to the bridge. He didn't even notice Geordi LaForge and B'Elanna Torres remaining behind to discuss matters.

-  
(attachments)

Image : Harry Kim in close up by console.

Image: Geordi LaForge profile.

Image : An OOC shot of Garrett Wang and Scarlett Pomers in the backlot of Paramount.

*************************************

Date: Wed, 14 Nov 2001 01:54:23 -0800 (PST) From: "Jeff Seltun"  
Subject: The Ink Between the Lines.

Captain Picard didn't like waiting either. He was now cut off from the intimate tie to Voyager through Boothby and he didn't like it one bit.  
::I wish I knew what the hll was going on over there.:: he thought to himself.

He looked up from the command chair.  
"Mr. Data. Anything?"

The yellow android turned from his place at Enterprise's helm, "Not as yet. Do you wish me to reestablish contact with Voyager's bridge through the main view-"

"That won't be necessary. I'm sure Kathryn wouldn't want me to be watching her every move over her shoulder as she handles this crisis. Enterprise is a backup only. I'll not jeopardize the safety of her crew or ours by distracting their officers." Picard said evenly.

Mr. Data shot one of his ironic non plussed looks and turned back ahead.

Captain Picard arose and met Admiral Paris where he stood by the wooden railing flanking Ops. "Admiral. Glad you made the window of opportunity to come aboard when I beamed over my engineer. There is much we need to discuss..." he pointed to the helm. "Mr. Data you have the conn.  
Sir, if you'd like to meet me in the ready room?"  
he showed the Admiral the way.

The elder Paris inclined his silver head.

Captain Picard accompanied him to his ready room. He went straight for his food slot and called up, "Tea. Earl Grey. Hot." He then asked,  
"Would you like something?"

The Admiral declined with a subtle nod.

His look of deep worry and concern wasn't lost on Picard. He offered the admiral a chair which the older man did not take. He instead went over to examine Livingston, Picard's serene lionfish swimming in the wallside aquarium.  
He said simply.. "Tell me what you know captain."

Captain Picard knew at once what Owen meant.  
"Section 31. An ugly business. Covert. Secretive.  
And utterly without mercy for the same laws you and I hold most dear. I find it shocking that Komach would stoop to such faux pas as that."

He too, arose, but instead, went to the narrow space view showing the aft side of his starship and the comfort of familiar stars framing Jupiter.  
He went on. "How long can we "hold out" Admiral?  
Mr. Barclay's EM field can hold that long distance transporter at bay for only so long. Soon, normal business will require the Pathfinder team to move the Midas Array into a different configuration. How could it not? Komach and his lackies are "Family"." he said with distain.

The admiral only chuckled, finally taking a seat across the desk from Picard.

Picard sighed, taking the admiral's amusement for the focusing advice it was. He sighed deeply.  
"I never like it when someone or something in Starfleet goes turncoat. It goes against everything I believe in."  
Jean Luc met Admiral Paris square in the eyes.  
"This Section 31 business scares me admiral. Ships have disappeared on missions not quite explained for questioning Starfleet Headquarters too much.  
What can we do? Sure, we can raid Komach's complex again for that illegal long distance transporter technology as soon as Voyager's problem is solved. But where does that lead us?  
Hmm? Who do we trust? Admiral Komach is one of the most universally respected men at the Academy. I can't just go screaming back into Earth's orbit, spewing accusations about a transporter that may or may not be there.  
He could have used any number of satellites to bounce remat and demat signals in its usage from practically anywhere this side of Pluto.. including that nasty little get away he did five hours ago."

Picard took a sip of his tea, now gone cold.  
He grimaced. "Tell me admiral. Even with your evidence.." he said, indicating the datapadd still in the admiral's hands. "Who will believe us? We are just two men against an untold number meshed deep inside the Section 31 network. Do we dare stick our heads into the lion's mouth? I don't give a damn about my career. That is nothing if there isn't an organization for whom I can work for with a clear conscience."

A comm signal interrupted his thoughts.  
"Picard here." the captain acknowledged.

"Sir. There's a development with Voyager.  
An unpowered shuttle has been beamed into space with only rudimentary life support in place. One life sign is registering on board."

"Species?"

"Human..sir."

"That's odd. It's not Sospiria. She would be the Ripper's original host if what I read in Kirk's logs is true. "

"I can not explain it yet, Captain." Data admitted.

Picard rose. "I'm on my way.."

Admiral Paris rose to follow the captain to whom he beamed for asylum from Komach's reach. He seemed to gather his thoughts on Picard's admission and viewpoint to share with him but chose to wait the outcome of the current moment. ::Don't tell me there's been another murder...::

Picard gladly accepted Data's nonverbal to activate the main viewer to Janeway's bridge.  
"On screen.." He sat in his chair while he indicated to Owen to take the counselor's seat.

"Captain. We note your shuttle. What's happened?"

Janeway looked haggard but a bit more in satisfying control to his eye. "Another of my crew was attacked when the entity took over Seven of Nine. Naomi Wildman was stabbed."

"Is she all right?"

The Voyager captain nodded. "She's alive. My bioflag system's just quit "shouting". Telling me she's been found. I don't know how he did it, but your Mr. LaForge worked with the Q to distract Seven long enough to get Naomi to sickbay. She's only just been freed. I don't yet know her condition other than the basics." Janeway's eyes narrowed, "Admiral Paris.. I'm surprised to see you over there. But I can see why.. Enterprise has no murdering ghosts rampaging inside her airducts." and she gave them a crooked smile.

Picard found it impossible to share her levity.  
"No. But we do share the continuing spectre of Section 31. The very thought that we are shielded against Earth right now from them turns my stomach."

Janeway sighed, "I'm not immune to that sensation. After all it was Section 31 operatives who kidnapped my officers in the first place."  
and she rubbed her mouth. She afforded her counterpart with a wry look."Two ships in a storm for us. I have a feeling that Section 31 is a cancer that is too far metastacized for us to cut away.. We may be tagged as "diseased"  
and each have our crews disbanded."

Picard smiled. "But at least we can cut out the worst of the tumors. Such as that long distance transporter. I know I'll sleep easier at night knowing that someone can't beam into my sleeping quarters to spy then leave behind a comatosed crew in his wake upon leaving!"

Janeway's face turned to sorrow. "I can't believe so much has changed in the seven years I've been gone. A whole war has been fought.  
Now Section 31's feeding on the scraps of discontent like a vulture."

Mr. Data piped up from his helms station.  
"Speaking of scavenging birds.. What is being done about your possessed female crewman in the shuttle? Is she still alive or has she been zombified?"

"Mr. Data!!" Picard admonished him at his lack of tact.

Janeway held up a hand. "Aptly put captain.  
It is the situation in a nut shell. Don't be too harsh on your officer's reasoning."  
She stood, fixing Mr. Data with an amazed stare. "Your powers of observation are astounding, Mr. Data."

Data started up like an eager puppy, "Thankyou captain. I've run many holodeck simulations where Geordi and I were Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson on myraids of fictionalized criminal cases, including murder.  
I've created several adaptive programs to handle problem solving and extrapolated hypotheses to support extraneou--"

"Enough Data." Picard said firmly.  
He looked to Janeway. "He has a tendency to be very detailed."

Janeway blinked. "Perhaps that is what we're looking for captain." she said quickly.

"I beg your pardon.." Jean Luc said.

"This redjac entity or whatever it is has come on board my ship attached to an anaphasic energy being after being starved for hundreds of years inside Sospiria. It's no longer inhabiting only corpses but living people without preying immediately upon them. That is significant.  
A detail, if you will. I have to find out how it's doing that with Seven exactly so I know how to save her. Data's meticulousness qualities might be the drive we need to learn some answers. Keep him talking by all means." she grinned. "And he may even provide an unbiased view concerning the Section too."  
and she stepped forward a few paces. "Mr. Data.  
I am ordering you as a starship captain. To offer all opinions, speculations regarding any matter that may arise on Voyager so long as such activity does not impinge on your captain's orders or your regular duties. Is that clear?"

"It is very clear, sir.."

"That's ma'am.. and only in a pinch."

"Yes, captain." Data said full of wide eyed innocence.

Picard noted the exchange tiredly. ::I must be getting old. My ability to assess the best quality of one of my closest colleagues in this crisis completely escaped me.::

Janeway noticed this. "Captain. By my chronometer,  
neither you nor I has slept or eaten in over twenty hours, not since the homecoming party. I suggest you and I let the nightshift take over so we can get some decent rest. Seven's safely contained,  
sedated. And we're both under Mr. Barclay's EM field protection. Let's tackle this in nine hours when we're both operating on all thrusters... Shall we?"

Picard appreciated Kathryn's candor and didn't protest.  
"Agreed. This is definitely a lull between the waves.  
Perhaps when we both awaken, they'll be news on your little Naomi.."

"I'm counting on it. Janeway out."

And the viewscreen went dark.

Picard rose wearily. "Admiral. If you'll permit one of my junior officers to escort you to your quarters. I am going to take the Voyager captain on her challenge of taking forty winks..." He gesturing to a young lieutenant standing by the bulkheads.

The young woman nodded. "I'll handle that sir."

"Thankyou, Lieutenant. Mr. Data you have nightwatch.  
You know to wake me with extenuating circumstances.."

"Yes sir.. I will inform you if any progress is made concerning the Redjac entity, the Section, or research about the whereabouts of the long distance transporter."

"Astute man, Mr. Data. *Yawnnn* See you at 0700."

Captain Picard was asleep in his sheets five minutes after that.

-------------------------------------------------

Captain Janeway too, mirrored Picard's stretch on her bridge and pointed to Mr. Tuvok. "You have the conn,  
Tuvok. And tell Chakotay when he gets up here that I'm ordering him to his quarters for rest as well.  
Wake me only if we lose both nacelles and half the saucer section."

"Understood. I'll send your yeoman at 0700 to wake you."

---------------------------------------------------

Both Jean Luc and Janeway fell to dreaming at about the same moment deep in peaceful slumber.

They both dreamed of a hole in the stars.

Kathryn stirred in her sleep not inside the dreamscape.

::Oh my god. It's the Nexus.. It's returning:  
She wasn't sure if it was a dream...

Or not.

-  
(attachments)

Image : Captain Picard in B & W looking at you.

Image: Mr. Data by Enterprise's bridge ramp rail.

*animated gif* One of Voyagerliveaction's host sites Project Wormhole showing one sucking down protomatter. :) heh.

*  
From : "Cory Anda" Subject : [voyagerliveaction] Respite Date : Wed, 14 Nov 2001 21:19:39 +0000

Chakotay followed Harry Kim into the turbolift and headed for the bridge. He yanked the respirator mask from around his mouth and left it hanging around his neck. He looked at Kim.  
"How is she?" he asked.

Kim knew exactly what he meant. He meant the Wildman child on his tricorder. He gave the commander a thumbs up. "Bashir's scanning her now. I'm seeing an echo."

Chakotay sighed. ::Oh, I'm tired. I must have gotten some of the gas Geordi released before I got on my filter.::

He shook his head and strode out onto the bridge.  
He barely had taken two steps in his antigrav boots when Tuvok arose from the center seat. "Chakotay.  
Captain Janeway has ordered me to take command while you and she rests until 0700. It was not a suggestion."

"You're kidding."

"I am not." Tuvok said raising his eyebrows.

Kim pointed to Tom then himself. The helmsman shook his head. "You're free to rock buddy." The ensign briefly stopped to stroke Miral's cheek before returning to his Ops station.

Tuvok said more. "The risk to Voyager at this time is minimal. Seven of Nine is tranquilized and isolated safely. We'll continue to monitor her while the EMH comes up with a way to free her from the entity.  
Sospiria is likewise immobilized and we are still immune to any long distance transporter beam."  
To emphasize his point, Tuvok said. =^= Computer.  
Stand down from Red Alert but keep main shields raised.=^=

The red status bar winked out.

"I can work on checking over the Boothby consultation program to see whether or not it was damaged by the alien entity. This task does not require the first officer in order to complete.." he said as Chakotay went over to a computer screen to tap a console for a manual report from all decks.

Chakotay dropped his head. "I think I've been severely outlogic'ed. It's not fair. I don't stand a chance when you and Kathryn gang up on me." he grinned. "O700. You say?"

"Yes." Tuvok replied. "That is when both she and Captain Picard will return to duty."

"Very well. You have the bridge Tuvok." Chakotay said.

---------------------------------------------------

Chakotay slid out of his uniform and switched his combadge to his gray undershirt in his quarters. His head pounded and he could still smell anesthezine in his hair. "I'll shower later." and he fell across his bed.

Stars met him in his dreams. Kathryn was there.  
She was looking at a hole in space, that was flaming a ribbon Chakotay had hoped never to see again. ::The Nexus.  
it's returning to Earth..::

He floated to Kathryn's side and nodded and together they linked hands.

They returned to Kathryn's place in the cornfield nestled under a warm summer's night moon. Only this time there was no white light from the moon. For in its place, the Nexus ribbon burned there.

"We're dreaming again, Chakotay." Janeway said.

"We are. Only this time. It's a restful one. We should be seeing our spirit guides any t--"

##You have returned. And the scent of battle is on you both..## Rahelon said.

##You are sad. Why is this?## Lancelot the gecko asked of his Soulmate.

Janeway sighed. "A member of my crew was killed and another terribly wounded by a very old entity known on my world as Jack the Ripper.  
He holds Seven of Nine hostage in a spirit possession."

Chakotay's red tailed hawk ruffled her feathers. ##I can see it in your mind. It is a blood thirsty predator. But it has hungered for centuries and so it is reacting according to its nature.##

Kathryn turned to Rahelon, in her gardening skirts and said, "How can you have sympathy for that creature.  
It's killed untold numbers of people down through the ages even deep into my people's own past,  
stalking the streets of London.."

##Kathryn. Now is not the time to dwell on what is happening in the waking world. Now is a time for you to rest your heart and mind. It is why we are here now in your dream.## Kathryn's spirit guide said to her.

Chakotay chuckled, "Never argue with a reptile.. I know I never can with raptors.." he grinned ruefully.  
stroking Rahelon's feathers when she flew to him.  
He looked about the summer beach near the pond and saw the sweet grass meadow filled with crickets.  
"I... am going to continue dreaming lying down..."

Kathryn watched her first officer loosen the ties on his white hide jerkin and stretch out on the ground.

She joined him eventually.

He blinked up into the starfilled sky. "Say.  
didn't you choose a full moon to be up there?"  
he asked her. "I'm still dreaming I see the Nexus ribbon in its place."

"I did." Kathryn said, nestling her head on his shoulder. "I can't explain it."

Together they watched the orange and purple fire hiss in the dreamscape stratosphere reflecting in the pond's still waters in a breath taking display.

Chakotay turned to the hawk perched on his raised knee while he lay on his back. "Is it real?"

Rahelon gave a slight cry, ##Of course. That place exists here in the mind as it does in reality.  
One called Guinan knows this well for a part of her still resides inside the ribbon.##

Chakotay did not feel threatened. "Just so long as it doesn't return to Earth. I remember what nearly happened after it carried us here from the Delta Quadrant. Say... Captain.."

Kathryn was dozing, enjoying the sweet night air and the comforting sound of Indiana crickets all around her. "Hmmm?"

"Could we ...use this ribbon to....say.. do a little creative filtering on Earth? It might temper all the malcontents inside Section 31. Those not happy with their lives can leave with the Nexus and those that aren't will choose to stay on Earth."

Kathryn opened her eyes, which glowed in the orange light coming from the ribbon. "Now you're sounding like a brain surgeon. Cutting out the cancer?"

"Sure.. Why not? I can't think of a more peaceful way to restore harmony to the Federation. So many have been jaded by the war since we've been away. This might be a wonderful solution." he admitted.

Janeway held out her fingers so Lancelot climbed on them like a jungle gym. She laughed as his blue tongue flicked out to tickle her nose. " Chakotay you're a dreamer..."

"So are you. If we're both here inside this cornfield."

Kathryn laughed long and loud into the peaceful night. "Q! I don't know how you pulled this off but I thank you.. This ribbon may be the end of our all our strife. I so want to get and be home with no strings attached. No Sospiria. No Jack the Ripper.  
No Section 31... Think you can do that???" she shouted. The force of her voice caused the soft fog to lift over their heads and it rippled against the stars..

No Q came.

Janeway sighed, dropping her hands to her stomach.  
"Ah well.. it was worth a shot. Only a Q could chuck wagon the Nexus ribbon and control its course anyway... Guess we are just sleeping in here Chakotay.."

She closed her eyes and slept in his arms.  
He joined her.

-------------------------

The ribbon had gotten much closer in the night sky when something jolted Kathryn awake in the dreamscape meadow. It was a white glinting. Full and moon colored. It was the only spot not stained sienna by the ribbon dancing in the air above the pond.  
::What is that?::

Lancelot stirred on her shoulder from underneath her hair. ##You are Seconah. Use your senses then to find out..##

Kathryn rose, not disturbing her sleeping first officer being watched over by the hawk.

Her skirts fell and a warm sweet wind filled her long hair as she turned toward the sparkling spot she saw across the meadow.

Something in her hand responded the moment she stepped toward the sight. "It's my first spirit token. The wheat ear." The frond of grain glowed with snowy moonlight from within and it was the same kind as the one Kathryn could see in the distance. ::My quest for a medicine bundle. It's beginning again:  
She tucked it safely within her pocket and Kathryn shed her soft sandals. Feeling her way through the grass with her toes.

Above her, the aurora of the Nexus swirled and danced among the stars. It was slowly growing nearer.

Kathryn was oblivous. She was captivated by the spirit light coming from her target.  
Lancelot stayed silent on her shoulder as she came nearer.. The ethereal glow was pulling at her calling her.

Then she found her goal. ::It's a fairy ring:  
she marveled. ::A ring of toadstools where a tree had once grown.::

In the center lay her second token. It was a chunk of honey amber. Kathryn picked it up and looked inside its depths. A delicate milk weed seed star burst lay inside as fresh as the day it first blew free of its bonds. "A Voyager!!" she sighed.  
"Daddy used to find me these when I was very small growing up. We used to make a wish and blow these into the wind every walk we went on."  
she said to Lancelot.

##Take it. It is yours. Only that which belongs to you carries the pure light.##

She held the amber crystal close and it felt heated.  
As if the sun had warmed it. Kathryn imagined she could still see the wind stirring the seed's feathery spikes within as if it were being carried into flight.  
::Like me. It looks like it's still jorneying. Oh, Lancelot this is ideal for my medicine bundle.::

##You have all that is meant for you, Kathryn.  
Now, find a place to keep these safe..## the gecko said flicking over the wheat ear and the amber with his azure tongue.

Kathryn didn't hesitate. She followed the edge of the pond to the Janeway porch and entered the white wooden house. Another snowy glow was coming from one of the windows.

Kathryn went inside and found it coming from a replica of her childhood bedroom filled with everything she remembered growing up with to the finest detail. The pull was coming from an old trunk at the foot of her bed. She opened it with trembling fingers.

::Grandma's quilt.:: Tears filled her eyes.  
::This is what I'm meant to wrap these inside.  
My medicine bundle's complete.::

She took the small square quilt made with the patches of many scraps lovingly sewn and wrapped the amber and wheat frond inside of it. And tied it up with a faded yarn left over from its creation.

She lifted it to her face and she smelled apples.::It's like she's here. My past.  
I'll have no trouble using these things to return to the dreamscape world. They're a part of me. A part of my history.::

Lancelot agreed. ##A medicine bundle is made of those objects which hold the strongest familial memories. It will tie your mind to this place you've chosen to be yours.  
This cornfield on a summer's night under this full moon.##

Giving a soft sob of joy,  
Kathryn returned to the meadow where Chakotay and his spirit guide were sleeping. She lay down and drifted off to sleep under the sizzling hiss of the approaching Nexus ribbon, allowing its beauty to lull her spirit into rest using her new medicine bundle as a pillow. The soft foggy night wind stirred her long hair gently and she smiled.

It comforted more than her body.

-  
(attachments)

Image : Chak in a visionquest

Image: Collage of many faces of Janeway.

Gif: minichakotay

*animated gif* sparkling star background

Gif: minijaneway

Image: The Nexus ribbon ******************

From : "Katherine Bird" Subject : Naomi's Fight Date : Fri, 16 Nov 2001 19:10:50 +0000

Samantha gave a huge sob when her daughter suddenly appeared in Q2's arms and smiled as she was placed on a biobed. "Oh thank you..." she sobbed.

Dr. Bashir sprung into action, seeing the deep wound in Naomi's shoulder and the heavy bleeding flowing from it. "She's been stabbed. But it doesn't look like it's struck anything vital." he said, checking his tricorder. "Sam, hold this here." and he gave Samantha Wildman a silver anticoagulant gauze to press over the ugly gash. "We've got to stem that blood loss."

"How is she?"

"Unconscious, understandably." he replied "..and there's a reading here of her being more out than normal for this kind of injury." Julian frowned.

The EMH suddenly zipped in, "I can explain that, doctor. Sorry I'm late. Q2 forgot to send me on with her like he promised. Geordi flooded Deck Fifteen with anesthezine to stun Seven. Naomi may have breathed some of it in." He peered examining the deep stab site. "We may have to operate on that shoulder. I saw the angle of the knife and I would be surprised if Seven didn't nick her subclavian vein." he said, sliding a cart over to Naomi's bed. He pressed a switch and the diagnostic arch attached to the biobed slid over the pale girl and removed her top in a beam while it gave her oxygen through her skin through perfusion.

Bashir grinned. "Anesthezine? Very clever of the engineer. Narcan should counteract it." and he gave Naomi a hypo to her neck. He rescanned the girl's vital signs. "Ah.. her BP's rising and she's breathing a lot better."

"Seven stabbed my daughter?" Sam began.

The EMH drew her aside. "It wasn't Seven. It was a predatory entity possessing Seven. Surely Guinan shared her knowledge of it with you all when she was here."

Sam nodded. "It's just all so bizarre doctor. I.. don't know how to feel about it all. Is Seven all right?"

The EMH smiled. "She's in the Delta Flier in orbit with us under sedation. The power's been removed from the shuttle except for battery enough to keep the lifesupport system running. I'm about to go over there and see what I can do for her." He turned to Bashir, already draping Naomi for surgery. "Do you need me to assist you?"

"No. no. no.. See to Seven, by all means. That entity may find a way to awaken her. He may harm her finding himself isolated like that."

"Agreed. I'll keep one sensor on over here doctor." And the EMH tapped his combadge. =^=Sickbay to the bridge. I'm ready when you are.=^=

Tuvok answered instead of Janeway's warm timber. "Understood. Please stand by."

The EMH frowned. "Where's the captain? I thought she'd beat me down here the moment Naomi Wildman was freed."

"Captain Picard cleverly convinced her to rest and the captain did the same with Commander Chakotay. Are you ready to proceed?"

The holodoc hefted up his medkit and an antigrav clamp. "I am." ::No doubt I'm going to have to shackle her first with this before I bring her out of it.:: "Energize.."

Bashir didn't even see him leave. He concentrated on his young patient. He ran some universal blood replacement into her circulation and probed the wound to find how it had buried itself. Her clavicle was shattered and this he knitted back together with a bone regenerator. The vein was harder to repair, needing multiple passes with the protolazer to seal its puncture.

A dissonant warble began on Naomi's board. Bashir saw her heartbeat fade off of it until it stopped. "Not today..." he said.

He placed a cortical stimulator on the girl's forehead and told Sam to begin its pulse charge. "Fifty megajoules. Now."

Sam did so from the computer panel at the foot of the bed. "Come on baby. Fight for mum! It's over. You're safe sweety.." she sobbed.

Naomi's tiny body jumped on the bed.

Bashir shook his head in the negative, "She's not capturing. Again. She's lost too much blood and it'll take a minute for the arch to completely replace it... just hold on, Sam. She'll come back to us. Increase to sixty Megajoules."

Sam gave her daughter another jolt of power from the stimulator.

Nothing happened.

"Come on baby... Where did you go...?" she asked. "Breathe for mum, there's a good girl..."

But Naomi just lay still under the arch supporting her.

Bashir gave her a hypo of cordrazine. "She's being oxygenated by the life support unit so we're set there. I'll put this cardiac regulator in place if she doesn't regain a pulse in twenty seconds on her own. Her blood volume's approaching three quarters normal. It may be just that prior shortage causing her arrest here. A few seconds more.. I don't want to stress her nervous system by doing too much. Hold on, Sam. I'm leaving her natural reflex to kick in on its own. It's better for her this way. Less damage."

Nonetheless, he slid down the arch a bit so he could reach the child's chest for cardiac massage should it be needed. He waited for the little girl to respond to the transfusion.. ::Naomi..Listen to your body and return. I've repaired it.:: he thought inside.

Sam felt the seconds crawl by like endless years.

-  
(attachments)

Image : A big close up of a worried Samantha Wildman.

Image: Seven on a biobed, comatose and alone.

*************************************

From : "Clairissa Fox" Subject : Auntie Kathys Promise Date : Sat, 17 Nov 2001 21:15:09 +0000

I didn't know anything for a long time. I remembered my shoulder hurting me when 7 got me with the knife but that was all. It was scary. Bad Jack did it. Then my shoulders itched and big bright white feathers sprouted out of me into strong wings and I laughed. I was an angel!

My sore was gone and I flew. I looked down and saw myself on the bed in sickbay but I knew I didn't have to worry for a while. Dr. Basheer was pressing on me being my heart while I was away.

I went through the wall flapping my wings and they carried me outside to the stars. But there was another thing in space with me. It was the Ribbon! The one we saw at the beginning of the year! What was it doing back?

So I flew towards it and the glowy fog made me squint. I hit something and it made me fall. I looked up. It was a tree! Where was I? Then I saw a canoe by a pond in the nighttime and two people on the sand taking a nap.

It was Auntie Kathy and Chakoty.

I ran over to them forgetting I had wings on.

Auntie Kathy! Auntie Kathy! They did it! I'm in sickbay!

I saw them wake up and look at me. There was a hawk and a lizard on a rock and they talked inside my head! ##Naomi Wildman. Welcome. But you cannot stay long for you can't go to heaven yet. We do not know how you came but we will guide you back to you now. Come follow.##

But I ran past them and went to my friends. They seemed surprised to see me and Auntie Kathy started crying when she saw my wings.

Dont worry. Im not going yet. These are nice but I like Voyager. I saw Doctor Basheer and mum making my heart go so I know Im not. Do you want me to go see 7? I can now.

"Naomi what are you doing here?" Janeway said. "My god. Lancelot, has Naomi died in sickbay? She's never come to the dreamscape before."

##She is between places Kathryn. It is the presence of the Nexus which enabled her to visit your mind.##

"We've got to get her back. I don't claim to be an expert on out of body experiences but it can't be good for her."

##That is something we both agree on.## the lizard said.

No. no. I want to stay here and meet my animal guide. I dont see it.

"That is because this is a mistake somehow. I can take you back here again when you're well Naomi. Please go." Janeway urged the little girl.

All right. Im getting tired anyway. But remember you promised to bring me here later.

"I will, Naomi, go back to sickbay." Janeway said.

So I left, flying back to Voyager by the Ribbon in the sky.

I went through the walls but as I got nearer, my wings shrank and I fell. I had to walk the rest of the way. Mum was still upset and Dr Basheer had that heart machine in his hand. He set it on my chest and I got pulled back inside. Ouch! I could feel my shoulder again and the air I was breathing.

She's back. We did it. I heard the doctor say.

Mum stroked my hair while I waited for my eyes and legs and arms to work but I was still tired.

But I was happy too. Auntie Kathy was going to bring me to Chakotys dream place so I could get a spirit guide of my own so I concentrated on getting better and waking up.

There was only one thing I didnt like. I missed my angel wings a lot.

-  
(attachments)

Image : Scarlett as Naomi Wildman holding up a Voyager script and hamming for the camera.

*animated gif* A flying flapping white dove.

*  
From : "patti keiper" Subject : [voyagerliveaction] The Heeby Jeebies.... Date : Sun, 18 Nov 2001 09:58:44 +0000 Q let out the breath he was holding in a big WHOOSH the second the ship's computer cleared Deck Fifteen's environment of intruder gas.

Amanda Q smacked his shoulder. "You don't need to do that, you ninny. You're Q. There's nothing that can effect you unless you allow it."

Q scoffed. "I wasn't holding my breath about some primitive human chemical warfare device, you're forgetting our homicidal invisible Omen II friend.  
He's done a wonderful job giving all of us the heeby jeebies.. Who knows what he's done with the borg barbie already. She may be inside a shuttle and sleeping it off, but the foggy fiend's still got claws hanging onto her psyche."

Quince straightened from examining a bioneural gel pack after sniffing it. "He's not here. Guess the humans were fast enough transferring him ...uh, I mean her.. off Voyager. Too bad we couldn't see more of the "battle"." he grinned.

"Who says it's over, Q." Amanda said to him.  
"It's still linked with Seven of Nine." and she sighed a big sigh. "I don't think the holohead's gonna be able to do much on his own over there at all."

"What do you mean? Kathy touts on the increasing sentience of her EMH all the time. He's pulled quite a few rabbits out of his hat on their homeward journey to Earth. Re-embodied Chuckles with that animal skin medicine wheel thing, gotten B'Elanna free of that wormy slug date back then, cured Kes of backward living. " Q took in an appreciative pause, "And he's done a fair job separating Borg fact from human form. He's."  
Q flipped a few fingers.."..bound to make some more progress real soon.." Q said genuinely convicted.  
Then his face screwed up in disgust. "Eooww. Am I actually rooting for a human program? Astounding..!"

Guinan, who was speaking to B'Elanna held up a finger.  
"Excuse me for a sec, would you?" she asked the engineer standing with her. The El Aurien hostess shivered. "I think there's a bug in here. No, make that four of them.  
right over there..." and she glared at Amanda Q, Lady Q, Quince and Q on the far side of the room.

"Oh, am I supposed to be insulted behatted hostess who boast-eth?" Q quipped in mock horror. "Oh, can I stand the strain.." he said dramatically throwing a hand over his forehead. "Being bullied by a barmaid by bombastic booted, .." he pointed down to her antigrav footwear,  
"..bothered B'Elanna."

Quince widened his eyes in amusement, "Oooo a human language word challenge.. let ME play.. Let's see..Guarded garrish gowned girl guages good guesses guised, growling,  
gloze."

Quince frowned, "Gloze isn't a real word."

"Yes it is.. look it up." Q said. "It suits her to a "T".."

Guinan's normally calm intense, mysterious manner suddenly cracked. She raised her fingers like an attacking cat near her face. "Oh,....be....silent!!"

It shut both male Q up instantly as they hastily assembled their own power defense against their old adversary in case her warning suddenly bloomed into living 3-D color.

"That's better." Guinan said. "There's no bar between us serving as no man's land anywhere near here so I suggest you either shutup or pack out. I am sick to death of your endless prattling over these limited humans! They're still learning.. It's early yet." She tossed a look at B'Elanna.  
"Sorry Torres."

Torres look stupified by the usually unflappable Guinan,  
losing it. "Don't worry about it, I'm only half human. And sometimes I do feel "limited" by it." she shrugged.

Guinan went on without missing a beat still chuck full of righteous anger. "...Haven't you pyscho analyzed,  
probed, prodded, and played with these beings enough?"  
she said with her voice sliding up into indignation.

"No."  
"Nope."  
"Nada."  
"Not exactly." came the reply in Q quadricate.

"I give up!!" Guinan said, throwing her sleeves into the air.  
"Six centuries of cleaning up where these bozos leave off in their so called lesser species games. I've had it." and she tapped her combadge that Harry had given her when he responded to her rescue in the messhall. "Guinan to the bridge. Respond if you know what's good for you.." she said through tight teeth,  
glaring at Amanda, Quince, Lady Q and Q.

B'Elanna could almost see Tuvok's eyebrows crawl into his hairline over the comm channel. "Please elaborate your statement,  
Guinan. Your emotional overtones suggest agitation and--"

"Agitation! You bet I'm agitated!" Guinan shouted. "I am tired of being on this side of the fence facing the Q's side of it constantly seeing the consequences of their actions. I guess I'm going to have to act on all of this craziness even though it is against my best interests!"

Q blinked, "You have interests?" he shot sarcastically.

Guinan went on ignoring the fast barb, "I ..don't have a continuum to enforce their will on me." Guinan snapped.  
"Beam me over to the Delta Flier where your Seven of Nine and physician are. I'll do the "exorcism" myself.."

Lady Q, "Ooooo, a genuine spook out, how divine. I haven't seen one of those since Regan spun her head all the way around."

OOC- (Reference to an American movie The Exorcist. heh.)

BIC-

Tuvok amazed all present by going along with Guinan's suggestion. "Transferring you to the Delta Flier...Now."

Guinan sighed as she waited for herself to be disembodied by the transporter. "At last..I'll be going somewhere the Q won't follow.."

Quince shouted, "That shuttle's offlimits only because the guillotine ghost's still free."

"Not for long if I can help it. It's "free" only as long as it has a living host to boss around. I am going to do a little ghostbusting. Only this time, I'm going to drop kick Jack the Ripper a little bit farther into space than Kirk did. Redjac's going to get a first class one way ticket.. into the Nekrit Expanse."  
she promised.

B'Elanna shivered, remembering Voyager's journey through such a dark, starless place. It had almost driven Janeway mad.

Guinan said, softly. "....boo...." to the four Q and they all jumped. Her laughter was carried away by the transporter beam.

============================

Guinan appeared in the shuttle making the nervous EMH flattened himself against the wall in reaction until he realized it was only a beam in.

"About time you got here. Seven's little cutting costar's already tried to slice and dice me five times already even though she's physically still out cold and bound."

"Not nice.." Guinan grinned and she started to laugh.

"What's so funny?" the EMH asked her.

"Nothing. Just remembering a dumb Q/Human word game. Let's get to work."

**SEE SOUND BITE ATTACHED**

-  
(attachments)

Image: Q with a facial tattoo.

Image: Q and Quince.

Image: Amanda Q's face, smiling.

*animated gif* The TOS Enterprise firing phasers

Gif: A banner in red words over stars on black, "No shuttlecraft was harmed during the making of this website."

Audio: Jadzia Dax- "You think they'd be tired of playing this game with us by now!"

*********************************************

END WEEK FORTY FOUR RECAP 11-19-01

WEEK FORTY FIVE RECAP 11-14-01

.com/voyagerliveaction Graphic Site.

.com/group/voyagerliveaction Writing Site.

***************************************

From : Jeff Seltun Subject : [voyagerliveaction] Deeper Bonds Date :Thu, 22 Nov 2001 09:25:21 -0800 (PST)

Captain Picard rolled over on his bed and felt uneasy. It was long before the goal he set for himself of an 0700 rising time. He lay in the dark of his quarters feeling uneasy and not knowing why. ::Where has this feeling come from?:: "Computer.. Ship's status."

##Full shields are raised. Red alert has been cancelled. There is a shuttle off the port bow. Operations reports the missing crewman from Voyager has been found,  
alive.##

"Well, that's good news." Picard grunted throwing off his maroon sheets and moving to the replicator.  
He went to his outer windows and looked out.  
The shuttle the computer had mentioned was there.  
"The Delta Flier...Hmm." Picard thought to himself.  
Seems like she's running on very low power.  
Computer. Scan the Delta Flier. Report."

##Two lifesigns on board. El Aurien and human.  
One hologram is manifesting as active.##

::Guinan? She's taking an action over there? I wonder why..:: He tried to see the windows of the small shuttle but failed miserably to see anything off the shining glare rising off Jupiter on its viewports. He thought he saw shadows move inside.  
"Now, is that Boothby or Voyager's holodoc over there?"

##The hologram on sensors is the Emergency Medical Hologram.##

Picard chuckled. His question hadn't been literal but he was glad to know that it wasn't Boothby.

He waited for the computer to finish.  
##The human lifesign is unconscious due to anesthesine.

Picard didn't like that at all. ::Jack the Ripper must have found another host then if that is true. And Voyager's officers must have dealt with it.::

On an impulse, Picard hit his combadge.  
=^=Picard to Guinan. Come in..=^=

Her reply was instantaneous.  
"Captain. We're fine. I sensed you were no longer sleeping a few minutes ago. What has disturbed you?"

"Never mind about that. How's the situation over there?"

Guinan nodded to the EMH bending over Seven of Nine sprawled on the carpetting of the Flier indicating that she would be finishing the conversation up front.  
The bar hostess dropped into the shuttle's seat,  
making sure the engine powerless shuttle kept near the two starships. No tractor had been utilized for fear of Redjac transferring itself along it and escaping. She went on. "Seven of Nine's in no immediate danger. But it's going to be tricky getting the entity out of her body's tissues. I may be able to coax it out using myself as bait."

Picard shot to his feet. "Guinan! I don't want you to take unnecessary risks! We already have one person effected. Having another is plain foolhardy."

=^=I am not going to do this lightly Captain. I've already analyzed Redjac's energetic matrix and its anaphasic energy. It's something to which my people are naturally resistant. I don't plan on being anyone's carnival show mass murderer..=^=

Jean Luc immediately relaxed, moving to his replicator and manually programming it for some Earl Grey.  
He took a sip, beginning to grow restless as he sat on the bed looking at the Delta Flier floating about two hundred meters away.

Guinan's voice went on, "Now.. tell me what has disturbed you. I know it isn't anything about Voyager."

Picard blinked, surprised yet again that his ship's hostess was so sensitive. "And I thought divining unrest was exclusively Counselor Troi's territory.."  
he said grinning.

"It is. I just know the sound of your voice when there's something you haven't yet quite grasped.  
Now, just finish that tea and tell me what it is."

Jean Luc startled with amusement and regarded the half empty teacup still in his hand. "How in the world did you know I was drinking a beverage?"

Guinan replied. "I can see you from here. I'm in the Flier's helm seat." she replied dryly. "I never claim to be telepathic, merely,.. a little time sensitive."

Picard laughed, "Far be it from me to dispute that.  
All right. I'll tell you my dream.. It's a place we've both been before."

Jean Luc heard Guinan's voice drop off to utter seriousness. "The Nexus.."

"Yes. Right first time.." Picard said, puzzled. "Although I'm not quite sure whether it was a figment of my imagination or-"

"It was real." Guinan said, "No one ever dreams of the Nexus in their sleep. It doesn't leave behind impressions that way in people's minds."

"What could it mean?" Picard said. "Last time I was there. I said hello and goodbye to Captain Kirk. An experience I have no wish to repeat.  
His death was not easy."

Guinan simply said. "It arrives in those areas of the universe that are troubled and in conflict. It is a natural stabilizer of cultures. Sweeping over those planets whose strife and pain are undermining their societies."

Jean Luc mused. "Or Q may be behind this.  
Bringing back the same ribbon which got Voyager home."

"I don't think so. I don't see them there."

Picard frowned at that reply. Then he remembered that part of Guinan stilled dwelled inside the Nexus and that the Guinan on the outside was acutely aware of her splinter self through her own race's innate time sense. "Keep tabs on it. As soon as you get a positional on its whereabouts, let both bridges know about it.  
And,, be careful with Seven. Captain Janeway worked very hard to save that woman. It would be tragic if she dies in sight of Earth."

"I understand." Guinan replied. "I'll com you the moment the doc and I see progress over here."

Picard nodded. "Picard out."

The Enterprise Captain retied his robe's tie a little tighter around his waist and he sat at his desk. It was 0600. Another hour before the time he set for himself to return to the bridge.

Sleep was out of the question with the Nexus "itch" still announcing itself inside his thoughts.  
"The ribbon better not be attracted to Enterprise or Voyager. Those storms at the border of it are nasty."

-  
(attachment)

Image : Picard and Guinan side by side.

*****************************

From : "Cory Anda" Subject : [voyagerliveaction] Contact Date :Thu, 22 Nov 2001 19:42:39 +0000

Chakotay stood in the sand, feeling it's nighttime warmth caress his toes with its sugar beach texture.  
"I don't care to repeat that encounter, Kathryn.  
Naomi came here? I don't call the dreamscape an ideal heaven."

Captain Janeway laughed as she brushed the beach from her garden skirt. "Shock's a funny thing. I didn't know our little assistant was psi positive. Something for the EMH to check out on a calmer day."  
and she smiled. "I'm worried about her. She had to have had absent lifesigns if we both saw her here."

Chakotay indicated the house and porch now showing a light that was inviting them. "I'm sure that wasn't for long. Bashir and the EMH were right there when she beamed to sickbay. Naomi's a fighter if she's anything like her mother."

Janeway relaxed and paced up the earthen path leading the way. "What do you say to that, Lancelot?"  
she invited her spirit guide gecko.

##Humans are fascinating.##

Kathryn laughed, "Now you sound like a Vulcan. Are you sure you don't have pointed ears anywhere under those scales?"

The gecko considered. ##What's a vulcan?##

"We'll drag Tuvok in here one of these days. I'm curious as to what spirit guide may come for him." Chakotay said ruefully.

##The one drawn to his emotions, Chakotay#  
Rahelon the hawk said.

"Does he have any?" A voice quipped.

Janeway and Chakotay whirled to find Quince suddenly walking with them up the stairs of the dreamscape porch.

"I'm not even going to dignify that insult with a reply."  
Janeway said.

"You just did my dear." Quince answered cooly. "Look.  
I'm not here to make any enemies today. Just to ask a question."

Chakotay and Janeway exchanged glances. ::A Q asking us a question? That's a first..::

Quince came right out with it. "Do you or do you not want the Continuum to effect the Nexus's current beeline into Sector 001?"

Janeway blanched. "So that," she pointed into the sky above the lake. "Is really close to Voyager?"

"In a way. Guinan's just realized it's here. But your crude ships sensors haven't yet detected it."

"But our minds have.." Chakotay said. "Why is that?"

Quince laughed. "Here is Paradise.. Shangri La delivered to your doorstep and Wilderness Boy here asks why..Oh the humor in it." He leaned in close, smacking his own forehead against Chakotay's and holding it there, his eyes, inches from Chakotay's. "Because there is much unhappiness here. The Nexus is a scythe. It slices away those elements that are truly chaotic and miserable.  
It's the universe's answer to a happy pill!! The Barmaid has guessed correctly. The ribbon's been drawn to the Earth system due to the aftermath of the war and the general chaotic emotions running through Star Fleet.  
Looks like Section 31's become a really big thorn in the side. So.. answer you two.. Do you want the continuum to check the ribbon's course?"

Janeway regarded Quince's face in the soft night darkness as it was illuminated by the hissing ribbon growing larger in her dreamscape realm sky. She missed the full moon up there. It's beauty and peaceful light. "No. We are on our own. Just like we were in the Delta Quadrant when the ribbon first came to us. We're being given another choice.  
Only this time. We are on firmer ground to decide what it does to us when it finally arrives."

Chakotay was silent, standing by his captain.  
Without a word, both he and she left the dreamscape realm, returning to their respective beds into wakefulness.

::It's 0600.:: Chakotay thought as he shed his clothes for a quick sonic shower. ::I'll eat before I go to the bridge.::

He cleaned himself quickly and dressed into a fresh uniform, waiting for any development to occur to get him there faster than Kathryn's ordered 0700 restart shift time.

-----------

Kathryn opened her eyes and immediately sat up,  
glancing around her quarters. Quince had not followed her. She could see the Enterprise and the Delta Flier both outside her viewport windows and was comforted.

"Well. at least Chakotay's up on things as much as I am. She said, making her way to the dresser for her silver brush."

==========================

Tom Paris handed off his newborn daughter Miral to his yeoman. "Would you take her please?" and he stepped down to his station replacing the lieutenant there. "Tuvok, I'm changing my mind. It's too quiet out there."

"What gives you that impression Mr. Paris?"  
The Vulcan asked the helmsman.

"Out there. Look. Just Jupiter, the Midas array,  
the Delta Flier and the Enterprise. It's too peaceful. Even the stars are twinkling funny."  
he joked afterwards.

Tuvok frowned in confusion then he dismissed the man's remark. "Sensors show nothing out of the ordinary, Mr. Paris. However, if you have evidence you've substantiated. I'd be willing to examine it."

"Call it a hunch. I'm sure Captain Janeway could explain such a feeling better than I can. She uses hers all the time."

"Captain Janeway is not here at the moment to do so. If any further "funny feelings" come to you.  
Let me know." Tuvok said.

Tom laughed whirling back to face the main viewscreen still showing black space and white stars. Then the hair on his hands and arms began to crawl in a very tantilizing way. He gasped.  
"It's back.."

Tuvok looked at Tom from the center seat.  
"Lieutenant?"

"I don't know about this Tuvok. But my skin's just started crawling like it did a month ago when that ribbon thing came knocking on our door. Not a creepy feeling, more like anticipation."  
Tom said.

Tuvok adjusted his sensors to their farther band.  
He toggled a switch. =^=Bridge to Mr. Barclay.  
Come in.=^=

"Uh,, yes.. Tuvok? I-I'm just grabbing some dinner.. What do you need?"

Tuvok rubbed his chin, thinking. "Is it possible to reconfigure the Midas array's sensors to scan for the Nexus ribbon of 2234?"

"The one that killed Kirk and and duplicated Guinan?"

"The very one. We have a hunch that it is back."

"I'll get right on it sir."

Tom saw the array in his lower eyesight readjust a few dishes and radars to sweep the sky. They oriented on a point dead ahead.

Barclay came over the comm again. "Uh, sir. How did you know? We're reading the Nexus incoming on the outer edge of the Kuyper Belt and heading for our sun."

"Please stand by Mr. Barclay. Stay in the messhall and enjoy your dinner. We'll keep you updated."  
Tuvok said.

Tom grumbled over his keyboards. "I hate it when I'm right."

There was still nothing on Voyager's viewscreen,  
Nor did her sensors confirm any contact.

But the way the array was aiming its myriad of screens and dishes gave the distinct impression that it had indeed something huge in its sights.

Tuvok relayed their situation to Enterprise and the Delta Flier.

-  
(attachments) :

Image: Chakotay in vision of city

Image: Janeway reads a book

Image: Nexus ribbon

******************************

From :"Clairissa Fox" Subject : When the Ribbon Happens To You Again Date : Fri, 23 Nov 2001 07:46:39 +0000

I remember waking up and mum was there over my bed. So was Dr Basheer.

Hi mum. Im ok. I just saw Auntie Kathy and Chakoty while I was away. I know better than to go to heaven like that.

I tried to sit but the doctor stopped me.

"Hang on, Naomi. You're not going anywhere.  
Your heart's still working on getting the rest of you fit to go." he said.

I looked around. Wheres Ginan? I dont see her here at all. And hows 7?

I saw Dr Basheer aim his scanner box at me and he smiled that smile grownups do when they dont know the answer to things.

"I won't lie to you Naomi Wildman. You have just as much right to know what's going on as we do about the whole situation. Seven's getting the best care we can give her."

I dont believe you I said very loud.

Dr. Bashir looked at his young patient with surprise."Really?"

I pushed away his scanner box when he tried to read my heart again. Yes. If you know what made 7 hurt me for sure. Youd have her better by now.

"These things take time. I'll admit, this entity has had far too much control over its own actions and those of your shipmates but nothing more will happen if any of us can prevent it.  
You know that Starfleet crew won't let harm to anyone continue."

I nodded. Yes. Were family. I looked at mum.  
I have to help 7. Shes my friend. Let me work at my station so I can do that.

Dr. Bashir studied the monitor one more time not happy with the little girl's early restlessness.  
"I'll allow you to study the situation with your mother ONLY IF.. you stay right here in your bed and remain lying down. I have to regenerate some damage you took being without fluid for so long."

Ok. Deal. Im tired anyway. Mum weve got to look in the library about the Ribbon. Its coming back here. I know I saw it over Auntie Kathy's pond.

"The "Ribbon"?" Dr. Bashir asked.

Yes. The nice place that can give you anything you want. Its coming where we are soon. I told him. Its that Necsus place.

Dr. Bashir looked worried. "The Nexus? I remember reading about it back at Deep Space Nine. Kirk encountered that, didn't he?"

Yes. The other Enterprise captain. And so did Ginan and Captain Pikard. They all got inside it before.

"How did you get to know so much? It's not showing on my sensors anywhere." the doctor said.

Its too far away. Our brains can see it before our eyes do. Don't worry. Auntie Kathy and Chakoty know it is there. They saw it over the lake. I said.

"Over a lake?"

Yes. In Auntie Kathys dream. The place where she meets her spirit guide.

"You imagined you went there?" Dr. Bashir asked. He began to wonder if the little girl had suffered a life after death experience.

I didnt make it up. It was real. Auntie Kathy and Chakoty saw me. I had wings that were white and I flew there. She told me I would get to get a spirit guide next time.

"I see." Bashir nodded, studying her. "Did anything else happen?"

No. All I know is that the ribbon is getting nearer and it can help us like it did the last time with all the bad people. Even Bad Jack inside 7.

The dark haired physician sighed. ::Ah, the early wisdom of the young. I hadn't thought up that angle.:: Bashir watched the girl push away his tricorder yet again as it got in her way in front of the computer screen she was watching.

I know! I know! Make Suspeeria free again from the transporter and Bad Jack will go back inside her like he was before.

"I can't authorize that Naomi. I'm just a guest granted special permission to work in sickbay."  
Dr. Bashir told her.

So tell the bridge that and let them do it.  
I waited for Dr Basheer or mum to do something to help 7 and the hollow doctor in the shuttle out there.

Dr. Bashir nodded slowly, thinking about Naomi Wildman's wild suggestion. Her mother was nodding too.

Finally, Dr. Bashir tapped his combadge and said.....

-  
(attachments)

Image: Seven and Naomi in shuttle

Image : Doc, suave looking.

Audio: Janeway- Janeway to Delta Flier,  
We have a problem.

From : "Katherine Bird" Subject : [voyagerliveaction] The Moral Fiber Date : Fri, 23 Nov 2001 08:07:00 +0000

Samantha Wildman was half way between worry and admiration for her little daughter. ::She's such a true soul to this crew.  
I can't disappoint her.::

She watched Julian send his message to Deck One.

=^=Dr. Bashir to the bridge. Our young patient has shared an intriguing proposal concerning Seven of Nine. She suggest we return Sospiria to her natural state and let Redjac roost there to free up Seven herself.=^=

Tuvok looked up from his report he was going over and said.  
"That is the most logical proposal to which I have come as well.  
Please thank Miss Naomi for her view. It adds precedent to our own.  
Tuvok out."

Sam watched her daughter beam from ear to ear and gave her a huge hug from where she lay on the biobed. "Now that was original thinking. I've proud of you."

Julian set down his tricorder. "Naomi's fine. I'm showing no permanent damage to her cerebral tissues from her massive hemorrhaging. Although she may get hungry within the next hour or so and want to sleep."

Samantha nodded, listening to his words. "I understand.  
I'm not going anywhere. I'd like to stay and keep an eye on her."

"By all means." Bashir said. "I've got some work to do in the holodoc's office. I think I need to read up a bit on this Nexus bearing down on us. " He stabbed a few controls. "Although, Voyager's sensors say nothing is there."

Sam frowned. "My daughter's not one to lie about something like this."

"I believe her wholeheartedly, Mrs. Wildman. Aspects of her description of it and the dreamscape are too real to dismiss. That is a mind power of observation I know is rooted always in the truth." He left, heading for the office.

Sam turned back to Naomi. "What can I get you from the replicator?"

-----------------------------------------

Julian sat in the EMH's office chair and opened a channel to the EMH on the Delta Flier. "Doctor. Are you making any progress?"

The holodoc looked at Guinan.

The bartender inclined her head calmly, "I am about ready to begin."

"Some. Guinan's almost ready to perform her own cure for Seven. "

Julian spoke quickly, "Guinan needn't risk herself doctor.  
Voyager's command officer is keen on using Redjac's original host, Sospiria, as bait to cast him out of Seven of Nine."

The EMH sighed. "Don't tell me Vulcan reasoning created that little solution gem."

"That and the thoughts of one very lucky little girl."

"Naomi?" Guinan asked to the ceiling of the shuttle into the comlink. "Is she all right?"

Julian reassured the holodoc and hostess. "She arrested for a short time due to hypoerythemia but reverted to normal after only a minute. Her mum's now dialing up a sundae for her as we speak."

Guinan was very relieved. "I am glad. No more lives should be given to that being. It has a place and time it belongs and I am going to find it."

The EMH was sarcastic. "How? By endangering Sospiria in the same manner as Seven?"

"No." Guinan reasoned calmly. "There's one thing I've learned about the Nexus. It's absolutely irresistible to those who are very unhappy. Redjac has never known a happy existence. I am sure when the ribbon arrives to our coordinates that he will go to it to end his painful ordeal trying to feed on beings in our own galaxy."

"That solves that pretty picture. But what of Komach and Section 31?" the EMH wanted to know.  
"We are still under cover from his long distance transporter of his."

Guinan looked very serious. "No one who's emotionally wounded can look into the Nexus and not be moved to stay. That is its purpose, to heal life itself. I've had a long time to think on it watching it work."

"Watching it work? I don't understand." Bashir said.

Guinan's eyes flashed a bit of the ribbon's calming fire within her irises. "A part of me, a shadow, if you will,  
is already there, inside of it. I did not leave it entirely when the passenger freighter Captain Stiles rescued came for me."

Julian regarded the two on his visual. "I don't pretend to be a very religious man. Quite the opposite for I cannot help but be a scientist first in my line of work.  
We can proceed on this course with corporealizing Sospiria once more. But we must let our ethics and moral standing guide us. If the Nexus is the healer of life. Surely we must be it's ultimate beneficiaries.  
Any action we take we must be able to live with afterwards."

Guinan said it all, "Then let's ask Enterprise and Voyager's crew both about it."

Julian said, "For that. We need all senior officer's in earshot. From the admiralty on board our one of our vessels, straight on down.."

Guinan hit her combadge opening a universal band to both Starships. She began to speak.

(attachments)

Image: The Wildmans

*****************************

From : "Roxy Dee" Subject : [voyagerliveaction] The Everlasting Dustbuster~~ Date : Fri, 23 Nov 2001 17:58:48 +0000

Geordi regarded B'Elanna Torres closely. "Listen. You just think about how we can find out Sospiria's current quantum state. No doubt the doc's going to have trouble getting Seven back to normal. And I highly doubt Guinan can do it on her own either. You work on that. I have a feeling your bridge will be forced to use the female caretaker as the jar she was to hold Redjac again. There's no easy solution to the problem."

LaForge moved to a Deck Fifteen computer console. "I have another idea concerning Section 31's illegal transporter. We have Leah Brahams warp trail streaming window technology, right?"

B'Elanna nodded, distracted by the work she was punching into her own terminal's touchpad.

"Well how about modifying its warp emissions locating beam to hone in on that transporter trace left over from Komach's beam? It can be done. I've already reconfigured these dionode relays to search particle decay. I can get back to the Astrometrics lab and call up the trace the window finds and map it to its terminator point and wham! We'll have where they're hiding it. I'll keep you posted on any progress.." he said, leaving the Voyager engineer behind on Deck Fifteen.

In minutes, he was in stellar cartography at Seven of Nine's tidy work station with a full spectrum view of constellations and space bodies surrounding the Sol system. "Ahh. Earth looks mighty fine from here. Now...where is that long distance transporter footprint he left behind? Hmmm."

He pressed a control and suddenly, a bright path shot from Voyager's simulated coordinates arcing around Saturn's rings on asteroids clearly housing signal relays until it came to end deep in the center of Luna's Mare Imbrum. "Got ya! What a perfect place to hide a clandestine transporter that's banned throughout the Federation. The nickle iron ore in that moon's sea is sensor resistant. Very clever."

He tightened the lab's map view to show only the effected crater. "It looks like there's a base down deep at least two kilometers. Wow. There's nothing showing on my sensors. I wonder if this lunar stronghold is where Section 31 originates? I barely found it with Leah's novel spatial window.."

Geordi tapped his combadge, =^=LaForge to the bridge. I think I have something. A definite base that isn't on any Starfleet map on Luna.=^=

Tuvok replied. "I will inform my commanding officers." he glanced down at his proximity screen to learn where the Enterprise engineer was. "I will send them to you as soon as possible. Tuvok out."

Geordi began to smile. "I feel a whole lot better looking into the bear's cave like this than cowering outside of it."

He finalized his overhead displays to have them ready for Voyager's command cluster when they came.

He opened a comm to Owen Paris. "Voyager to Admiral Paris. I think we've found something you should see. I need your expertise regarding some fine tuning, sir. Please report to astrometrics on Voyager." ::I dare not say anything more over a ship to ship comm. The eyes and ears of the Section may overhear the open space transmission and blow our advantage.::

Geordi LaForge waited for the kindly Starfleet Admiral to arrive by his side. His ship's status view showed Tuvok anticipating Geordi's need for Enterprise personnel for Voyager's shields lowered to allow beamings once more. "Now comes the fun part. A storm to this base to steal the transporter components and plans no doubt. I don't think the Q will want to play soldier there. Secret bases are a child's thing to them for sure."

--------------------------------

Harry Kim found it hard to concentrate. His place as Ops officer made him privy to the ship's communications flitting back and forth between the Delta Flier, Voyager and the Enterprise. He knew before most what was up. ::A Section 31 hidden base? Makes sense I suppose.::

But then Tuvok learned from the others about the Nexus ribbon arriving into their vicinity. He did not yet see it. ::But judging by the way Tom is reacting over there. It's got to be close. Funny, last time I didn't know it was there until I was inside of it at that crazy luau of Q's eating seafood."

Kim tracked where the captain was. She was in her quarters, enforcing her own order for downtime. It was twenty to seven. When she'd return to the bridge. ::I'd better have an option for them concerning this base Geordi's found when they ask.::

He left his Ops scans on passive towards that part of Earth's moon. He did not see the trail by which Geordi had discovered the Mare base but he did find evidence that the ancient frozen rock bed had been disturbed from below in the infrared spectrum. ::Clever, Section builders used a meteor strike cavern under the mantel in the sea without having a connection to the outside. Would have been easy to do all that with that transporter. Now. Just where would I put a transporter system down there and still be able to draw sunlight from the Mare's surface for power?::

Harry Him tackled the problem with his full concentration.

No doubt, things would happen very soon for both Starships.

He didn't have long to wait. A sensor klaxon warbled a lifesign contact hanging over the Mare. He silenced it and zoomed in on..."Quince. He's going to blow it for us. I know it. Of all the Q here, he's the one most likely to still play with toy soldiers. And the Section 31 base Geordi found will make the perfect battleground."

He comm'd Quince directly, getting Tuvok's attention to the situation. =^=Harry to Quince. I don't know what you're up too but that base may find out a fully uniformed biped is floating in their night sky.=^=

"Oh.. Did I forget my invisibility shield again. Silly me." Quince droned. "Kimmy boy, do be a dear and inform Amanda Q and et al where I've gone. They are going to want ringside seats for this one." and he placed an omnipotent ear on the dark airless sand of the sea to have a good listen. "Like angry wasps in the nest Harry. There's at least sixty humans in there surrounding your goal."

Tuvok had long since caught Harry's cue to pick up the Ops comm going on. "Discretion is warranted Q. I suggest you retreat before any impropriety on your part incites your Continuum's judgement."

Quince whirled, fingersnapping himself back into Chakotay's chair next to the Vulcan. "If you must know, myself and my esteemed colleagues are on legal lines right now I'll have you know. Us Q are the rightful custodians of the free floating little vacuum cleaner. The Nexus is the lawnmower in the grass of the universe. We ride it. Do you like the polish I've put on its storm front? Sort of looks like the Mountains of Gol on your world at dawn, Tuvvy boy."

Tuvok remained silent.

Quince noticed. "Oh. And here I thought your dear captain would want this part of her neighborhood cleaned now that she's home again. Nothing like sweeping the dirt out from under the carpetting!"

Tuvok ignored Quince's words as he saw the Q's fingers dance in the airless space around him as if conducting. Moving in a waltz matching Quince's silent symphony, the Nexus came full bloom onto Voyager's sensors arrowing for the moon.

-  
(attachments)

Gif: A Geordi standup.

Image: Galaxy with Earth and Moon vista.

Image: Harry and Tuvok in a briefing meeting.

Image: Roxann and baby.

****************************** From : "patti keiper" Subject : Riding Bronco Date : Sat, 24 Nov 2001 18:45:29 +0000

Q's ability to find other Q alerted him to another event. ::Oh, looks like Quince's going to play jockey to the Vacuum Cleaner. Dmn! Wish I'd thought of that.::

He watched as his QCollege counterpart teased the Nexus into the outer solar system with his baton.

And he flicked over to Quince floating over the Moon's Mare, watching his colleague listening like a cowboy to the sounds of the Section 31 base underneath the substrate. He snuck up on Quince and tapped his foot loudly.

Quince shot up so fast, he nearly sent himself into orbit until he flew back down. "Q! You scared the living daylights out of me. "

"Why?" Q asked. "These humans turned bad below here can't hurt you."

"No. But aren't you just a little bit jumpy, too? Redjac's just right over there..." he said pointing to the three bright specks of the two starships and the Delta Flier, floating side by side in the sky. "He's the one who can do major damage to us Q."

Q's face soured in disgust. "Yeah. I noticed. Looks like they might give Sospiria back to him to free the Borg Barbie."

"That's craziness.." Quince spat. "He'd have more freedom in that body and more power too."

"Don't you think I know that!" Q said. "Here we are, two of the most daring representatives of our race. Two of the only few who still poke their noses outside the Continuuum and we're as skittish as rabbits about him."

Quince sat with his butt in the sand. In the moon's low gravity a dustcloud rose slowly around him as he thought hard. "So I am taking steps. You see, me and the Dustbuster here are going to do a little spring solar system cleaning.."

Q crossed his arms in amusement. "You're falling back on the Nexus to solve your little quandary? Redjac's bad. He's mean and nasty. But that's what makes all this so fun..."

"It may be fun for you, Q. But I'm blue too. And that's a real bummer. I don't like being eyed up as a potential filet mignon. I don't like how it's effecting my feelings. I can't have any fun here even deep inside your favorite humans home territory..."

Q sat right next to Quince in the crunchy lunar dust. "So what are you doing here buddy. Nothing down there but Section 31's main roost." he said pointing downwards.

Quince said. "I overheard the humans talking about getting that faint making go hither thing out of mercenary hands."

"You mean the long distance transporter that stuns everyone when someone beams out?"

"Yep."

"Oh."

The two omnipotent beings sulked in silence for a time, letting the moon's airlessness float their hair around their faces.

Q sighed. "Well, I guess we could watch that. Nothing else on that's good." he said.

Quince nodded morosely. "I figured I wouldn't mow any butts with the Dustbuster until they get a chance to kick Section 31 butt on their own. I know how humans like to get revenge. That's almost Q like Q."

"I noticed." he grinned. "Don't know where my son is. I'm surprised he isn't here asking to take the reins of the Vacuum Cleaner himself to fix Earth's troubles and not to mention the Redjac stalking us all."

"Does he know how to drive Nexi?" Quince puzzled.

"Don't rightly know. He did have a stint with Picardy's Wesley and the Traveler for a month or so out of his mother's sight. He might have his Nexus license by now. I forgot to ask him." Q chuckled.

Quince grinned, "Would you allow your boy to take the Nexus for a whirl? It handles sweet. I'm bringing it nearer here right now."

"Are you kidding? A mere teenaged Q at the wheel? He'd not only vacuum the Earth System but he might just mow the Turtleheads too taking out all the hotheaded rebel types and then they wouldn't be any fun to torment anymore. Remember how we enjoyed making Kruge hunt Kirky. Don't put ideas into my son's head."

"Sorry. Sorry.. I just figured the boy would get a kick out of riding bronco on the Dustbust-"

"His father doesn't get a kick out of his riding bronco on the Dustbuster.. Kapesh?"

"As crystal." Quince said mousing up.

Then the ground under them began to rumble as something deep underground caused a vibration as a power network was turned on.

Quince placed a hand on the dirt. "Uh oh. Looks like the Section's gonna use that far gone transmove thing again."

"That's long distance transporter." Q corrected.

"I'm horrible with human machine names, Q. You know that. You understood what I meant."

"That's only because we've been rivals for so long." Q mumbled under his breath. "I wonder what's going to happen next?"

He noticed a Fleet made vent by his foot. He finger snapped away the lunar soil and uncovered a wall. "Hmmm." He opened a panel and saw glowing electronics under it. He took two wires and crossed them, intentionally. Red for Blue. "Let see if we can stir up the insurgent Section 31 wasps, shall we?"

Quince just laughed and waited for the show to begin.

-  
(attachments)

*animated gif* The Moon going through its monthly phases.

Image: Q sabotaguing a Starfleet panel.

*******************************

From : "Fran Catrair" Subject : Just What the Doctor Ordered Date : Sun, 25 Nov 2001 23:21:14 -0600

B'Elanna was so busy with her readings, she barely noticed Geordi's departure. Looking up and around her, she got a strange feeling; similar to a ghost walking through her, and shivered slightly.  
::This is crazy. I've been down here hundreds of times by myself!:: she thought, shaking her head. Chalking up the feeling to exhaustion, she decided to head on up to the bridge and continue her readings up there. She would be around people again. Plus, seeing Miral and Tom again would be helpful, she convinced herself, ever slightly.  
Smiling to herself, she assigned two ensigns to stay and clean up the area; conducting any necessary repairs and scans as needed. She made sure they would report any anomolies they might find to her attention.

Disembarking from the transporter onto the bridge, she noticed the varied activity. Tuvok was still in the command chair. Harry was at ops. Tom was at the conn. ::Ah, some things appear to be normal.:: she thought to herself. Except she noticed the appearance of a familiar Ribbon on the view screen. ::The Ribbon? What is THAT thing doing here?:: she thought, another shiver running through her.  
Tuvok nodded at her arrival on the bridge. "Good to see you, Lieutenant. Anything to report?"  
Before she could answer, Captain Janeway came onto the bridge. "Captain on the Bridge!" Tuvok announced.  
"At ease, Tuvok. I've read all the recent developments on the morning report." she stated, gesturing with the datapadd.  
Tuvok nodded to her, rising from the chair and moving to his tactical station. Janeway moved to the chair, sitting down, her hands now encompassing her coffee cup.  
B'Elanna looked at her and sighed. "Captain, what is Quince doing out there? Looks like something out of one of Tom's old Western serials to me." she concluded, looking over at Tom and giving him a slight smile and wink. ::And he thinks I never pay attention to any of his holo programs.:: she thought.  
Janeway frowned and shook her head. "I don't know, B'Elanna. I'm sure they have some plan, if I know the Q." Looking closer at her engineer, Janeway noticed her haggard appearance; how tired she looked. It had been a long time since she and Picard had had a rest. She wondered about B'Elanna. The woman had been through quite alot recently.  
Calling B'Elanna over to her, she lowered her voice and gave her a warm look. "B'Elanna, you look exhausted. Why don't you go; take Miral with you and rest for awhile. I promise I will call for you if anything happens." she concluded. She made sure Tom could hear the conversation from the conn, in case B'Elanna put up any resistance.  
Sighing, B'Elanna looked at her captain. ::I must be mellowing; I'm actually agreeing with this. In fact, she knew she was feeling more brain-fried lately. She had been having problems concentrating. Maybe rest and taking care of Miral was just what the doctor ordered:  
"All right, Captain. I know Commander LaForge has been working on the problem and has in fact tracked Section 31's beam to what may be their secret base. I request to be placed on any team that may go down to raid that base." she finished, staring resolutely at Janeway, her exhaustion gone for a brief moment.  
Captain Janeway nodded. She knew it was a matter of honor for B'Elanna to be in the party going down to the base. Komach had made some deep accusations against B'Elanna. Klingon pride warranted her being on any away mission there. "Granted."  
B'Elanna turned away from Janeway, a slight grin on her face. She headed over to Tom and Miral, who was sleeping peacefully beside him. "I must be becoming soft lately." she said to him, smiling sheepishly.  
"Nonsense. You're taking care of yourself. Nothing soft about that." he said, smiling warmly at her.  
"I know. Who would have ever thought that would happen?" she said. Leaning down in one smooth motion, she kissed Tom and picked up the carrier Miral was in.  
Straightening up and taking a last glance, she and Miral left the bridge.  
Back down in their quarters, she had finished feeding and changing Miral and had put her down to sleep. She got this funny feeling and a strange expression crossed her features. Frowning and shaking her head again, she crossed over into the sleeping chamber. ::I just need to rest for an hour or so.:: she thought to herself. She had forgotten the Ribbon, which was, in fact, just outside the window.

-  
(attachments)

Image: Torres in Engineering.

Image: Torres and Paris paying attention.

Image : The Nexus Ribbon.

**********************

END WEEK FORTY FIVE RECAP 11-26-01

.com/voyagerliveaction Graphic Site

.com/group/voyagerliveaction Writer's Site

WEEK FORTY SIX RECAP 11-24-01

.com/voyagerliveaction Graphic Site

.com/group/voyagerliveaction Writer's Site

*  
From : "Cory Anda" Subject : The Bent Arrow Date : Thu, 29 Nov 2001 08:12:37 +0000

Tom Paris grinned at B'Elanna's comment about Quince. "B'Elanna. I'm surprised you aren't thrilled to see what the Q are up to now. After all they've put us through, it would be a shame not to work up a little righteous anger for what they inadvertantly caused Naomi and the rest of us as of late."

Torres just sighed wearily and took Miral from the ensign. "Meet you later when you're off shift." she smiled.

"All right." Tom mumbled from his place at the helm. "I'll be angry for the both of us." and he mock spit into his palms.

From the center seat, Captain Janeway lifted her head, "That's enough of that.." she chided teasingly. "I don't know about all of you but Section 31 scares the h*ll out of me. Any organization with the power to utilize outlawed technology so broad scope across the whole of the Federation is one bird of prey to watch out for."

Tom replied softly, "Yeah, well, Voyager's not exactly a sparrow to get picked off so easily. Besides, we've got the weather on our side." he said grandly, turning up the magnification on the main viewer so it showed the approaching Nexus Ribbon looming larger on the screen in all of its measurable frequencied glory.

Tuvok missed Tom's remark, "Weather? Earth's moon hasn't had an atmosphere in millions of years. Aside from the occasional solar flare, there's no wind to speak of on the surface."

Janeway grinned into her coffee cup, keeping out of it. ::It's good my officers are bantering again. It's a sign that the worst of things is passing.::

Her head turned as the turbolift doors opened. Chakotay entered the bridge. He said down in his own chair to the captain's left nursing a similar steel mug in one hand and a datapadd in the other. The same things Janeway held in hers. "Rough waking up?" he quipped.

"Not especially." she replied. "I can't say I really slept at all except for our little jaunt in the dreamscape realm." she shifted her feet. "I swear I still feel beach sand in between my toes."

"The feeling's subjective." Chakotay laughed. "Call it a sympathetic residual left over as a passing gift from your spirit guide. They are sometimes slow to return back into the subconscious state."

Janeway looked askance at her first officer. "Don't tell me. Something else I have to learn as your Seconah?"

"The beginning of a lifetime of learning Kathryn."

"Good thing I'm a stubborn student then." she said, sipping her cup."I just hope I'll measure up."

"That stubborn streak got you this ship.." he teased. "Have to be quite the maverick to do that. And that kind of finesse is what a Tribe Seconah needs to have to honor Tribe Oral History along the clearest path possible."

Tom remarked again on the view on the big screen flaming in multi colored hues in front of his eyes. "Uh, hate to interrupt the lesson in native american apprenticeship practices but aren't we forgetting something?" and he pointed to the Nexus Ribbon writhing ever nearer.

Janeway and Chakotay fell silent.

Chakotay spoke up. "Are the Q's lifesigns still registering on the moon's surface?"

"Affirmative.." Harry Kim replied from Ops.

Tom confirmed the finding. "Oh yes. Right over a deep crater, Mare Imbrum. Wait a minute..." he checked his readings over carefully. "Q's just lifted a panel cover or something from the dirt and it looks like there's wiring from underground attached to it. He's just tampered with its connections."

Janeway and Chakotay both got to their feet. The burly first officer spoke, "I don't suppose you can buzz by over their heads to distract him. Last thing we need is for the Section to know we're onto them."

Tom grinned, "I'll give him a crewcut with our underside groove commander. Coming about one quarter impulse. Making it look like we're repositioning behind the Midas Array to shield ourselves from the Nexus's approach."

"Brownie points for ingenuity Mr. Paris. Make us Q's focus anyway you can." she ordered. Then she rubbed her forehead in irritation. "I can't believe I just said that. Running to Q?"

Chakotay answered, "Beats running from an entire base of angry fundementalists from that hidden base inside that crater. Better of two evils."

"Make that three evils." Tom cut in, "Guess who's coming to dinner?"

He flinched as Q, Quince and Amanda Q materialized on Voyager's bridge with starship exhaust whipped hairstyles on all of them.

Quince sputtered moon dust out of his eyes and fingersnapped a huge hair comb to get his couffeuire back in shape. "I thought your precious dictates prevent sonic booms in low orbit helmboy.." he snapped at Tom.

"Guessed my finger must have....slipped on the flight control Q.." he said, cracking his knuckles. "Sorry about that."

Quince. "You're not sorry enough. Spoiling our fun."

Janeway stood. "What kind of fun entails sabotaging an enemy base on the sly? I thought your Continuum forbade such action."

Quince harrumphed loud in his throat. "Not when it's the Section 31 rodents who burrow in the garden with that long distance transporter of theirs upsetting our experimental Species 8472 zoobiospheres.."

Chakotay tilted his head, "Zoobiospheres? With the 8472?"

Quince said, "Yeah, they make great chameleon playthings for our nova parties every week."

Q shoved Quince in the ribs to shut him up. "Exnay on the Oopits day.."

Before anyone could react to that snippet of daily Q life Tuvok's board registered a dreaded signature. "Captain. I'm detecting a sudden rise in psionics. It's the same sensors recorded when Admiral Komach escaped in the long distance transporter.."

"Shields up!" Janeway shouted.

Quince just sighed. "I'm afraid Q didn't cross wires for that thingy to go just right. You see he tweaked the beam to land on the second nearest target from the one their coordinates are programmed for."

Tom looked up in alarm. "If they're aiming for Voyager, the next closest place would be."

Quince nodded, "Uh huh.. The Midas Array."

Chakotay looked at Harry. "Ensign Kim. Warn Project Pathfinder that they are about to be boarded! Reginald Barclay. Report to the bridge immediately!!"

He watched the ensign frantically hail the Array backlit by the fast approaching Nexus Ribbon.

"On my way, sir.." he heard the man reply.

-  
(attachments):

Image: Janeway, Chakotay on bridge near Paris at the helm.

Image: Hayes on terminal, message incoming.

Image: Utopia Planetia station.

Image: Portrait of Barclay.

********************************

"Roxy Dee" Subject : Where it Hurts~~ Date : Thu, 29 Nov 2001 09:08:07 +0000

Chakotay looked at Harry. "Ensign Kim. Warn Project Pathfinder that they are about to be boarded! Reginald Barclay. Report to the bridge immediately!!"

He watched the ensign frantically hail the Array backlit by the fast approaching Nexus Ribbon.

"Trying sir!!" Kim answered back, but the feedback signal bouncing off the moon's having an impact.."

"Compensate!" Janeway shouted. "I want them to be forewarned!"

Harry Kim did everything in his power to coax his comm panel into life. ::Come on. Show me what a good little bundle of computer chips you are.. Work for me and I'll give you a complete overhaul.::

Static quieted into clear black air on the overhead. "We have it!! Channel Open. Voyager to Midas Array. Emergency. Long distance transporter beam en route to your location. Activate your defenses!!" Harry shouted.

All on the bridge tensely waited for a reply. "Nothing." Janeway said, "No doubt the beam's already knocked out all the scientists. Wake the Admiral, Harry."

"But he's on the Enterprise.." Kim stammered.

"Do it. Project Pathfinder's his baby, he's got a right to know if someone is attacking it." Janeway said. "I remember clearly how I felt finding my whole ship in a coma."

"Aye, ma'am. "

Harry reached Enterprise's bridge and got through to Captain Picard. Soon, the Admiral was on the main viewer, split screened from the forward view. "I have just heard, captain." Owen said to Janeway. "An ugly business. Our sensors over here are showing all are unconscious."

"It's an effect from the long distance transporter beam. As luck would have it. Geordi managed to locate what we think is Section 31's home, inside Luna. We haven't given away that we've discovered them."

"Good decision, Captain." Owen said. "No sense starting a conflict unnecessarily. A covert operation to take out their technological center powering that beam seems like an excellent idea."

"Already under way, admiral." Chakotay said, pointing to Tuvok to read the data he held in his padd. The Vulcan downloaded the information to his screen remotely.

Tuvok said, "We got Geordi's scans by using the theory of the static window as outlined by Leah Brahams. It was he who found the transporter origination point."

"Ironic that." Owen said, "The place targetted is the main home of the scientist who uncovered the location of the beam starting point."

Janeway grinned, "Serendipidity works in strange ways Admiral. What's next? My EMH is currently unavailable or I'd send him to the Array to access the inhabitants medical conditions."

"Still dealing with Jack the Ripper eh? Sort of like what I used to put up with my son when he hit his teenaged years."

Tom Paris blinked. "Dad..." he complained.

"Just making sure you're paying attention son. You haven't had the sleep I had in the last few days. Even your captain's managed to take a break.." he said critically.

Tom nodded grudgingly.

Harry reported more. "I'm reading only one lifesign awake on the Array. Looks like its Admiral Komach himself."

All the Q booed and hissed from the sidelines on Voyager's bridge.

Reginald Barclay shot out of the turbolift and he stood in front of the command chairs, "Captain Janeway. I've been monitoring the situation from my tricorder. Uh, it's rigged into the Array's own internal sensors. I've already reconfigured the Array's power grid remotely to contain that lifesign and block any return beaming on his part. H-He's not going anywhere."

"Good." Geordi LaForge said from his place in stellar cartography. He was linked with both the starship bridges and was up on details. Harry toggled his face to tristripe the main viewer images. "I was just ready to suggest that course of action. Nice going Reg."

Reg inclined his head shyly. "Uh, captain. You might want to assign an away detail to the Array. I also suggest beaming the Delta Flier into one of the Array's cargo holds. I can establish that same trionic shielding around it to contain Redjac should he decided to leave Seven of Nine."

"Do it." Janeway said.

Reg and Geordi conferred briefly and the Delta Flier was sent into the cargohold.

Harry comm'd the EMH there. "Voyager to the Delta Flier. Change of plans, doctor. We've sent you to the Midas Array. It's been hit with the Section's long distance transporter. Reading multiple stressed lifesigns on board."

The holodoctor's voice came overhead, "Well, well, well. I suppose I'm to kill two birds with one stone is it?"

Janeway replied, "You got that right. Get on it doctor. Barclay assures me the Array's beefed shielding will contain the entity as well as open space can."

"Famous last words.." came the terse reply. "I'm leaving Guinan here with Seven of Nine. I don't want her alone still sedated."

"Understood."

Geordi piped up, "Listen..captains... and admiral." he added. "If we're going to go to the Midas Array to deal with Komach. I'd like to come along. Reg and I can best shore up its main power systems before the Nexus hits. Unlike Voyager and the Enterprise, the Array won't be able to get away."

"Granted." Picard answered quickly.

"I can use an engineer. Several if I can find them." Admiral Paris said, motioning for a young Enterprise crewman to outfit him with a hand held phaser.

"You got them." Janeway said, she tapped her combadge. "Lt. Torres. Report to the transporter room. We've an away mission to the Midas Array." She also pointed to Reg and Chakotay. "Go with Geordi LaForge and anyone else Captain Picard sends over. I want to know what's happening over there." she said. "Before the next "wave" hits." she said of the Nexus on her screen.

"Aye." "Understood."

She watched the officers around her kick into high gear.

--------------------

(attachments)

Image: Harry in front of a purple Lcars display.

Image: Geordi's face in close up.

*animated gif* - Four captains- For the best

***************************************

From : Jeff Seltun Subject : The Purging Process Begins Date : Fri, 30 Nov 2001 00:33:54 -0800 (PST)

Captain Picard entered his bridge a short time after the auto computer sentry informed him that there was a hail for Admiral Paris from Janeway. He quickly changed into his duty uniform and went to the command deck.

"Admiral." he greeted Owen.

"There's been some developments. The Q have been snooping around a discovery made by your engineer, Geordi LaForge. He found Section 31's hideaway inside Luna using the same technology which brought Sospiria here from the Delta Quadrant."

"Now that's innovative. Where's Mr. LaForge now?"  
Jean Luc asked the older man.

"He's in Voyager's stellar cartography lab. A second problem has arisen. The Q have meddled with the Section's transporting systems and have caused their long distance beam's targetting emitters to miss their mark. Apparently,  
Komach's beamed to the Midas Array as a result. All my scientists are out cold now due to the transporter's side effects like what Voyager's crew suffered when he escaped there.  
Janeway's authorized an away mission to the Array to capture Komach and stabilize the Array's functions before the Nexus reaches the solar system. So far no indication that Section 31 knows we have found their point of origin." Owen reported.

Picard studied the tactical image on the screen.  
"The Delta Flier's gone."

"She's in the Array. Voyager's EMH was sent in to deal with my unconscious scientists."  
Paris added.

"And Sospiria?"

"Still in Voyager's transporter buffers. Guinan has not yet given the go ahead to purge Seven of Nine from the Redjac entity back into Sospiria. We're waiting to hear from her."

Picard grinned. "So, admiral. You've had a busy night so far. Perhaps I should take you on to command Enterprise more often."

"Project Pathfinder pays better. Thanks but no thanks.  
The conn is yours captain." Owen replied.

The Enterprise captain sat in his chair and took the duty log from the bridge yeoman. It outlined who Janeway ordered to her away mission. ::Chakotay,  
Geordi, Mr. Barclay, Lt. Torres... Hmm. I can add more here. The more backup to the Array, the better.::

He contacted Janeway. "Captain. I'm up to speed.  
I trust the Q are behaving themselves now.."

"For the moment." Janeway said appearing on Enterprise's view screen. "I had my helm officer get their attention.  
They're all here. No sign of Lady Q or Q's son yet. I don't like it. They may be meddling in something of their own we don't yet know about." she set down her mug. "Care to add to the away team?"

"Yes. I'm assigning Mr. Data and a security team to handle Komach." he said.

He watched as the android smoothly left for the transporter room.

Janeway nodded, " Barclay's used the Array's defenses to imprison him in a forcefield so far and has blocked out any further beams from Section 31. They won't be able to retrieve him."

"Once we have him, what then captain?" Picard asked.

"First things first. I want to neutralize Redjac. I'll commandeer that long distance transporter of the Section's to send both it and Sospiria back to the Delta Quadrant if I have to. But I have a feeling the returning Nexus will do us a favor by solving all of our problems."

Picard began to smile. "Oh? Counting on the ribbon's Shan Gri La quality to draw off the bad elements inside Section 31 and from Seven of Nine?"

"Yes, actually. It's an idea that I'm afraid to admit that I like. There seems to be no other neat and tidy answer to solve all of our problems." she said. "Quince was the one to fling the Nexus back our way captain."

"Trust Q to fix everything on his own time.." Picard said.

"I heard that!!" Quince interjected from the background.

Jean Luc spoke over him. "Fine. Then continue doing so by going on the away mission with the team we're sending over to the Midas Array."

Both Janeway and Picard enjoyed the look of being out maneuvered spring up on all the Qs' faces.

-------------------------------------------

On the Delta Flier, Guinan noticed a change in the light. She looked up from where she was crouching over Seven of Nine. "We've been moved."

"Yes." The EMH answered her. "Komach's come knocking on the Midas Array. The Section's long distance transporter has put everyone there into dreamland. I'm to revive them before the starships send over their away teams. Help me with her."

Guinan took Seven's feet and she and the holodoc carried Seven of Nine to a long couch in the back of the Delta Flier.  
They set her down and the hologram activated the medical sensor above her. Her lifesigns gave no indication of the malevolent presence of Jack the Ripper inside of her.

Guinan angled her head. Her voice was soft. "He's quiet for now. I don't feel his hunger. A dangerous sign. We can't wait doctor. No matter what, we need Sospiria here, intact, to hold him until the Nexus reaches us all. Only she will keep him near safely for she is the host he is most accustomed to."

"I agree. But we still haven't determined whether or not Sospiria was still alive carrying him from the Delta Quadrant, or dead."

Guinan said grimly, tapping her combadge. "Only one way to find out and I'll do that in a moment. Go doctor.  
Go out there and awaken the scientists. They need you."

"But..."

"No questions. I'll be fine. I know the extent of my limits. I can resist Redjac for a while longer. Now go.."

Reluctantly, the EMH walked through the shuttle wall with his medkit. Through the windshield, Guinan could see him kneeling by the scientists out in the receiving bay, reviving them with hyposprays.

She tapped her combadge.  
"Delta Flier to Voyager. It's time. We can't wait any longer. Redjac's grown stronger. He may soon be able to do real harm to Seven despite my natural abilities. Rematerialize Sospiria to my coordinates."

=^=Understood.=^= Janeway answered the bar hostess.

A sparkling carpet of light came into being at floor level.  
The female Caretaker's form appeared stretched out there and lying still. Guinan felt her throat. "You were right, doctor." she said to herself. "Sospiria was never alive on Voyager. This corpse has been dead for days." Guinan raised her fingers into a defensive move. "But Redjac can still use her.  
I hope I guessed my own strength correctly."

Very soon,Seven of Nine's eyes opened and the blue glow inside of them faded.

A red bolt shot from the exBorg into Sospiria.

"Computer! Erect a forcefield around Seven to protect her from repossession!"

The shuttle's computer system needed no further encouragement. The moment Seven's body showed an absence of anaphasic energy it did so.

##Containment field established.##

Seven began to moan and awaken. Guinan hushed her with motions as she sat up groggily.

Sospiria/Redjac rose from the carpetting.  
##Your puny attempts to contain me further will fail.  
Release me! I must feed elsewhere. This one tastes bad.## it said of Seven of Nine.

Guinan felt the entity probe the field Barclay had erected around the Delta Flier. It made Sospiria's hands feel the shuttle walls for a gap in the second energy field surrounding the tiny ship. ::Barclay. I hope you know this Array's functioning as well as you think you do:  
"Not a chance. Two deaths are two too many in my book." Guinan said with hostility. ::I remember how the ensign died and how her skeleton was used to terrify Voyager's bridge officers.::

Sospira smiled. ##Your bravado is impressive preything. But I can feel your defenses crumbling. How much longer can you prevent yourself from becoming my next feeding?##

"As long as it takes.." Guinan whispered.

-  
(attachments)  
Image: Picard card.

Image: Sospiria portrait.

Image: An 8472 eye.

*******************

From :"Clairissa Fox" Subject : [voyagerliveaction] Getting Bridge Duty! Date : Sun, 02 Dec 2001 23:43:57 +0000

I was feeling better. The sundae mum had given me had a lot of chocolate in it. And Councillor Troi said that chocolate always made her feel better and that's why I tried it now.

I missed Councillor Troi. She went back to Starfleet when all the party guests at Voyagers homecoming had to leave when Sospeeria came on board to keep them safe.

But I heard Ginan talking to Dr Basheer. She had said that the care taker lady might not even be alive! I had never heard that before and it was a little scary. Like what happened to the ensign whos bones were taken out. So I tried to just do my work as a captains assistant and help out.

Dr Basheer! Dr Basheer! Hows 7 doing? I dont see the shuttle any more. Where did she go?

"Not to worry Naomi. There's some people on the Array next to us who needed the holodoc to wake them up. Guinan's managed to free your friend and she's going to be fine. My sensors show Seven is ok now." the learned physician told the little girl.

What happened to those people?

"Admiral Komach visited using his organization's long placement transporter to go there and the backlash knocked out all the scientists there like it did over here for us yesterday." Bashir replied honestly.

I remembered that day. Auntie Kathy was trying to talk to Sospeeria not knowing that Bad Jack was inside of her inside the stars lab when Queue made Komack visit the ship. He got away and that beam made me and everybody faint!

I dont want that to happen again. What can I do to help?

"There's nothing we can do really, Naomi." Bashir smiled. Then he reconsidered. "I know. Why don't you help me take care of John Torres? He's still recovering from his treatment. Your mother could help you.." he smiled at Samantha Wildman cleaning up the two sundaes she and her daughter had shared.

I will! I will! Am I better enough to leave bed?

"You are. Just don't overdo it or you might sprout a pair of wings again.." Bashir teased.

I looked behind myself at my back but I didnt see any. Thats funny. I cant get them any more. My hearts going.

I took mums hand and led her to where John Torres was sitting. He looked a lot better than he did before. I guess it helps by having a doctor really figure things out for once and fixes it. I said.

Mum laughed.

John! John! Arent you worried about Belanna going over to the Array? There might be bad guys over there.

"Not especially, Naomi. My daughter's a Klingon and she's made of tough stuff. Not much can get by her to do any kind of harm. That I know for sure." the older Torres said.

Do you want me to get you some food? Im all better myself now. Dr Basheer fixed me. He did you too while you were sleeping in your bed.

"I'm cured?" the older man said in surprise.

Dr. Bashir stepped over from across the room and nodded. "Those medical reports you told me about weren't specific enough on their tests to make that supposed terminal diagnosis of yours. I found the real culprit and corrected it. You can expect to live another 60 years or so."

John sighed. "Does B'Elanna know about this?"

"I sent her an abbreviated news to her mailer in her quarters. If she doesn't already know, she will soon enough."

John Torres sighed. "You have know idea how relieved I am."

"Course I do." Bashir said ironically. "I'm reading it right here." he joked pointing to the overhead medical monitor board over the man's bed. He switched it off. "Get something to eat. Naomi's right about that part."

"Where's Leah Brahams?" the older man asked the doctor.

"I think she's in stellar cartography with Geordi LaForge. I'd be surprised if she wasn't. Why? You need to see her?"

"No doctor. I...just sympathize with her immensely. I know how I'd feel if one of my inventions caused an entity like Jack the Ripper access to my home system on a killing spree."

"Don't worry about that Mr. Torres. Seven's been freed and Guinan's handling him right now." Bashir updated.

I went up to Dr Basheer. Can Ginan do that? Will she keep from getting taken over like what happened to my friend 7?

"That she can. She's over six hundred years old.." said Bashir.

Wow. Thats old. Then I looked up at mum. "Come on mum. Lets go to the bridge so you can get to your station. Auntie Kathy wants us to help watch the shuttle, kay?"

Bashir seemed surprised. "How did you find out about that order?"

I got a message on my computer. See? And I turned my beds telly to show all the grownups. I read the letter out loud to everyone there.

Naomi. Glad to know you are well. Have yourself and your mother report to the bridge as soon as possible. I'll need the two of you to monitor the shuttle while Harry and I watch the away team's progress. Captain Janeway.

See? Lets go. So mum and I left. I shouted to John before I got too far away. Get an icecream. Theyre good today!

-  
(attachments)

Image : A full length Naomi shot, very serious pose.

Audio: Naomi Wildman- Computer, end program!

***********************************

From : "Katherine Bird" Subject : Secrets Revealed Date : Mon, 03 Dec 2001 01:53:59 +0000

Samantha Wildman didn't know what to expect on Deck One. Captain Janeway was standing before the viewscreen having just signed off the moment the turbolift doors opened for them.

"Captain. " Samantha said making her way and hushing her daughter to the Ops station near Harry Kim.

Chakotay wasn't present. ::Perhaps the captain included him on the away mission.::

Janeway looked at her. "Sam, glad you're here. Naomi, nice to be back on your feet, isn't it? Good thing, too. There's a task I'd like both of you to perform."

Sam called up the captain's ready report and saw that Chakotay, Reginald Barclay, and B'Elanna Torres from Voyager were tagged as offship away team and reporting for duty to the transporter room. Geordi LaForge had already left the stellar laboratory and was headed there too.

B'Elanna Torres had yet to report in from her quarters.

Samantha glanced up from the computer screen. "I'm fully up on your report captain. You've assigned an away mission of four officers to go with Admiral Paris to the Midas Array to make her ready to handle the Ribbon when it arrives and to deal with Komach who's been isolated by the station computer within a forcefield. Naomi tells me that you want us to monitor the situation in the Delta Flier to keep tabs on Guinan, Seven and Sospiria."

Janeway smiled. "Quick as ever. Now I know why Noami makes such a great captain's assistant. She gets it from her mother. You would've made a great bridge officer."

Samantha smiled. "The sciences are my life's blood. They have been so for as long as I can remember. Tuvok might understand my feelings on the matter." she teased.

"Your feelings Ensign Wildman?" the tall dark Vulcan commented. "If you're referring to your suitability to the same department I serve, then your observation about me concerning you is correct."

Kathryn and Samantha laughed.

Janeway walked over to Noami and peeked at her back, in mock scrutiny.

The little girl raised her brow, "Don't worry. The wings didn't follow me." she said quite seriously.

Q piped up from his chair. "I could remedy that."

Janeway glared at her stowaway Q contingent, all three of them present at the moment.. "Ah. ah. ah." she chided with a finger. "Non interference, remember? No Section 31 here to sanctify any fingersnapping actions on your part now is there?"

Quince, Amanda, Q grumbled into silence.

Q2 appeared on the scene with a look of excitement, popping into existence. "Hey dad. You'll never guess what I found.." he began.

Janeway stuck a finger at Q's son's face too. "That goes for you too. Whatever it is can wait." she said before crouching by Naomi's side.

Q's son scratched his head, "What's her problem?" he asked Q pointed at the Voyager captain.

Q said, "Ephemerality complex. She's grown tired of our constant dazzling displays of omnipotence."

Q2 sat in Chakotay's vacant chair and threw his legs over the arm rest. He caught a disapproving stare from Tuvok but the Vulcan chose to do nothing about it. "Dad. They've done it. Ol Redjac's back in the stiff's form and stuck! Isn't that peachy? Nothing like a mass murderer with his hands tied."

Quince stroked his chin thoughtfully. "I wonder how long Guinan can keep him at bay from herself. Might be an important thing for the Continuum to learn about her kind."

Samantha got mad. "Oh bother! Is that all you Q are good for?! Analyzing and probing us poor humans for their characteristics? Why don't you have a noble cause to act decently within like the rest of us?"

Q2 laughed. "Oh look, the assistant's mum is getting all saintly now. How cute." He rose and went over to Ops. Harry got out of his way.

Q watched his son folding his arms wondering with a grin what he was up to.

Q2 called up a screen that didn't belong to anything Voyager contained. It was of the same effusive stuff the items Janeway saw in the Continuum on her last visit seemed to be. "This is a news vid into the Continuum. It shows our true purpose around the universe. A lot has happened since the civil war we fought amongst ourselves over the possibility of my birth from a human."

Janeway looked away in remembered uncomfortableness. "Q's seduction of me didn't succeed Q." she said to Q2.

"Exactly! Dad's side won the war. But we didn't return to the humdrum boredom of having done everything and seen everything like most of us suffered at the desert waystation you visited Kathy. No, we found a new lot in life. The high hobby of making sure you lesser folks all behave in ways that didn't infringe on Continuum territory. Section 31, unfortunately, is stepping on Q toes. So we created the Nexus to deal with that."

Samantha frowned, "The Nexus's been around for nearly two hundred years. It effected events that led directly to James Kirk's death. You mean to tell us that Section 31's been around for that long?"

Quince laughed. "Yes. Don't you remember Gary Seven and his feline counterpart? He's the Section's source of inspiration. Not directly. The man never even knew them. It was his records in Starfleet reports that earned their devotion and attentions. His exploits and abilities were models for Section 31 founders."

Janeway said. "I don't believe it."

Quince scoffed. "Don't believe what Kathy? That a paper pushing report from one of your heroes, James Kirky, is the Rosetta Stone for Section 31? Believe it. It's a very small universe."

Samantha Wildman was very curious. She called up Captain Kirk's report from history about his adventure with Gary Seven and paled. "Captain." she said to Janeway. "A long distance transporter is mentioned here."

Q2 nodded."Yes. Why so it is. The Section used the coordinates of its triangulation path discovered by the original Enterprise crew to learn its whereabouts. They found one of Gary Seven's old abandoned hideaways and stole its transporting secrets. It only took 90 years for them to get it right. Deep Space Nine was the first to feel Section 31's new powers with it."

Janeway sat down in her chair, all implications sinking in "And then us.. when the crew was knocked into comas following Komach's escape."

Samantha looked at her captain. "Now what do we do?"

-  
(attachment)

Image: Sam Wildman looking at a computer screen.

*  
From : "Samantha Rose" Subject : [voyagerliveaction] A Long Day Date : Mon, 03 Dec 2001 02:57:50 +0000

After checking in on little Naomi for the last time, Q2 used his Q senses to find the rest of the Q. He found his father,  
Quince, and Amanda on the bridge sidelines watching the events unfolding. He popped in right next to Amanda and grabbed a small handful of the popcorn she held. She looked up at the teen and smiled.

"Well well well, if it isn't the little Q-Ball. Come to watch the fun?" Quince leaned forward from his position on the other side of Amanda to look at Q2. The boy just shook his head and watched the goings on. Slowly but surely, the young Q was slipping back into the old routine...sort of.

After a few moments, Naomi walked onto the bridge with her mother. The little girl looked over to where the Q sat and waved at Q2. He smiled and waved back, glad to see her well,  
and on her feet again.

Q2 watched the Wildman pair walk over to the Captain. Janeway was also very happy to see Naomi up and about. The trio talked briefly and then Naomi and her mother went over to an unoccupied station to monitor the shuttle.

The shuttle...Q2 had just noticed that the Delta Flyer was no longer on Voyager's viewscreen. Standing, he walked up to the Ops console and looked over Kim's shoulder. Harry looked up at the Q briefly and went back to his work of monitoring the Away Team.

Q2 deciphered the data and found that the shuttle was inside one of the cargo holds on the Midas Array. His eyes followed the little blips on the view screen that represented the Away Team. They had broken up into two groups. One group was heading towards Komach, the only humanoid whose lifesigns registered as counscious. The other group was finishing treating all of the knocked out officers.

"How did Komach get onto that oversized satellite dish?" Q2 looked over at Voyager's Ops officer with question.

"Section 31's long range transporter. He knocked out all of the Science officers on board in the process." Harry Kim nevered looked up from his work as he answered the youngest Q.

Q2 looked over at his Aunt Kathy. Captain Janeway was also monitoring the Away Team's progress through her tie in with the Ops console. There didn't seem to be much going on action wise and there was something that Q2 had been meaning to tell the Captain.

Taking a deep breath, Q2 left Kim's side and walked down the small set of steps that led to the small command center on Voyager's bridge. He sat himself in Chakotay's vacant chair and waited for Janeway to notice him. It didn't take long and soon she was leaning over in her chair looking at Q.

"A-aunt Kathy?"

"Yes?"

"I-I just wanted to say...I'm sorry," Janeway gives him a puzzling look, "I'm sorry for any trouble that the other Q may have caused, that I may have caused." the last few words came out quickly and Q2 looked down at his Starfleet issue Q-boots. He didn't see it, but Janeway was smiling. She placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You haven't done anything wrong, infact you've a lot of good since you came on board. The Q on the other hand..." she nodded in the direction of the Q enterouge chatting animatedly. The teen looked from the small group back to his Aunt Kathy.

"I don't understand." he shook his head.

"What I am trying to say is that even though you are Q,  
doesn't mean that you follow their ways entirely. You may "galavant" across the galaxy, but that is normal for a Q your age." Kathryn smiles before continuing, "You're not like the other Q from what I've seen."

"All you've seen is someone who disobeyed orders and that almost got Icheb killed..." Q2 trailed off as he remembered the incident not to long ago.

"Yes, but I have also seen someone who just saved a little girl's life. To me, that is very un Q-like, but a very good thing." the Captain squeezed Q2's shoulder affectionally. Q2 smiled and nodded to his Aunt Kathy and stood up.

"Thanks Aunt Kathy."

"Anytime, Q."

Janeway gave Q2 one last smile as he turned to walk away. He headed back over to where the other Q were and sat back down next to Amanda.

_  
(attachments)

Image : John DeLancie as Q collage on a starfield. Nice.

*animated gif* A spinning UPF logo in blue and silver.

***********************************

From : "Fran Catrair" Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Through the Looking Glass Date: Monday December 3, 2001 02:27:18 0600 GMT

TANDEM POSTING between 'Patti Keiper' () and 'Fran Catrair' () via Hotmail Instant Messenger Service.

CHARACTERS INVOLVED:  
Q Lady Q Q2 (Very briefly, Sam)  
B'Elanna Torres Tom Paris (briefly)  
FREE USE:  
Quince Amanda Q Janeway John Torres

B'Elanna sleepily rubbed sleep out of her eyes upon hearing Captain Janeway's call to report for the away mission. She did feel alot more refreshed and ready for action.  
Upon taking a quick sonic shower, B'Elanna glanced worriedly at Miral. She knew she couldn't leave her daughter unattended; she and Tom would both be busy with the varous rapid developments going on aboard ship.  
Frowning in concentration, she noticed the incoming messages display on their terminal. Upon browsing the various messages, a smile pursed her lips at the reading of the final message. Her father, John Torres, was awake and moving around in sickbay, showing no ill effects from his recent illness. However, Dr. Bashir wanted to be sure he took it easy for a few days; and would keep him in quarters nearby sickbay. After making sure Miral was fed and changed, she quickly finished gathering up a few items for the away mission, grabbing her daughter's carrier and heading toward sickbay.  
Upon entering sickbay, she noticed Dr. Bashir and her father look at her. "Look, father...I'm sorry...but I need to head off on this mission. And, Tom's real busy, too...would you mind looking after her for awhile?"

John looked at her and smiled. "Of course not, 'Lanna. I always welcome the opportunity to spend time with my granddaughter." he finished, cooing at Miral and looking up at his daughter.  
"Thank you. She's been fed and changed. She should be fine until we get back." she continued, fidgeting nervously.  
"We'll be fine. Go, 'Lanna. And, be careful." he said, smiling warmly at her.  
B'Elanna quickly hit her comm badge. =^=Torres to Paris.=^= =^=Go ahead, B'Elanna.=^= she heard her husband's smooth voice in reply. =^=Just wanted to inform you that father is looking after Miral. He's still recovering in sickbay.=^= =^=Acknowledged. Thank you, B'Elanna. Be careful. Paris out.=^= he responded.  
With that, B'Elanna turned gratefully and headed out the door. She had a score to settle with Section 31, and she intended to do it.

"And there we have it. The stage is set." Q said grandly after getting a little teary eyed that his son had learned from his beloved humans a lesson he could only begin to comprehend.  
::Compassion. I'll never get it. I know he apologized to Kathy for something important. I just don't know why he did it:  
But deep down inside, he did. To cover the lump in his omnipotent throat, he went on. "We now have a little backhistory to confront Komachy once we get there." he said, pointing out the viewscreen to the Midas Array looming there.

Quince stared at Q. "Haven't you been listening? The away team is already there, Q. They've split up. One group by him and the other..oh, I don't know.. Doing that shield modification thingy to get set for the Vacuum Cleaner's arrival.."

"They already beamed over? I must be slipping.." Q said.

Quince laughed. "You're missing your Lady buddy. Part of the consequences of having such a ball and chain. Ever since you got "hitched" you haven't been as you were..." he said waggling a finger.

At that moment, as if on cue, Lady Q appeared on the bridge, looking sort of dazed. She had no idea what was going on. All she remembered was needing a break after the very close encounter with that entity creature. Brushing herself off, she glared at Q. "You really need to stop disappearing on me like this, husband of mine."

"I'm not disappearing.. you're constantly lagging behind. " Q mumbled under his breath. "I just wish your tongue would learn the same trick once in a while."  
Q suddenly didn't have an appetite for Amanda's popcorn.  
He had forgotten how omnipotent his mate's ears really were.

"Me?" She glared at him once again. "I hardly arrive someplace and YOU disappear on me! I would almost get the impression you're avoiding me. What's the matter, Q, afraid I'll catch you doing something you shouldn't be? she finshed, her eyes dancing in fury.

"Well.. I did try to get your son here to hotrod the Nexus into the solar system. That's a wild ride no teenager of mine should miss. The vacuum cleaner's aiming for the..." he held up measuring fingers to the viewscreen.. "..Moon! Perfect!"

Lady Q was momentarily distracted. "Moon? Perfect? Just what in the world are you up to, Q? Aren't you two in enough trouble with the continuum as it is?" she finished, worriedly glancing between her husband and her son.

"Me? Haven't you forgotten our side vendetta about Section 31? We have to rid them from the Q gardens..before that annoying vermin spoils our human sandbox." he looked to his favorite captain. "Sorry Kathy. but I have to explain it to her using Lady Q's own terms."

At the mention of the continuum, Quince perked up immediately and interjected himself into the conversation. "Yes, you ARE still in trouble, you know, Q. You really DO need to be careful you know..."

At the mention of Section 31, Lady Q once again forgot her family problems. "Section 31? I thought that situation had been handled a generation ago."

Q turned to Lady Q and took her hand gently.  
"See Bumpkins? The proof outs. You ARE lagging." He turned to Quince. "In trouble with the continuum still? No really? I want to hear this.." Q said with interest. "Quince. Do tell. Go on with your particular usually quirky line of thinking.. It was your false "joking" that made my son powerless. Not the Continuum. It was you in a prank, remember? I almost beat you to death if it weren't for my twisted sense of morality I have for our "Frat QHouse" motto.  
We are safe if we bean the Section only.. Kathy herself reminded me of that not five minutes ago."

Lady Q acquiesced.  
"All right, so who wants to accompany this away mission, eh? If the Enterprise and Voyager crews can have representatives on the team, why can't we? What should we do...draw straws for it?" Lady Q asked, her attention drawn to the action; action she had been so long denied.

Amanda laughed from the sidelines. "Drawing straws.. Drawing STRAWS?? I thought we could do anything.. What do you want cutesy pie?" she said, giving Q2's cheek a small peck.

Q2 blushed to the very top of his curly head.

"W-Well I.. I thought we might find someone that has inside information about where we're going. I don't know about you but I've never been to Project Pathfinder before. I always thought that mail server to Voyager was too boring to pay attention too. No offense Aunty Kathy."

"None taken." she said to him.

Lady Q stared banefully at Amanda. "It's called FAIR PLAY,  
my dear. Something I've picked up from these humans. What's wrong, my dear? Afraid you'll miss out on the action?"  
Looking at her son, her brows furrowed. "You have something in mind, son? A plan?" she asked him, waiting for his youthful mind to fully explore the options.

"Now that is an about face. Where's your hatred of Q's playthings, huh? I never even dreamed you could actually learn any lesson from them." Amanda challenged the older Q female.

Quince spit out the popcorn he had grabbed from Amanda's treat bag. "Incoming!!!" and he ducked behind the weapon's chair.

Janeway shot a look at him, "The long distance transporter?  
I thought Q sabotaged that so it wouldn't aim right."

"No, someone's coming from another way..."

A strange yellow shimmer centered itself on Voyager's bridge. Tuvok drew out his phaser, moving before his captain.

A figure solidified in a nimbus of energy that no one had ever seen before. It was actually two beings.  
One outline that Naomi immediately recognized.  
"Neelix!! Neelix!!"  
Everyone on the bridge saw the familiar Talaxian turn around from how he had arrived facing backwards.. "Eh.  
hello everyone? Had a safe trip I hope?" He was gently stroking an elegant black cat with eerily intelligent eyes in his arms.  
"Forgive my arriving this way.. er.. Isis's aim isn't that good between Quadrants.. What's up?"

Amanda started forward eagerly.. "This is Neelix.. One of Voyager's regular crew members.. I remember him.. How can I forget those cute whiskers.."

Q2 got immediately jealous as the one he considered his girl went over to Neelix to stroke both them and the black cat.

"I was referring to the cat...." Amanda shot over to Q2.

Captain Janeway appeared thunderstruck. She never thought she would see the Talaxian again; after they had dropped him off on that planet with his kind in the Delta Quadrant. "N-N-Neelix? It's good to see you again. Can you help us?" she asked anxiously.

Neelix looked around him. Somehow, he was back onboard Voyager once again. He was on the Bridge. He noticed, Captain Janeway, Mr. Vulcan, Tuvok and Samantha and Naomi Wildman. Naomi's eyes were shining with tears. He smiled at the girl, and turned back to the Captain, noticing the Q in attendance, but ignoring them.

"Captain Janeway. It's good to be back. I was happy, but Isis here, said you might need my help. I couldn't refuse a request for my dear friends in the alpha quadrant. Of course, I can help. I will join the away mission, if you require it."

Quince rose to his feet. "Look at that! The Porcupine gets a cat with a little clout and already he is smug as a Q."

Janeway rose to her feet as well. "Enough!!" She turned to Neelix. "In a nutshell my old friend." She gave him a huge hug. "It's good to see you but reunions will have to wait. A major domo gone turncoat has beamed to that Array over there and the Nexus is barreling down on us. Meanwhile, a crewman from the Enterprise named Guinan is fighting an energy based mutilater in the Delta Flier in the same Array's cargobay. We have to get the Array storm ready when the front line of the Nexus hits on the way to the Moon, neutralize Komach and this Entity.. Am I making any sense here?" Janeway said as Neelix scratched his forehead.

Isis the cat, spoke up, "You are making Ppppeerrrrfect sense my fine leader human. Come Neelix.. Let's not dawdle."

All the jaws dropped on Q and nonQ and they all began speaking at once.

Lady Q's voice was the loudest.  
Lady Q did a double-take. ::The cat just spoke?:: "Um..." Lady Q said, "Just what kind of cat is this anyway?"

Neelix ignored the commotion around him. He was looking into Janeway's eyes. Nodding in affirmation, Neelix, with Isis in tow, left the bridge and headed for the away team's rendezvous point.

Janeway began to relax little by little as she saw the familar patchwork quilt coat of Neelix's disappear into the turbolift. Then she fixed Lady Q with an amused stare. "What? I thought you Q were like this....." she began a good imitation of Quince. "You know us,, All-Seeing..All- Hearing..All-Knowing.. I think it's about time you start to learn another of those solid Human lessons. Don't you?" she quipped.  
"Go watch em work."

Lady Q met Janeway's amused challenge with a stare of her own. "Thank you, Captain. I just think I will."

With that, Lady Q disappeared.

-  
(attachments)

Image: An away mission with B'Elanna in a gray tank top.

Image: LadyQ and Q outside smiling.

Image: Janeway and Neelix in a two shot.

Image: Nexus ribbon.

*  
END WEEK FORTY SIX RECAP 12-04-01

.com/voyagerliveaction Graphic Site

.com/group/voyagerliveaction Writer's Site

WEEK FORTY SEVEN RECAP 12-05-01

.com/voyagerliveaction Graphic Site

.com/group/voyagerliveaction Writer's Site

**************************************

From : Jeff Seltun Subject : [voyagerliveaction] Turns Of Conversation Date : Tue, 4 Dec 2001 22:09:23 -0800 (PST)

Data was actually simu-smiling by the time the away teams were firmly convinced that all the scientists on the Array were going to safely recover from the effects of the misdirected transporter beam. He was impressed with Voyager's EMH's sped with which he categorized the injured and revived them. Now, he was in Project Pathfinder's main function room, where history had been made.  
::This is where Reginald Barclay first got through to Voyager when she was over 46,000 light years away. Intraquadrant communications was thought impossible until he had done it.::

The scientists quickly got over the fright of having been stunned by Komach's unexpected arrival and they took opportunities to glare at him through the containment field while they went to work around him. Komach continued to demand to be released.  
"Let me out of here this instant! I am an admiral in Starfleet. Holding me without charge is tantamount to a court martial for all of you!" he raved.

Data couldn't resist. Geordi noticed his android companion moving over to Komach's place in the main room and he cocked an ear to overhear Data's next words to the imprisoned Section 31 member.

Data went on, "Sir, Although you hold the rank of full admiral. The offenses being accredited to you are building. The charges of using illegal technology resulting in multiple Starfleet and Civilian casualities stand. These scientists you see around you are only just recovered from your latest assault."

"I didn't touch them!"

"Not directly." Data agreed. "But you did order your compatriots at your beam out point to send you elsewhere which harmed them. You are responsible for your own orders as admiral,  
although that rank may no longer be yours soon under this incriminating evidence. Holding affiliations to Section 31 is unfortunately, a very high crime, sir."

Geordi grinned. Data was sure dishing it out well.

Admiral Komach just dropped his jaw falling into silence when two Enterprise and Voyager teams of security guards moved into position guarding his containment tube of energy.  
"I demand to be sent to the Array's brig."

Data shook his head. "That would allow your organization another chance at beaming you away like they did on Voyager. We cannot allow that." And he walked to Reginald Barclay's side as the Lieutenant worked on his usual Project Pathfinder station terminal and strengthened the Array's shields and dish configurations to be better able to withstand the Nexus front edge when it arrived.

Barclay took readings of the Ribbon as it approached.  
"It will be here in three hours, commander." he smiled.  
"A rare opportunity to see the Nexus up close for a first full spectrum analysis. The Midas Array's perfect for gathering such data from it. With my modifications to the shields. The border storms surrounding it won't even scratch our paint. The only difficult thing will be keeping Enterprise and Voyager out of this stormfront as it passes. Neither Starship needs to enter the Nexus for any reason. We should just let it hit Sector 001. It's Q aimed for the moon at Section 31. No doubt the malcontents there will allow the Ribbon to take them for its special kind of calming peaceful existence."  
Reg then looked at the android working next to him.  
"What about you Data? Doesn't the Nexus hold any appeal for you? You can be human if you wish. Or meet your father again."

Data's face softened as he thought about the possibilities.  
"I am not ready to "retire" from Starfleet. I have come to terms with my sense of humanity, Reg, since we last met and I had a chance to solve issues with my creator before he died. I am ..." he cocked his head.  
"complete. Therefore, I have no need to go with the Nexus when it finishes flying through Earth's solar system."

Reg respected Data's candor, marvelling yet again at his old shipmate's very human like ability to grow.  
He returned to work. "Our task is done. The Midas Array's been shored up. The Nexus storms can rage over us all it likes. It won't break us apart."  
He hit his communicator pin.  
=^=Lt. Barclay to the Enterprise. Come in.=^=

"Picard here."

"Captain. We're set over here. Komach's under guard and all the scientists are fully treated. There are none needing sickbay. The Array's prepared for the Nexus's arrival with one hundred percent safety factors guaranteed."

"Glad to hear things went smoothly over there, Lt.  
Enterprise is moving parallel with the Ribbon to be well out of reach of the plasma storms fringing its bow wave. I've directed Voyager to match it on a like course on the other side. Admiral Paris is pleased to learn that his Array and his team suffered no ill. " Picard said, indicating Owen standing next to him, to Data. "Janeway's informed me that the Nexus is under Q direction. They brought it here to handle the Section themselves."

Data looked surprised, his white face filled with open curiosity. "They are interfering on a grand scale, captain. Surely this isn't allowed within their own society."

The android heard his captain laugh, "Quite the opposite is true, Data. They are pursuing Section 31 with their precious Continuum's blessing. The Q are going to dangle the Nexus's allure in their faces and take them out peacefully. Apparently,  
Earth and the Federation aren't the only ones feeling the Section's automonous activities."

"Apparently not, sir."

"Oh and Data."

"Sir?"

"You are getting another visitor besides the Q variety to your away team. Kathryn's told me a former cook of hers is on his way to you."

"Sir, Project Pathfinder has adequate food replicators for our two day stay over here while we monitor and measure the Ribbon's track through this part of space." he answered quizzically.

"He's not there to feed you, Mr. Data. He's there to advise you on taking that long distance transporter on the moon out. He's brought along a friend who's very intimate with that very same technology system we're out to get. Watch for her."

"Aye, sir." Data heard the channel close.

"Ah, there you are!" He heard a warm voice greet him.

Data turned around to face the newcomer and saw Mr.  
Neelix walking towards him. In his arms was a black feline which he recognized.  
"Neelix? What are you doing with Gary Seven's cat?"

Neelix's expression turned to one of embarrassement.  
"Eh? Oh.. uh, that's a very long story. Got about a half an hour to spare? Looks like everything's under hand here well enough.."

Data nodded eagerly. "Hello Isis.." he said, caressing the elegant cat's long back. "I trust this new partnership was by design." he said, glancing up at Neelix. "Hello again, Mr. Neelix."

"Data." the cheerful Talaxian returned in greeting.

"It. Sssssure is golden man. This Talaxian is well travelled for one of his species. When my contract with my former partner was fulfilled. I decided to adopt him as mine."  
Isis said.

Data frowned. "But I thought your counteragent pact with Mr. Seven was permanent."

"It is. But I find trying to be a sidekick for a deceased agent rather futile, don't you?" she purred.

That turned more than a few heads in the room around.  
B'Elanna's Geordi's, Reginald's, All four Q and Chakotay's.

Data regarded Isis seriously. "Gary Seven is dead?"

"Most certainly." Isis said, dropping to the floor only to hop up on Barclay's work desk to nose around the papers there. "How many aliens do you know who can survive being only half a parsec from a super nova when it blows. He decided to vacation in an unknown section of the galaxy without checking it out with Headquarters first despite my constant insisting that he do so."

Data said, "How did you survive?"

Isis said. "I am only on my third life android. I've six more to go.. and by the way, before Neelix and I came to Voyager, we stopped by your quarters.  
You've been shamefully ignoring Spot."

"I have?" Mr. Data said, "I feed him Supplement Number 604 twice a day. I have my yeoman take him for mouse hunting trips in the holodeck. I let him sleep on my bed since I have no use for it..."

Isis set her furry paw on Data's nose. "Not that way android. He says he's well fed and pleasantly occupied by his exercise routine. What I meant was that you aren't paying any attention to what he is saying.  
He meows to you every time you come home, doesn't he?"

"I have noticed Spot tends to vocalize often when ever we're reunited." Data admitted.

Isis scoffed impatiently, "Start LISTENING for Frith's sake. You do have a universal translator in every room on Enterprise. Spot's been trying to start a conversation with you for years now and not once,  
have you turned this thing on.." she said, bouncing off Data's combadge on his chest with all four pads of her feet in a light ricchochet.

Data answered in true Data fashion. "I will endeavor to correct that oversight immediately."

Isis jumped back onto Neelix's shoulder, perching there as if she owned him. "You do that." Then she added.  
"On a second thought." she said to Neelix, "When we're through here on this human station, I'd like a few words to see how Janeway's Molly is faring too. Up to Shape Changers like me to champion the galaxy's legion of pets now isn't it?"

"I think it is a marvelous side hobby to our usual fare of humanitarian missions, Isis. Something I'd do myself if I could speak FourFooted-ese as well as you do." Neelix chuckled.

Isis regarded her new "Partner Who Loved Me"  
affectionately "I'll turn you into the ambassador Janeway envisioned for you yet. Just keep the way you are going."

Data glanced up curiously. "You are not a cook anymore?"

"Not of food Mr. Android. Try mixing and simmering people's cultures for once. That'll get your appetite really going..Heh. heh. Although I do regret not being the one who first put real coffee back into Captain Janeway's mug when Voyager finally got home. That would've been an honored priviledge indeed." Neelix grinned, steepling his spotted hands together.

-  
(attachments) :

Image: Data and Spot in a hug.

Image: Gary Seven (fromTOS-Assignment Earth) and his cat Isis.

Image: Barclay, nose to nose with Spot.

From : "Roxy Dee" Subject : As Oil to the Fire~~ Date : Wed, 05 Dec 2001 06:23:21 +0000

Geordi LaForge chuckled at Data's ever changing expressions of wonder, curiosity and bland faced android. ::If ever I retire from Starfleet. I'd love to keep in touch with Data. I can see him as a professor in a University somewhere. He'd be ideally suited.:: he mused.

A beeping indicator caught his attention. "Barclay. She's done it. Seven of Nine's free of the entity.."

The holodoctor flicked a switch to the Delta Flier in the cargo hold. "Guinan. Are you all right? We're showing Seven of Nine's return to consciousness. No doubt you are now undergoing anaphasic attack from Redjac now."

Guinan swiped at the flitting energy trying to get at her from Sospiria's containment field as if it were a fly. "Don't worry. I've got plenty of Raid doctor." She zapped a blue fire to a sinister energy tendril that escaped the field around the female caretaker and she yelped in Redjac's voice. It whipped the limb back. The hostess blew on her smoking fingertips. "Believe me. I've faced bees like this one before. They're all buzz and no sting behind a level three containment field."

The EMH relaxed his features a bit. "That's a relief. How's Seven of Nine?"

"I am fine, doctor. Although a bit dizzy. I was fully aware the whole time of my actions. Is Naomi all right?" Seven said, brushing her messy hair back behind her ears from where she still sat on a biobed.

The holodoc looked at Barclay. Reg answered for him. "We lost her vital signs for a minute or so. But they're back. Things can't have been too bad for Naomi's now reading as being on the bridge at a science station."

The EMH rolled his eyes. "Typical shock reaction in a child. They can die, revive and then laugh all within the same five minutes."

Reginald stayed serious when he saw Geordi mutter. "Uh oh."

"What's wrong?" Barclay asked.

"Lt. Torres? I think you and I should have a look at this.." and he indicated a come here at B'Elanna then pointed to Reg's work station.

An odd looking blue fog proceeded the wavefront of the writhing Nexus flying towards their position. Even three hours off. The new color struck all of them as distinctly alarming. Geordi added, "This is more than just some energy that's corulean blue. It's it's.. well, my visor's showing is corsicating on quantum levels at a frequency more dynamic than that of normal matter. If I didn't know better. I'd say that this outer layer isn't part of the original Nexus materials. You guys should be seeing this layer as peach colored to your eyes, with an under glow of that corulean blue. See it?"

B'Elanna Torres's head lifted. "I recognize this. It's living plasma from Fluidic Space."

"What?" Chakotay said. ::I know what that means. Fluidic Space is only from one region. The home of the Species 8472.:: the commander thought.

Data approached studying the image on the Array's huge overhead viewer. The strange fog was preceding the Nexus lightning they all were familiar with from Starfleet records. "That plasma residue may mean the Ribbon has come from that dimension. The fact that it has some liquid surrounding it indicates that its passage may have caused great damage there."

Picard on the screen looked at Janeway on her screen, also watching the away team work inside the Array on a side link that Reg had activated when he had given his followup report to Captain Picard.

Janeway's face grew larger on the Voyager screen. "What about the integrity of the boundary between Fluidic and Normal Space? Does the fact that the Nexus has breached both mean that that has been compromised? I shudder to think of the 8472 casualities if that were true."

Quince stepped forward, "Captain. Captain. My dear, dear Kathy. Do you think the four of us would be standing here in front of you all if that were true? I am flying that Nexus. Don't you think I have a valid Ribbon driver's license? I know better than to take out the scenery doing it. If we had so much as created a ripple for the 8472 seas, the Continuum would've humanized all of our butts so fast our heads would have spun and we certainly wouldn't be here right now being your devoted fanclub on the sidelines."

"That may be true. But why is that Nexus showing a Corulean Aura consisting of Fluidic waters, Q?" Geordi said. "B'Elanna. You know a bit about relativistic dimensional matter cross contamination. Is there spatial fracturing going on here or not?"

--------------------------------------------

Harry Kim was distracted from his duties just a bit when Neelix passed by him very close on his way to report to the Away team's mission. He managed a short encouraging wave to the Talaxian before he disappeared into the turbolift. ::Neelix? A 007?:: He began to grin. ::I think I like it.::

He watched Janeway react to the events she saw on the Array through the viewscreen and worked on a project of his own. He came up with a way to get Seven out of the Delta Flier without letting Redjac follow her.::Just open the door and walk her out. Redjac can be fenced by security fields. Then he thought of a resource that no one had utilized yet. He paged Mr. Scott. "Kim to Montgomery Scott. Come in."

"Scott here." came the Engineer's welcome burr. "Was wonderin when I'd be needed in all this business of yers. I hear the wee beastie that took Captain Kirk from us is in the area."

"That she is. The Nexus is due to hit Close Earth Orbit in two and a half hours. But dealing with its storms isn't our problem. What's preceding it is.."

"Eh?" Scott said over the intercom.

Harry sent him the entire conversation between Geordi and the two bridges regarding his finding.

He could very clearly hear the older engineer's eyes light up. "Relativistic Dimensional Cross Contamination now is it? Now that is a theory I've never seen in real life."

"It's there Mr. Scott. In plain sight. I'm reading a band of the material with slight tachyon distortions 2 KPh distance from the Nexus stormfront boundary. It's like... it's like St. Elmo's fire riding a ship's mast."

"Aye, laddie. I'm on my way.." Scott said from his guest quarters on Voyager.

-----------------------------------------

Scott made it to the bridge without even bothering to button up his uniform flap front. "Captain." he called out to Janeway. "Ye gotta get the Delta Flier out of there before it's too late."

"Mr. Scott? I don't understand?" Kathryn said, rising from her command chair. "Geordi insists there's no breach into normal space from the 8472's seas."

"It's not where the fog came from that's worrying me. It's where it's goin that is. Any first year engineer will tell you that corulean fields are like fossil fuel on a campfire with certain energy types. Ye can't allow it in certain circumstances without gettin burned."

Janeway thought out all the systems on the Array, Voyager and Enterprise."I don't see any danger here." she admitted at last. "Nothing we have will react adversely at all."

Scotty said, "Yer thinking Starfleet energies Captain. But have ye ever considered anaphasics?"

Kathryn paled. "Oh my god." She nearly leapt to the comm system. She slammed down the universal hail to Enterprise, Delta Flier, and Midas Array. "Avoid that prefrontal wave! Get Sospiria off shuttle immediately! That corulean energy fog's a direct spawning medium for Redjac. If it reaches him, he'll multiply himself a million fold!"

Guinan heard the Voyager captain's warning and sent another message to her otherself inside the Nexus Ribbon. ::Do not allow.::

%Guinan% heard Guinan and responded by stepping out of the storms on the Nexus's shell to confront Quince who had splinted himself to drive it onto its target toward's Luna.

%Guinan% crossed her smoky image's arms and tapped her foot. **I don't believe this. I've been called out of Paradise to play mother hen with the Q again.** %she% said.

The splinter Quince looked up. "Ahhh!!! " and fell off the Nexus cloud node which directed locomotion in startlement.

He fell until his uniform britches burned on the corulean fog layer. "Ahhh!!" he yelled again. He shot right back up until %Guinan% grabbed him by the earlobes.##Yes. I'm back. And the problem I haveright now isn't you. It, just bit you on the a-##

Quince yelped."I didn't know there were two of you!"

##There's going to be millions of Jack the Rippers if you don't heave to.## %%Guinan%% admonished. ##Stop this ribbon right now.##

Quince ignored her. "Why should I listen to you? You're not even part of the game anymore. She is." he said, pointing to the real space Guinan inside the Delta Flier. "Go away.." and he finger snapped the Nexus %%Guinan%% back into her eternal joyness world.

The real Guinan staggered inside the shuttle.

Seven of Nine said, "What's wrong?"

"I have failed." Guinan said. "Q won't believe the fog preceding the Nexus will reproduce Redjac spontaneously. I tried to stop him with myself but it didn't work."

Seven didn't worry about details. "Let me out of here. I can go to the Array central command area and use asteroidal tractor beams to try to push it away from us. I am reading several surrounding the Array's coordinates."

"Go. Hurry.. I can't--" Guinan shifted the security field to surround Sospiria in a blink and away from Seven.

Redjac grinned. "What's the matter prey? Are you afraid of a million wolves matching the millions of bipeds existing in this sector? The odds will finally be even. " it slobbered.

Guinan shivered but ignored it.

Seven of Nine hesitated at the outer hatch of the Flier. "What about you?" she said, seeing the sweaty sheen on Guinan's skin. "Your resistance to him is weakening rapidly."

"I can hold him.. The nearer my sisterself gets, the longer my powers last. But they will be as nothing if that Corulean layer reaches Sospiria! Go." Guinan said.

Seven went swiftly, slamming the Delta Flier's hull access panel back onto itself with a final clang of metal.

She got to the Main Room in seconds. "Belanna Torres. We must curb the Nexus's trajectory away from the Midas Array now. Help me. It will arrive in less than two hours. The linking of a tractor net between the asteroids will take about the same length of time. It will screen the fog out of the Nexus as it passes by. We must hurry. Contact Tuvok. We must get the necessary calculations in order to construct this. But first. Tell me more about Corulean Fields." Her hands flew over the computer controls. -  
(attachments)

Image: Barclay and Harry.

Image: The Redjac creature in a smoke form within a jeffries tube.

Image: Montgomery Scott, positively beaming.

Image: Geordi in a sideview.

From: 'Cory Anda'  
Subject: [voyagerliveaction] Basic Things, That's all I Ask.(Isis)  
Date: Thursday December 6 2001 10:34:56 GMT 00:00

Chakotay was worried. He knew and trusted Neelix but he didn't know anything at all about the black alien wearing the guise of a cat in his arms. ::Now why would Neelix traverse across an entire Quadrant to aid an old ship he was no longer a part of?:: he thought privately.

Wondering, he nodded to B'Elanna to take over things in the room while he found out.

"Good to see you again Neelix." he began.

Neelix seemed a bit changed, subtly. His spots weren't as bright but his smile was as charming as ever. "Ah, Commander Chakotay. Likewise.  
When the opportunity arose to help my friends when they needed it the most, I jumped on the chance."

"What about the Talaxian colony you went to live with? Do they know about..." and he glanced down at Isis.

"Oh. Of course they do Commander. They were the ones who found her on Cetas Three following the Super Nova. The poor thing was deep in a cave,  
living on eels from a pool and keeping herself warm by sleeping inside a communications terminal.  
Imagine their surprise when the Colony received a distress call from her, arrived to find a talking cat.  
I'll admit. I was surprised myself. I was one of the rescue party who responded to her call."

Chakotay regarded Isis who chose not to speak at that moment. "Mind if I scan her?"

"Not at all. In fact, I've been wanting to scan her myself to see if she escaped radiation contamination from the nova. You see, Cetas Three was only two light years from the expulsion cone from the explosion."  
Neelix said worriedly. "Commander, uh. Do you think you can have the good doctor look her over too? So far, Isis claims she's fine with her new life. .whatever that means and quite frankly, I've been just as worried about her as I was for Voyager. I was ever pleased when I learned Isis saw you all get back home."

Chakotay allowed himself a grin. But he deigned to stroke Isis's luxurious coat. She seemed to be dozing much in the way a cat in the late afternoon would. He waved the EMH over. "Doctor. I've a bit of a mystery for you."

The holodoc came over. "Ah, Mr. Neelix. You're looking well. What brings you to the Earth system? Voyager's only been back for about a week."

"I am following up on a humanitarian mission on the insistance of Isis. She was most adamant I come to deal with the Section 31 transporter problem." Neelix replied.

"Who's Isis?" the EMH chimed in looking around for someone he wasn't seeing. "I see no woman here except for B'Elanna."  
he said with puzzlement. "I don't understand why you called me over here. There's still some scientists feeling a little green and I-" he started to say waving around his medical tricorder.

Chakotay put his hands on his hips and started grinning. "She's right here doctor. Right in front of you."

"Huh?.." the doctor looked down. "Commander, this is an animal. I treat people first."

"Watch who you're biase about hologram or I may bite the wiring out of your autonomous emitter..." the black cat yawned, waking up.

The EMH's face wore six emotions at once.

Isis regarded the EMH, "The commander here wants to learn more about what makes me tick either from not knowing my past history or from the fact that I was in such close proximity to a super nova and lived again to tell about it."

That caught the doctor's attention. "Lived..again..?" he emphasized.

"Ssssure." Isis said, "What other option did I have? Gary Seven screwed up and was dumb enough not to have a multi-lifed form for himself when the stars overhead blew."

The EMH simply looked at Chakotay as he said.  
"You know about Gary Seven doctor. Don't you? Every officer grade out of the academy reads Kirk's reports on him. It's a classic first time alien how to case study." Chakotay said.

"As you'll note. I'm not an officer, I'm a hologram." the EMH drawled. But curiosity got the better of him and he pulled out his bioscanner probe to check out Isis medically.

His tricorder didn't register her at all. The EMH smacked it.

Neelix looked distressed and began stroking her fur,  
"Sweetums. Try adding a little mass to your form for the doctor. I want to know if you're all right just as badly as I want to know Voyager's crew are."

Isis sighed and somehow, got blacker in shade.

The EMH's tricorder warbled in comforting tones. "There we are... No radiation residues, no injuries.." his face twisted. "But you're going to need a litter box very soon." he quipped.

Isis lifted her head. "Don't you think I know that?" she said a little stung. "Does it look like Project Pathfinder's got latrines sticking out of every bulkhead? I don't even see any on this Array and I don't recall ones on that Voyager ship either? How ever do you bipeds manage?"

Neelix immediately fussed. "Oh! Don't worry. Here,  
doctor..I" he shoved Isis into the EMH's hands. "I- I'll find something for the little darling right away.  
Are you sure she's all right physically other than that?"

"I'm sure." Isis said.  
"I'm very sure." the EMH said at the same moment.

Cat and hologram looked at each other with exactly the same expression.

Chakotay chuckled, moving off to go near B'Elanna's side.

His easy mood evaporated when he saw the continuous scans of the odd looking corulean fog preceeding the Nexus's frontal wake. He turned to Barclay. "This signature looks very much like part of Fluidic Space I remember from when Voyager pursued the 8472 into their realm with Seven's nanoprobe weapon."

Barclay looked oddly at Chakotay, partly in admiration.  
"I ...heard about that little adventure, commander. I.  
wish I could have been there. I mean, making a deal with Species 8472 against the Borg.. That took a lot of moxy from Kathryn now didn't it? " he said, elbowing Chakotay in jest.

Chakotay frowned and Barclay immediately apologized.  
"Sorry commander.. I.. didn't know I was being so familiar."

"I didn't know you and Kathryn were on a first name basis." Chakotay said firmly. "Then he grinned." Forget it, Lt. Now that we're home. Rank has little meaning now.  
I may not even be a commander in Starfleet's eyes. So,  
you were saying...." he encouraged.

"This...biomass may be "water" from the 8472 seas, but it's more like seafoam, a simple biproduct the Nexus immersed itself into getting here. I seriously doubt the dimensions between there and here was ever opened beyond a crack." Barclay concluded.

Chakotay saw Janeway looking frantic on his viewer. "What about its effect on Redjac? Is what Kathryn guessing true?"

Barclay looked discomforted. "Yes, I'm afraid so. It'll be a catalyst to the entity's reproductive process. Seven of Nine's quite right that we screen out the corulean fog from the Ribbow bow wave before it hits us."

The EMH wandered over, stroking a dozing Isis. "My little non feline friend here has got a few suggestions on that.  
Want to hear them?"

Chakotay and the others were all ears.

-  
(attachments)

Image: Chakotay grinning ear to ear.

**************************

From : "Samantha Rose" Subject : [voyagerliveaction] Questions Date : Mon, 10 Dec 2001 04:20:10 +0000 -  
Nothing. There was nothing there except a few grains of salt and some left over butter. The paper had begun to tear as the grease soaked through it. After a few moments of being poked at and prodded, the material gave way.

"Great, out of popcorn." Q2 lifted the bag up and peered through the big hole that was the bottom. A flash of light caught his eye. ::What is that?:: Pulling down the bag, Q2 looked at the viewscreen in wonder.

"What the?" He stood up and walked up to the viewscreen, staring at the Nexus as it wormed it's way closer towards them. He looked to Amanda who just shrugged and then back to the viewscreen. His Q-senses kicked in after a moment and Q2 whirled around again and took a quick head count of all the Q present. Quince was missing.

"Where is Quince?" he muttered to himself. With a quick look around, Q2 flashed out letting his Q-senses guide him. He soon found himself at the head of the Nexus and something was burning. It didn't take Q2 long to realize that it was he who was burning. With a yelped he leaped off the mysterious fog and landed not too far from the Quince-double.

Rubbing his bum, "Quince, what is going on?"

"Just thought that I would rid your father's precious humans of their problem and take care of the Continuum's own problems at the same time." With that he made a slight adjustment to the Nexus' course. The direction change was barely audible to Q2.

"What problem's are you talking about?"

"Section 31. They've been a stitch in the Continuum's side for a few century now and it's high time we remove that stitch." Q2 was becoming more confused by the second as he tried to make heads or tails of all this.

-  
(attachment)

Gif: A huge movie poster of the Star Trek Ships in profile. All black and white. Nice.

**************************

From : "patti keiper" Subject : [voyagerliveaction] The Captain's Chair... Date : Mon, 10 Dec 2001 05:06:28 +0000

Q stepped forward on Voyager's bridge and fingersnapped a huge timepiece into his grip. "She's not old, she's not gray and she's not full of sleep." he indicated various points of view of the virtual graphics of the Nexus on the bridge tactical overview screen on the main one.  
"For the Nexus is not alive in any sense your too simple human brains can comprehend..."

-------------

"Oh bother. Listen to him blather.." Isis spat from her place in the doctor's arms near the tactical console inside the Midas Array.  
"Doesn't he ever tire of it?" The shape changing ex Companion of GarySeven could clearly see the ship's view on the monitor.

The holodoctor shook his head. "Have you ever known a Q to go off a scent?" he said. "He's rather like a cat about that."

Isis hissed at the hologram.

-----------------

Q's image on the viewer turned to regard the doctor on the Array station and he laughed. "Good one, hollowmed. Takes a lot to rattle time travelers like her..." and he turned back to his line of thought to all at his location on Voyager's Deck One.

Janeway rolled her eyes at the whole affair looking a little like a disgruntled cat herself.. "I'm about two seconds from spacing the lot of you! What happened to the simpler times huh? Where there was only a ship's captain and her crew at any one given mission? No attending "higher"  
beings at all to get in the way. No Q. No attacking murderous entities stowing away on board. And no cats."

Isis hissed again. "What did I ever do to you captain? I'm trying to help you here.."

"I didn't ask for it. A consulting resource such as the one Neelix proposed is silent until called upon usually. You haven't been very mousy." Janeway shot back.

Isis flared in total insult and jumped down from the EMH's arms and retreated through the doors after Neelix and the litterbox he was searching out for her.

Then Janeway stood and set her hips in her hands regaining her composure. The uncertain look Harry was wearing was very sobering to her but didn't waver her resolve.

She needed control of her ship and crew and she needed it now.  
She tapped her combadge. "Guinan. Report to Voyager immediately.  
Abandon Sospiria..Both her and the entity within her now. Then,  
I need you to clear the decks of all Q for me using your unique.  
chemistry with them. They're beginning to seriously effect the functioning of this ship and myself."

There was a pause. "Understood. I'm on my way captain.." Guinan said.  
came the gentle reply.

Kathryn rechanged her transmission frequency. "Janeway to Barclay.  
I'm destroying the Flier to end the standoff and to stop the risk of Redjac multiplying in the Nexus wavefront wash. In ten seconds. Prepare your shields."

Barclay answered second in the first thing that came to his head. "Shuttles can be rebuilt. Ready."

The instant Guinan showed clear of the shuttle. Janeway took over Tuvok's weapons control and fired on the Flier. Its small antimatter containment exploded soundlessly in the void returning Redjac and the lifeless Sospiria to oblivion forever.

Tom looked stunned at the loss of his pride and joy project but he knew the captain's decision was a sound one. ::All that work on the Delta Flier. Gone. But I'm glad. Having millions of Jack the Rippers floating around Earth would've really turned out to be a bad day at the helm station. And I know I'd like clear blue skies available for my family. This is a nice start. The Nexus is the next order of business.::

Quince frowned at Janeway from his place. "Redjac was a living thing. So much for tolerance and infinite diversity in infinite combinations human captain."

Janeway glared right back at the bristling meddler. "It gave up all of its rights when it killed my ensign and endangered the rest of us in the process. I don't make deals with mass murderers."

Q got to his feet from the railing he had been sitting on.  
"Kathy. I've.... never seen this vilgilante side in you before.  
Not since Captain Ransom.."

"Shut up, Q. You're extraneous too. And Guinan's about to get you and your "darling" family off my ship.  
I need space to deal with the Nexus and Komach.  
Since all you Q profess to impotence when it comes to helping, leave off and watch elsewhere.  
You're tainting any possible outcome just by being present."  
Janeway said.

Amanda got up and vanished just as Guinan arrived on the bridge. "She's right Q." she said to all her kind. "I want to see authentic reactions. Coming?" and she poofed to the Midas Array from Voyager with finality.

Guinan raised her hands in a claw like gesture at Quince and he scrambled away from her ranging move. "Eggghhh.  
Ehhh. Get away barmaid. All right. I'll go." He turned to Kathryn. "Spoil sport. All right. I'll wait out the rest of this mission over there. Make it entertaining." Quince said with distain to her.

Janeway watched Quince appear on the main viewer with the away team on the Midas Array.

Q smiled at his favorite human lady. "Kathy. You've outlogic'd us like ol Pointy ears. I'm impressed. I'm leaving too. But not because of her do I go.." he said, pointing at Guinan.  
"I do so because you demand it and I do so love a woman who knows what she wants..."

He winked at Lady Q waiting on the Array. Her face first flared into anger then softened in genuine affection at him when she realized his gaze was for her alone.

Q poofed out to flank Amanda and Quince and Lady Q inside the Midas Array.

---------------------

Scotty looked up from his station. "Captain, what are your orders now?" he asked Janeway. "The Nexus is still coming this way."

"Let it come." she said. "And we'll see what happens. I'm tired of fighting."

-  
(attachments)

Image: Janeway, Q and Harry on Deck One. Janeway looking very put off explaining things to Q.

*animated gif* Movie of Voyager moving away from the Delta Flier at high speed.

Gif: Mount Trekmore. Like Mount Rushmore of the US presidents but using the four Trek Captains instead.

************************************

From : "Fran Catrair" Subject : [voyagerliveaction] Demand of Honor Date : Mon, 10 Dec 2001 00:29:35 -0600

B'Elanna's mind whirled as she took in the latest turn of events. She had barely taken in the phenomenon of Neelix's arrival when Geordi announced the recent discovery of the Corulean Field preceeding the Nexus. It had surprised her to see components of fluidic space. And when she heard Janeway's call over the conn about Montgomery Scott, she had mentally hit her forehead with the palm of her hand. ::Kahless! It's something any first year engineering student would have known! I can't believe I missed that!:: She mentally berated herself. She got to the Main Room in seconds. "Belanna Torres. We must curb the Nexus's trajectory away from the Midas Array now. Help me. It will arrive in less than two hours. The linking of a tractor net between the asteroids will take about the same length of time. It will screen the fog out of the Nexus as it passes by. We must hurry. Contact Tuvok. We must get the necessary calculations in order to construct this. But first. Tell me more about Corulean Fields."

When Seven literally breezed on the scene, she found herself bristling. Even after the past few years, Seven could still find ways to push her buttons. "Well, Seven, thank you for reminding me of our time constraint. I'll see what I can do." she concluded sarcastically.  
Seven looked at her briefly and raised an eyebrow. "No need for sarcasm, Lieutenant. We're all on short constraint here. Now, what about Cerulean Fields?"  
B'Elanna sighed and shrugged her shoulders in exasperation. She went ahead and told her all they had learned, and with the 8472 and now with the recent development concerning the effect of the Field with Redjac. "So, now that we're all up to speed, here, how about we just finish the configuration of this net?" B'Elanna finished.  
Before Seven could reply, Captain Janeway comm'd the Midas Array.  
Kathryn rechanged her transmission frequency. "Janeway to Barclay. I'm destroying the Flier to end the standoff and to stop the risk of Redjac multiplying in the Nexus wavefront wash. In ten seconds. Prepare your shields."  
They all watched the screen in stunned silence as the Flyer exploded in front of them. Instantly, B'Elanna felt a pang of loss for Tom. The Flyer had been his pride and joy. She remembered when they all had had a hand in designing and building the ship. They had helped, and she felt the loss as well, but everyone knew whose ship the Delta Flyer was. Sending sympathetic thoughts Tom's way and hoping he could feel her support, she turned back to the matter at hand. "Well, that was an interesting turn of events, eh? It looks like the Array is shored up well, Mr. Barclay. Looks like we'll have one h#ll of a ride coming." she remarked.  
Looking around, she suddenly remembered that Komach was on the Array as well. Going over to him, her eyes narrowed and she pulled her phaser. "Now, you elitist, sniveling pig, what about you, hmm? You hide behind your Admiral bars and judge situations you know nothing about. It appears your position won't help you here. What is there to stop me from having this forcefield removed, and burning your sorry butt to a crisp?"  
Komach looked at her with a smirk on his face, but she did detect the trace of fear in his eyes. She continued. "You insulted me and my family. You insulted the fine crew of Voyager, which is also my family. You insulted the honor and integrity of Admiral Paris, my father-in-law." Taking a step back, she announced loudly for all to hear. "My honor has been tarnished. And I DEMAND satisfaction! HERE! NOW! Release his forcefield so I can kill this...this.  
p'tahk!", she concluded, as she spat the last word to the ground. Her anger was at full boil, and in her anger, she fired the phaser, which was absorbed by the forcefield. She inched closer, glaring at Komach. This time, he appeared to be in full fear for his life. He got down on his knees, praying those in the room to stop this madwoman now, and get her away from him.

Lady Q observed all events with interest. She was annoyed at Janeway for goading her to come over to this place, but she was actually thankful. Here, she was gaining a new perspective to the events around her.  
Suddenly, Amanda Q and Quince appeared next to her. She noticed Janeway's temper, and wondered what had happened to rile her. She noticed over the viewscreen the exchange between Q and Janeway, and though she felt initial jealousy, she did feel warmth invade her when Q looked at her. ::Is that actually love I see in his eyes?:: she thought. It was incredible. Whatever had happened to change Q, she was indeed thankful for.  
Her musings were cut short when she witnessed the scene with the Half-Klingon engineer. ::Uh-oh. Never upset a woman. And a mother. And a Klingon one at that.:: She smirked to herself. Materializing more popcorn, she handed bags of it to Quince and Amanda Q. "Well, this appears to be quite an interesting show we're in for. We might as well enjoy ourselves." And standing there, she started to take kernels of popcorn and tossing them in the air, neatly catching them in her mouth.

-  
(attachments)

Image : B'Elanna Torres as a Maquis fighter.

Image: Torres in black Klingon honor ship regalia.

Image: Lady Q (Suzie Q ) In victorian dress.

Audio: Tom Paris- Oh no, there's not a lot a Klingon in you... (sarcastic)

B'Elanna- I inherited the forehead and the bad attitude, that's it.

******************************************

END WEEK FORTY SEVEN RECAP 12-09-01

.com/voyagerliveaction Graphic Site

.com/group/voyagerliveaction Writer's Site.

WEEK FORTY EIGHT RECAP 12-10-01

.com/voyagerliveaction Graphic Site

.com/group/voyagerliveaction Writer's Site

**************************************

Date: Mon, 10 Dec 2001 22:15:20 -0800 (PST) From: "Jeff Seltun" Subject:[voyagerliveaction] Human Nature

Captain Picard lifted his head when his fellow captain ordered the Order that all captains dreaded. A destruction of a vessel under their command. Unconsciously, he rose to his feet and so did everyone else on the Enterprise bridge who wasn't already standing.

Admiral Paris gasped when the horrid yellow and blue fire finally came forth from Delta Flier's heart and utterly consumed her. He visibly flinched and relived each time in an instant that he had made the very same order Janeway had just authorized.

Captain Picard wasn't immune to the association either. He saw his old beloved Stargazer shatter as life in his memory's eye as well, as Delta Flier died. He shook himself of an involuntary shudder, not letting the bridge see how a captaincy flashback effected him.

The fire of the antimatter explosion filled his eyes, reflecting in Jean Luc's eyes and also Barclay's and Janeway's as they watched on his main viewer from the links to the Midas Array and Voyager. The same white sparkle in each eye of pain and loss and anger. A deeper one flashed in Tom Paris's but the helmsman quickly blinked it away with stony professionalism.

Picard watched his female counterpart sit heavily in her chair and he gave her the silence she needed to compose herself. ::Your crew's safety came at a price but no further life was lost. You've won your battle today captain. Take your well deserved rest before the next battle comes. And it comes soon.:: he considered as the Nexus loomed larger and larger on a side split view. ::Know this about that beautiful little ship, Kathryn.:: he thought. ::It was necessary.::

A clearing throat full of emotion next to him broke Picard out of his reverie. It was Admiral Paris. "Jean Luc."

"Sir." Picard replied, responding to a heavy tone of authority rising in Owen's voice, one that he responded to instantly.

Owen's face still showed the end of the gallant Delta Flier in its depths and a new fierce internal fire there was just beginning. It was not gentle. "Have your transporter crews beam me to the Midas Array immediately." And Picard did not miss the tensing of a freshened grip on a phaser in the older man's hands.

Picard tapped his combadge. "Transporter room! You heard the admiral. Do it."

Owen met Picard's eyes evenly as the sparkle of transporter activity swept him off Enterprise to land him in the main Project Pathfinder control room in the Midas module.

Reg Barclay and Chakotay both started forward at Admiral Paris's sudden appearance. They had just heard the self given order themselves over their main viewer tie.

Admiral Paris levelled his phaser to mid waist and his face was very cold as he went toe to toe with Komach's feet, so close the security field crackled with the contact. "Reg. Prepare to release the ex-admiral's confinement."

Data piped up. "Sir. What about the chances of Section 31 locking on to Komach's location?"

Owen replied quietly. "I am assuming full responsibility for the prisoner as leading flag officer. Is that understood?"

"Clearly sir."

"Then do it." He then addressed the main viewer. "I'll finish things on my end..... Captains." he said to Janeway and Picard. "I do believe our comm systems are fuzzing out in a malfunction. I can no longer see you.  
See that your communication officers run a full diagnostic on it right away. "

Picard's face loosened and a bit of strange jealousy filled him too, a bitter joy not to be experienced apparently.  
"Why yes, admiral. It seems we're in a bit of a blackout indeed." Picard lied.

Janeway got the admiral's drift as well.  
"We should have the problem resolved soon I'm sure. Harry, see to it."

"Yes maam." the ensign said, knowing exactly what was going on. "Should take fifteen minutes or more to rectify the problem captain."

"Understood." Janeway mewed. "Make a note in the log Tuvok of our loss of contact here with the admiral if you don't mind. Make it official."

Tuvok "My fingers seem to have done so already, captain."

"Good man."

At once, Janeway and Picard began to smile, turning their backs to the perfectly operating viewscreen they had to the Array.

Likewise, in the room, B'Elanna, Chakotay, Seven of Nine, Data, and Geordi got busy with side projects, looking anywhere else except at Owen. They moved away, leaving the two men alone emotionally if not physically.

A long pause stretched between the two men dressed in identical clothes, full and heavy.

Then, Owen's face opened in friendship at his fellow admiral and long time colleague and he beamed in a smile, pointing his phaser down to the floor. He flipped a button on a console on the security panel.

Komach began to grin when he realized Owen was freeing him . "I knew you come around Owen. We've been friends for a long time."

The security field snicked out bringing the two admirals face to face.

Owen swiftly backhanded Komach with the phaser sending him flying backward into a lab table and knocking over equipment as he catapulted into a bruised heap.

Komach choked on the sudden blood in his mouth and spat it out onto the rug. "That'll cost you..admiral." he hissed.  
And reached for the shiny pips on his collar.

Owen fired a red hot bolt that sizzled past Komach's ear, vaporizing the rank pins, collar and the skin off Komach's hand in the process. The shot half stunned Komach and the EMH started forward as the scent of burned flesh rose in the air.  
The elder Paris stopped the hologram's progress with a look. "We both know he's unfortunately, still breathing. Leave him to me doctor!"

And he tossed the phaser to Reg as he knelt to snatch up Komach's head by his jacket front, taking advantage of the man's partial phaser stunned paralysis. "Dmn. Seems I missed.  
I should've aimed a few inches to the right." And he let the Admiral have it across the face again. "That is for endangering my granddaughter." Another blow bloodied Komach's face. "And that is for endangering my captains'  
crews! I figured you'd pull a recall device trick again. No chair's arm buttons this time. Only rank insignia available. How transparent. I don't know why I don't kill you right where you lie for your treachery." As a good measure, he ripped off the admiral's combadge as well from his shoulder.

Komach spoke around his torn lip, "Go ahead. We'll just become that much stronger when I become a martyr to my people."

Owen threw Komach down and stepped away from him, nodding to Reg to reactivate a field around the traitor once again where he lay. Komach drifted off into unconsciousness as the air whooshed out of his lungs at the impact.

Voyager's EMH started. "Hold on a minute. I have to treat his injuries."

Admiral Paris grabbed the hologram's arm. "Are his injuries life threatening to you doctor?!"

"He is bleeding rather badly from the mouth. And several ribs appear to be cracked. He'll be in a lot of pain when that phaser stun wears off."

"Good. I hope he chokes on it. Under no circumstances in that field are you to treat him unless he's on the edge of death's door. Got that? Men like him need to feel examples of the pain they inflict. I'm beginning that lesson now."

Meekly, the EMH nodded. Owen let him go.

"Should I confine him again admiral inside a security field?" Reg asked.

Owen answered. "No. I don't think he's going anywhere. His friends needed that recall beacon to find him and I just toasted it."

"Lieutenant." Paris addressed Barclay. "Let's work on going over infiltrating Section 31 to seize that transporter device of theirs. I've heard that one of your old shipmates, Geordi LaForge, used Dr. Leah Brahams work to find their lair."

"He has indeed admiral." Barclay answered, handing him a towel to clean his hands and an icepack for his swollen fist.

Admiral Paris winced as Isis made her way back over to his side, jumped up onto his tactical chair and sniffed at his tender knuckles. "Now you know why I morph a good set of claws when I get pissed off." she threw her head over to the battered Komach across the room. "Nice results for an aging brass monkey if I do say so myself." she quipped, brushing her long black tail under Owen's chin in encouragment. "Don't worry. I won't let him get away from us. Neelix and I have him covered with our own ship. And believe me , the OO7's got a sweet set of temporal shields. We got Voyager and Enterprise as well as Earth and this human station protected from both the Q and Section 31, and from that obnoxious flying light show coming this way. Only any of us can get out but no one gets in. "

"You have a ship around here?" Owen asked.

"Of course.." Isis said. "What? Do you think Neelix and I walked here from the Delta Quadrant? Pshaww."  
she said, dropping to the floor. "Use your head human. I know you got one somewhere. For in your aging bipedal heart, revenge cooks there just fine."

She meandered over to Komach, and cocked a very dog like leg up into the air. She piddled on his uniform's tunic, whipping an infuriated tail like a lash and then began scraping her rear claws on the rug like she was burying him.

Data looked up with a frown. Isis eyed him as she stretched. "What? I'm not a cat or a dog. So what's the big deal? I'm marking Neelix and mine's territory so my superiors know where our new jurisdiction now lies." she shrugged.  
"They gotta know somehow. Using a communications system's to do that's outdated. And hardly anyone expects a scent trail in the under cover business anymore."

Data excused himself from both Chakotay and the Admiral and made his way over to Komach's side. He knelt by the admiral, scanning him for his vitals when he saw the EMH fervently wish that he could do it himself.

While he was doing so, the stunned man awoke to stare at him. Komach gasped. "So, now it's interrogation time. I'd rather die than tell you anything android." and he turned his head to spit up more blood.

Data's eyebrows rose. "I'm examining your vital signs, sir. As the doctor's hands are tied from doing so."

Komach whispered. "How perfectly honest and humanitarian. Tell me android. Do the cuts and bruises on my face horrify you? A real man did this to me. Do you still profess to become human like me. Like him? If you do, I'm sure you'll be able to beat anyone to a bloody pulp with a clear conscience just as well as the good admiral did."

Data handed Owen a medkit carefully devoid of drugs and equipment save for some mediguaze and water. "I do not pretend to understand the human condition. There are dark sides to human nature which I will never understand even with having my emotion chip fully functioning for many many years. But I do understand loyalty and honor. And that is something which you've abandoned long ago when you joined Section 31. The moment you did that, you betrayed your very nature and the gift given so freely to you,  
your very soul. That is a state of humanity I would not wish to inflict on anyone. For you are now less than a man."

Data rose and returned to work letting Isis guard Komach from where she sat grooming herself on a computer console.

Neelix entered the room with a crate specifically for Isis. "Sweetings.." he said, raising the box high. "I found a litterbox for you."

Isis replied without looking up. "So did I. He's right over there. But I'll use yours for later you so much."

The Talaxian blinked in confusion until his sensitive nose picked up her meaning. He noticed the wet patch on the prisoner's shoulder as he sat against the wall nursing his wounds with the scant medkit provided him.  
"Oh my. That'll leave an awful stain."

"No it won't." she purred. "Have faith in the uniform. Ever seen one of those things even wrinkle before?"

"Can't say that I have." Neelix frowned, thinking hard.

"I rest my case."

-  
(attachments)

Image : Picard with a phaser.

Image: A black and white Data.

Image: Owen Paris screen grab.

*

From : "Roxy Dee" Subject : [voyagerliveaction] Into the Mouth of Jonah's Whale~~ Date : Wed, 12 Dec 2001 20:30:49 +0000

Harry Kim felt worn. He saw Guinan enter the bridge to stand very near him. He lifted his head to speak with her all the while ignoring the main viewer where Admiral Paris was having it out with the traitor Admiral Komach. He felt sick at heart. The cloud of vapor that had once been the Delta Flier still made an audible sound from his Ops board as sensors picked up the radiation it had left behind. He turned it off and looked at Guinan. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine ensign." Guinan said. "Your captain did what she had to do. And the next obstacle isn't as unpleasant as you might think. The Nexus only takes those who are unhappy and those who choose to leave this reality for its."

Harry relaxed a notch and actually tried on a smile. "I remember. The Nexus brought us home to Earth. I had a good dose of its brand of medicine before it released us."

Guinan regarded the young man thoughtfully even as she watched Captain Janeway regain the composure she had lost giving the order to kill. "It will heal a lot more before it leaves this system. I've learned that the Q are partially responsible for the ribbon's course. Quite frankly, a part of me is grateful for the interference. Your planet and Federation will be a lot happier without Section 31 looming in the background."

"You think so?" Kim asked.

"I do. No civilization deserves its diametric opposite undermining its hard won ideals. Excuse me ensign. I need to speak with Janeway." Guinan said.

"Of course." Harry acknowledged. "But how long until the Ribbon hits the Moon? Voyager's flanking it and so's Enterprise on the other side. Our courses are parallel with it traveling along side."

Guinan looked up and the Nexus fire was in her eyes. "A part of me is inside Mr. Kim. She has been there for many years and she knows its reality." she thought deeply, closing her eyes. "In a few minutes, it will take the Midas Array. The Corulean fog's dissipating and those scientists will be lucky. The ionic storms on the outer boundary are dying out as the Ribbon slows. I even say that both of our starships would be able to cross over inside without taking any harm."

Kim's emotions rose at the thought of returning to the Nexus heaven and hell. "A part of me wishes to go back Guinan. To feel that peace sweep over me again. But then I see Earth on the viewer and I'm frightened that I would want to leave it."

Guinan set a warm hand on his shoulder. "That luring pull fills anyone who's been in contact with the Nexus. Concentrate on your family ensign. It's a contact that will give you strength." And she left his side.

Guinan moved quietly to stand by Captain Janeway's side and she nestled her hands inside of her sleeves. She saw that the tired captain didn't even notice her. So she adopted Harry's line, "Are you all right?"

Captain Janeway blinked and looked up, a strained smile filling her face but not her eyes. "I'm as well as any captain who's destroyed life and property under her own order."

Guinan inclined her head sternly. "Come off it, captain. Self pity's not a trait that suits you. I've never seen Captain Picard even half as vulnerable as this."

That stung and Guinan watched as Janeway left her command chair to stand face to face with her. "If there's some purpose to your remark, I'd like to hear it." the captain said.

"It's time to decide what you want with your ship and crew. True the Nexus is next on your list of trials but what about afterwards? Earth will settle down when Section 31's absorbed and what then? Do you return to your cornfield homestead in Indiana to live out your days and watch the rest of your crew disband? I know I wouldn't want to see my ship's family broken up. And neither should you." the hostess said. "Family is what defines the best of us."

Kathryn studied Guinan for a long while without looking away. Then her eyes swept the bridge. ::My god. I have forgotten that.:: She saw the away team on the main viewer working to stabilize the Array's defenses against the Nexus. Chakotay's cool calm, Seven's focused discipline and then the same qualities showing in Geordi LaForge and B'Elanna Torres. A sentence bubbled up on her lips. "I know them all so well." she whispered.

"As you should. You've watched over them and cared for them for seven years. Your superiors will tell you to let go of them and be decommissioned. But you don't.....have...to." Guinan said, and she smiled slightly. "Voyager's still got more than a few missions left inside of her. Take advantage of it. Use the Nexus to make that happen." and she nodded her head significantly.

Kathryn was stunned. ::Should I take Voyager inside the Ribbon while it culls the insurgent Section 31 base? And while it sweeps Earth? Do I have the right to dull the pain the journey has left on me?::

Before she looked away, she knew what she had to do. "Tom. Inform Enterprise that we are going in. Before the Nexus reaches the Array."

"Captain?" Paris startled.

"Do it. We won't be harmed." Janeway replied, then she looked at Guinan warmly. "I have it on the best of authority."

"Aye, changing course to intercept the Ribbon. One quarter impulse."

"On my mark." Janeway said.

Her glance fell on Tuvok working quietly at his console, analyzing and reanalyzing the data flowing from Enterprise's and Voyager's sensors. "Forgive me old friend, but I'm delaying your reunion with T'Pel and your children a little longer."

Guinan nodded, seeing conviction return to the Starfleet captain's eyes. She turned to face the ahead viewer.

Janeway heard Kim inform Enterprise and the Midas team Voyager's intentions. Then she gave the word. "Now Tom. Take us in."

----------------------------------------------------------

Geordi LaForge was finished with his work. He watched Barclay hand a towel to Admiral Paris as he left Komach's side. Geordi moved to Reg's side. "I wish I could have done that myself.." he said, tossing a glance at the fallen Admiral Komach.

Reg smiled shyly fearful of being overheard. "Rank has privileges." Then his fingers danced over the console. "Admiral. The Nexus storm front's losing strength. It's the opportunity we've been hoping for. Now, there's no chance of us taking damage when it hits. I tell you. I'm looking forward to returning to her.."

Admiral Paris looked surprised. "Really? I've only read about its effects. Is it really as irresistable as they say? The siren who calls to the sailors."

"Only if you are truly unhappy and alone." Barclay smiled. "I recall that distance has no meaning within. We'll be able to travel to the Moon from here without the use of ships." and he clapped his hands together in anticipation.

Owen looked thoughtful as he moved over to B'Elanna's side so she would hear his next statement. "This Ribbon won't harm Miral?"

"Oh, no. no no. no.. Even if Voyager chooses to enter it. The innocent are absolutely safe."

On cue, the speakers came to life. It was Harry Kim, announcing Janeway's intent to fly into the Nexus while it does its work. "...we're taking advantage of the break in the storms. The captain wants to make sure Section 31's fully incorporealized along with any insurgents on Earth. We're entering.....now. See you on the other side.."

Everyone in the Array's control room watched as one of the two blips parallelling the Nexus suddenly swerved inwards and was gone.

Geordi LaForge said it all for them. " 'Into the frey she'll go with not one look back.' he quoted. "Like Jason and the Argonauts."

Reg checked his board. "We'll be joining Voyager in four minutes. Anyone feel like a swim?"

-  
(attachments)

Image : Harry with his alien girlfriend.

Image: Geordi close up promo with a blue background.

Image: Harry and Janeway looking sad.  
Image: Voyager entering the Nexus.

*  
From : "Cory Anda" Subject : [voyagerliveaction] When you Wish Upon a Star makes no Difference Who you are... Date : Wed, 12 Dec 2001 22:39:19 +0000

Chakotay saw as Kathryn took her ship in.  
"My strength to you, my Seconah. Watch for your spirit guide. He walks the Ribbon."

And he turned to Isis still on the console glaring at Komach. "And what about you?  
Have you experience with the Nexus?  
Everyone here has seen or heard of it."

The black cat who was not a cat stretched languidly. "GarySeven wouldn't let me near it. He figured that I should keep my mind on my work." and she began to wash a paw.  
"He was right."

Neelix came over, "Sweeting. I'm worried for you. You may be over a thousand years old.  
But I know that cursed place's temptation.  
I was with these good Voyager people when she was caught the first time and brought back to Sector 001."

"That's what you're for partner." Isis said with a feline grin. "So watch my back because I have to watch his.." and she crooked a tail over at Komach, still slouched on the floor.  
"It'll be fun. I've never seen a bad man get his just rewards..." she said, hissing at Komach.

The beaten admiral looked up at her and winced.  
"I don't fear it, cat. I am living for my ideals.  
I'll die for them too if I have to."

Chakotay wasn't beneath stirring up a little fear in Komach. "You won't be dying in there. I know."  
and inwardly, he chuckled. ::I'll just bet it'll take days for Komach to learn how to control his thoughts so he doesn't live out his worst nightmares inside the Nexus.::

He took great satisfaction when the man blanched white.

Chakotay wondered what his captain was experiencing that very moment. There was no sign of Voyager on the main Array screen. He hoped the crossing over was uneventful.

He moved over to Admiral Paris. "Sir, I've had time inside. The Ribbon grants what you wish for the good or bad. Just keep your thoughts neutral and positive and it can't harm you. I've seen it do wonders. Travelling along with it from the Delta Quadrant. I saw it bring a dead man to life. Lon Suder. His insanity was cured there."

Admiral Paris nodded, "I understand. I remember Kathryn's reports on him. I shall be cautious, commander."

Barclay and everyone stiffened when the orange and coral fire grew brighter on the viewer until it snuffed out the lights.

A soft nonsilence filled the room. Whispers of voices half heard and the sound of water and the wind.  
And the sharp scent of hot sand.

::It's come. We're entering..:: Chakotay thought.

A peaceful music caressed everyone's mind and tensions of the body lifted away as the orange light filled them all. ::We didn't even shudder. The storm front must be gone.::

He instinctively drew near Geordi, B'Elanna, Owen,  
Neelix and Isis and Data and the EMH and Scotty, drawing them into a circle by the shoulders.

He saw Komach begin to twist in resistence as the Nexus substance advanced and he screamed. A first nightmare began for the man.

Chakotay decided to let him suffer for a while before he told him how to cope with things.

##Ttteerrrrrrrrr!!## came a familiar cry.  
Chakotay held out his arm and Rahelon, his spirit guide hawk landed. ##I am here at last!  
The passing over was easy..##

Neelix spoke nearby, he was still as yet unfamiliar with the commanders spirit realm abilities.  
"Uh, commander, how's this possible? That-  
That's an Earth hawk."

"Why so it is, Mr. Neelix." Chakotay chuckled.  
"She's a figment of my mind. Like everything here now is. I wouldn't be surprised if your own spirit guide suddenly cropped up very soon..."

Neelix ducked and frantically looked about.  
"W--Where? I don't see anything.."

Chakotay calmed the frightened Talaxian.  
"It will come only if you wish it.. remember?  
This place makes your dreams reality."

Neelix began to relax but he still hung onto Barclay's arm until he remembered Isis.  
"Come here girl." and the not a cat leaped into his arms.

Isis mewed loudly. "Oh! I like this place love.  
Headquarters has got to book vacations here for all our secret agents. Even prettier than GarySeven's super nova.."

"Shhhh.." Neelix said, "Have some respect.  
I- I don't think the Nexus appreciates a casual tongue."

A voice came out of the soft fire around them.  
"The Nexus doesn't care one way or another.  
It decides nothing on its own.." came a warm timber.  
All who used to be on the Array saw a tall elegant Guinan approach them. She regarded them all right back and folded her arms over her elbows. Unlike her Enterprise counterpart, this Guinan wore no hat. Her hair was long in corn rows down to her ankles and a simple jewel adorned her woven shift.

She threw her head back behind her when a fierce animal growl announced itself. A full sized Cheetah padded to her side and sat down next to her. It immediately began licking its shoulder seemingly not threatened by the people around it.

Neelix screamed and cowered behind Barclay.

Isis laughed. "Oh come now. That is a spirit thing... Like the man's little birdy, everyone.."

The Nexus Guinan smiled benignly peaceful.  
"This is Sheena. My spirit guide. I hope you don't mind, Commander but your people's concept of self therapy was irresistable.  
Dreamquests seem like the ideal solution for me to help those who come into the Nexus cope. Not everyone comes without problems like you all have done."

Barclay smiled. "That's because we've been here before. The Ribbon took Voyager home on our first contact with it."

"I know. I made it happen." the Nexus Guinan said.

"What?" a new voice said. Kathryn Janeway, still in uniform, joined the group. "You're responsible?"

"In part.." she admitted. "You know. The Q's plan of using this Galatic Dustbuster to clean up all the dirt in the universe, and righting what went wrong's very appealing. I've adopted their attitude.  
Gives me something to do. The Nexus appreciates it too. I'm the one it turns to to speak for it now."

##And I## said the spirit Cheetah at the Nexus Guinan's side.

"And you too, my delightful dear..." %Guinan& said.

Chakotay kept hold of what he wanted to know.  
"Kathryn.. where's the crew?"

Janeway nodded, "They're over there." she said pointing. "Don't worry. They're fine. They'll be coming to us soon. I saw everyone "leave" Voyager with no problems. Guinan made sure of that." she broke off regarding the other %Guinan% before her. "But I don't see her now.  
Oh! We should search for her..."

But the Nexus hostess stopped her.  
"I know your thoughts captain." %Guinan% said.  
"I am existing with my sister simultaneously. But the natural laws prevent us from being in the same place at the same time. She is still outside, awaiting your return. It is for me to be with you in here now."  
she said slowly stroking Sheenah's spotted coat.

"How can there be two of you?" Neelix asked.

"It is an ability of El Auriens. Our innate time sense enables us to splinter inside the Nexus envelope.  
But thus far. We are the only El Aurien to find it, Guinan and I. I have not found others of my people yet."

Barclay piped up. "Your sister's still with Enterprise,  
doing the same thing. She's found no others either."

%Guinan% replied, "As we expected. The Borg did a thorough job of scattering our people."

Janeway again looked over her shoulder into the Nexus fog, worrying but trying to hide it.

Sheenah spoke. ##Your Enterprise companion ship has not yet arrived. Picard still wrestles with his conscience. He has a burden to bear with concern for the Nexus. For he has seen his hero die here,  
one whom he could not help.##

Janeway dismissed the remark from the spirit guide.  
"When will Enterprise join us?"

%Guinan% answered. "When he decides. I know Picard will move before we reach Earth and its moon."

Chakotay picked his head up at a sound. "Someone's coming.."

From out of the soft rosy light came the entire complement of Voyager. Dr. Bashir, John Torres, Naomi and Samantha Wildman, Tom Paris, Scotty, Tuvok, Seven, Harry and all of the others he knew about, Voyager's entire family.  
The group gathered together under the Nexus's kind skies.

Tom Paris greeted his wife warmly, with a kiss that embarrassed her in front of everyone. And in his arms,  
was his tiny daughter, Miral.

Kathryn came forward. "There you are.. My newest crew member... Give her here, Tom.." Janeway lifted the happy infant from her father's arms into her own and created bubbles from the air for her to play with.  
The baby's piercing laughter made everyone feel the joy surrounding them all that much more acutely.  
"Hi..." she cooed at the infant. "Hello there.. Can you smile for Auntie Kathy?"

Miral's tiny face screwed up in a cute slobbery grin.

"Careful Kathryn...you're making me believe you want children very badly right now." Chakotay quipped.

Janeway scoffed teasingly at her first officer. "Was there something before that made you think I didn't want any? Starting a family is very much on my mind." And she winked at him before turning as Neelix came to play with the baby as well.

Tom Paris overheard nustling B'Elanna and he said, "I think I know some of your feelings about the subject Captain.  
After all, we've been down that road before.."

SEE SOUND BITE ATTACHMENT

"So we have lieutenant.. But you don't know half of it."  
Janeway quipped. "Some people need to learn what you did about me.." and she winked again at Chakotay.

Chakotay was pleasantly taken aback. ::Now what did she mean by that look?:: He had thought any relationship beyond friendship with Kathryn was just mere fancy. Then he reconsidered. "This is the Nexus Kathryn..." he whispered so only she could hear him. "We can have anything we desire."

But Janeway didn't act as if she heard him and he couldn't tell if she was pretending to ignore his remark or not.

That made Chakotay even more thoughtful.  
Then he turned away taking a head count of the Voyager and Midas Array crew assembling before them.

Chakotay sent Rahelon aloft to search for signs of any new arrivals. ::I wonder if the Q will choose to come?::

-  
(attachments)

Image: Guinan in brown.

Image: Chakotay and Janeway, sharing ironic looks.

*animated gif* A running cheetah.  
Image: Paris and B'Elanna kissing deeply.

Audio: Janeway- I thought about having children. But I must say I never considered having them with you.

Tom- Captain.. I'm sorry. I- I don't know what to say.. Except.  
I don't remember very much about... uh... you know.

Janeway- What makes you think it was your idea?

*Animated movie* Voyager being swept before a giant peach wave.

*******************************************

From : "Katherine Bird" FOR "Clairissa Fox"  
Date : Fri, 14 Dec 2001 07:20:50 +0000 Subject: [voyagerliveaction] I'm a little angel..

I knew I was in the Necsus when I saw Mr. Barklay and the other people who were on Project Pathfinder.  
They hadnt beamed out but they were here.

I walked over to him and said. Mr. Barklay! Mr. Barklay!  
What happens now? I know the Necsus flew and got us but what will happen when it gets the bad people on the moon? Will we be hurt by them?

I saw the black cat that was with Mr Nelix and I went over to her. I petted her. Hi Ises! I know another cat like you. His name is Spot. He belongs to Mr Data. I looked up at Nelix who was holding her.  
Dont be scared Nelix. You dont have to tell the Necsus to make it scary. It can do anything! See?

And I gave myself the wings I always wanted.

Dr Basheer saw me and shouted. Dont wander too far away! Your mum will want you to stay near by.

I know! Im just getting ready to move around in case the bad people Komack knows do something.  
Wont they know its a nice place here and that they wont have to fight anymore?

"Section 31 isn't the type of organization that will throw away ideals until they see the reason to give them up." said Tuvok. "This phenomena all around us just may prove the very solution necessary to deal with them."

Exactly what I say. I said. They can dream out the kind of new home they want and leave the Federation and the Earth alone!

So I flew around Komack and went into his scary dream. He was dreaming that he was in a classroom and he didnt know the lessons!

I flew down to the desk near him and looked over at his datapad. It said.  
"Quantum Fissures in Relativistic Variables and other complications of Matter/Energy Transference."

I looked at the frightened man. What does that mean?

Komack looked at me, "I-- Who are you?  
I- I have to learn this lesson but I don't want to know what I've done. Its all about my transporter. I- I've done something horrible with it they say.." And he pointed to my friends from Voyager.  
"But I can't remember."

Mr Komach. You are in the bad club that hurts people by making new rules that no one wants.  
You came to Voyager and the Project Pathfinder place with your long distance transporter and it hurt my friends. It put them into comas!  
Even me!

I saw him get scared and he went into a little ball on the soft clouds we were standing on.  
"No! No! I didn't."

Yes you did. That's why Mr Barklay and Admiral Paris are so mad at you. But now its different.  
You can go to the court to take a punishment or you can stay here with the rest of your bunch when they get picked up by the Necsus.  
And Ill tell you another thing.

I kneeled and gave Komack a big hug. I forgive you for everything. Just dont do it again.

And I flew out of his bad dream showing him that he could make what he wanted to happen now.

I flew back to Ises and Nelix who was standing near my mum and I told them all. Sorry I had to make Mr Komack know how I feel and tell him how things will be now.

"You did?" Neelix said. "Well I suppose that's that. Admiral Komach's been neutralized. He won't be a problem any longer."

And he wont have bad dreams in here any more.  
I told him he doesnt have to have them if he doesn't want to.

"There's a good girl.." Isis purred. "Something these other humans can learn from you." and she glared at Admiral Paris for giving in to petty vengeance and Chakotay for not telling him how the Nexus worked. She leaped out of Neelix's arms to the ground.  
"Now my little human. Those are a fine set of wings! Race you to Voyager and back!" and she took off, running as fast as she could imagine.

Hey! Wait for me! And I went too.

"Watch her carefully Isis! " Neelix called out to her. "Don't run her into any storms!"

"Has a cat ever gotten lost?" came her reply.

------------

I flew as fast as I could and landed my feet on the hull of Voyager where she sat in a cloud inside the Necsus. Mr Bootby was there.

Bootby! Bootby! I thought they turned you off!

"I was shut down on Voyager earlier. Yes." he said, patting the titanium plating he was leaning against. "Why hello Isis."

"Do I know you?" the black cat said curling her tail around herself as she perched on a hull vent.

"No. But I know of you." the Boothby consult program said. "I've been programmed with every captain's and commander's logs and the entire Federation library database. Of course I know about you and Gary Seven. How'd you give him the slip?"  
the hologram said, leaning in on Isis kiddingly.

"He decided to sunbathe in a supernova. Stupid really. I told him it was the wrong beach."

But I wanted to know something else other than that. Bootby! Bootby! I have a question for you.

"Yes, Naomi Wildman. I just may have the answer."

Who turned you on in here? I mean. Things dont happen in the Necsus unless somebody wishes it to.

Boothby's face frowned in genuine puzzlement.  
"That's odd. I don't rightly know.. Usually I'm not turned on unless someone needs some advise about something on a mission. Shall we find out why?"

Yeah! I shouted. Follow me and Ises. Everyone is this way! And I pointed up.

-  
(attachments)

Image: Naomi Wildman as Pommers actress.

Image: A Star Grid Map around gas giants and suns.

***********************************

From : "Katherine Bird" Subject : [voyagerliveaction] Anything your Heart Desires ...Will Come to.  
Date : Fri, 14 Dec 2001 07:20:50 +0000

Samantha Wildman felt only a little disorientation when the delicate ether of the Nexus filled her.  
::Oh my. Starfleet academy never simulated this:  
And she shut her eyes tight as sensations took hold.  
It was her very thoughts intruding into her surroundings. Self doubt. Worry. ::I heard Captain Janeway give the order to enter here. So why am I freaking out?::

She opened them to see Guinan. But she was a different Guinan. One who was at peace and not suffering the terrible loneliness of being apart from her own people. It made Samantha see how sad the other Guinan was even fully integrated with Captain Picard's crew.

Then she heard the ether Guinan's words to the group and understood everything in a heartbeat soon afterwards. ::Oh no. My daughter's going to have a hey day in here.:: And she looked skyward. She was ever grateful when her old friend Neelix with his new strange companion said.

"Watch her carefully Isis! " Neelix called out to her. "Don't run her into any storms!"

"Has a cat ever gotten lost?" came her reply.

Sam didn't pretend to even understand Isis. But she knew the gentle wise being was far from being the feline she appeared to be and so she relaxed.

Everything would be all right. She watched Isis and her daughter race off in the direction her mind pulled, towards the familiarity of Voyager's feel.  
::Wow. That's odd. I don't see the ship, yet I know with every fiber of my being that it is there.::

"And why shouldn't you feel it lieutenant?"%Guinan%  
asked. "Shouldn't you know the direction of home no matter how your senses are cloaked? The Nexus knows what's integral to your happiness and will provide it. Tell me. What is it that you wish?"

Samantha stopped focusing on her daughter's energy whom she could feel like the warmth of the sun on her face nearby and was reluctant to consider it. " What?"

%Guinan% smiled the same mysterious smile Sam Wildman had seen before on the Enterprise hostess at the homecoming party.

::Was that celebration only three days ago? Time flies.:: Sam wondered.

"For the time you'll remain here. You can have whatever it is you wish that gives you joy. It is why this part of me chose to remain behind. I know what Jean Luc desires. His perfect moment lies in a Victorian Christmas with his dearest family very close. I met them all when he was pursuing a madman." she said mildly.

%Guinan's% words disturbed Sam slightly and she didn't know why. ::What am I afraid of?  
There's nothing that matters that anyone could glean from learning about me.:: "I see." she said tightly, thinking she was suddenly thirsty.

In a moment, a cool glass of lemonade was in her grasp in the very crystal mug her father used to give her when she visited him in San Francisco Sundays. On a reflex,  
she looked up, searching for him.

"Do you want to find him? You can. All you have to do is concentrate a bit harder."  
%Guinan% said. She too, had a crystalline glass full of lemonade and she took a sip.  
"Oh. This is good. Does this come from Earth?"

"My father's dead, Guinan. I- I don't think I want to wish him back. No matter how pleasant this place is. For I couldn't bear to let him go when Captain Janeway orders us back to the ship." Sam Wildman admitted to her ethereal guide.

Sam concentrated and could feel more than just her daughter's warmth of spirit on her face. She felt affection and caring from most of her Voyager family hovering nearby,  
papable on her skin, from whichever direction they were and it filled her with an incredible peace, washing away the unpleasantness she felt thinking about her father.

%Guinan% smiled slightly. "See? The Nexus will not allow hurt for long. It's purpose is healing and joy. Some people call this heaven.  
Although I think that the Q don't know what heaven is. They haven't suffered enough to understand the concept."

Sam was effected by the Nexus enough to feel surreal in her conversation with %Guinan%  
and she wasn't ....quite... used to it yet.

She got to her feet and suddenly the glass in her hand was gone along with her thirst. "I should report to the captain. She'll want us all close by when the Ribbon strikes the Moon and Earth."

"As you like." %Guinan% inclined her head.  
"I'll be nearby if you should need me. I summoned one whom you might feel more comfortable asking questions of. That crusty gardener with the fine touch for flowers.  
His essense even in a hologram form is soothing even to me. He's on his way. Your little one has found him." And with that,  
%Guinan& blended in with the Nexus peach glow and was gone. But Sam could still feel her mysterious presence like a wind.

She quickly thought herself by the captain's side. "Captain. Boothby's been reactivated.  
He's on his way."

Captain Janeway turned from Chakotay with whom she was laughing when she caught the tiny shred left of Sam's ill at ease.  
"Samantha. There's nothing to worry about in here. This is the safest place I could bring the crew while the Nexus barrels in on Section 31 and all the malcontents left over from the Founder/Federation War %Guinan's% just told me so much about.  
It seems we missed quite difficult times for the Federation while we were away, so don't worry. I won't let anything happen to you." she said seriously.

"Thank you captain. I know how much you really care. I can feel everyone's emotions like sunlight in here. It's almost too much too bear."

Tuvok stepped forward. His mind was a cool morass in contrast to the other crew around her. "Lieutenant. You must suppress your wish to be empathetic. The Nexus is making you psi sensitive thinking that this is your desire. Imagine you are still in a restful place and those sensations should subside."

At a light brush of Tuvok's fingers on her forehead. Sam was free of the curious empathetic tie to the other's private feelings.  
She sighed against him but just as quickly,  
straightened. "Sorry Tuvok.. I- I guess it'll take a bit for me to get a hold of this Nexus idea."

Kathryn smiled and Sam was once again only privy to her expression this time.  
"You will. Chakotay and the rest of us have an advantage over you. You were in your quarters most of the time sleeping when we encountered this Nexus the first time in the Delta Quadrant. We've learned a few things."

Sam Wildman turned as a shadow of a person whom she knew wasn't alive stepped near her and the others.  
"Boothby..." she said.

"At your service.." and he bowed low, picking a pink rose out of nowhere for the lieutenant.

Naomi, holding a full basket of the same blooms,  
giggled. "He's here to help, mum. But we don't know who called him up." Isis, popped out of the woven basket, shedding flowers and leaped down to form earth under her feet so she could stand.

Sam knelt, grateful to the feline changeling spy. "I know who did. The custodian of this place.  
%Guinan%."

Janeway looked around in surprise. "Guinan? But she was just here."

Sam laughed. "She was just with me, too. Odd,  
this. I wonder how the Q will handle being inside Aladdin's Lamp. Or at least, inside its smoke anyway."

Isis meowed, "Aladdin's Lamp's Smoke.  
What a nickname for the Nexus. I think I like it better than Q's term of Intergalatic Dustbuster."

Boothby grumbled with amusement in his usual gravelly tone. "Never knew any Q who could turn the clever phrase."

Quince made an appearance, having trouble incorporealizing into solidity from the Nexus ether, so he materialized only his head for starters. "I heard that, thornthumbs."

Boothby folded his holoarms. "See what I mean."  
"His mouth's matching his half here body."

A faint noise caught all the Voyager and Array crew's attention. It seemed to be coming closer. It sounded like........ barking..

"...oh no..." Isis said, the hair bristling in alarm on her back. "I don't want to change form in here.  
It's gonna tickle something horrible... Everybody keep Molly..OFF!!!!" and she leaped onto Neelix's shoulder once again, trying to hide in his whiskers.

Molly, and Freckles, her Janeway setter son, romped forth in full joy of finding their masters.

Harry Kim and Janeway had their arms full greeting them. "Down boy!"  
" Down girl! I'm glad to see you too."  
"Take it easy! You've found me!" "Sit, girl, I'm giving you an order! ah, h#ll...(Laughter)."

Then the two irish setters caught wind of Isis and all Hades broke loose. Quince, who was still missing the rest of his "body", couldn't do anything except smirk, enjoying his version of ultimate joy from the Nexus.

Cat hunting.

RReeeooowwrrrrr!!! said Isis.

-  
(attachments)

Image: Samantha Wildman actress Hower.

*animated gif* A spinning Voyager ship in 3D.

*  
From : "patti keiper" Subject : [voyagerliveaction] Aprons... Heh. Date : Sun, 16 Dec 2001 12:40:53 +0000

Q materialized a short distance away watching his fellow Continuum colleague, Quince, play.  
"I don't know what you find so entertaining about philandering with canine beasts. They're no fun at all, except when they're puppies. Then they are worth ...something..They make awfully good bribes for Kathy here."

"Q!" Janeway admonished, remembering when Q offered a fast track home for her ship using an irish setter pup. "Is that all you consider anything other than a Q around you?  
As commodities?"

Q sat on a stump he materialized under his rump from the Nexus ether and crossed one leg over the other in deep thought, "And why shouldn't I? In my society, people such as yourself who don't have Q powers, are taken as resources to tap for services rendered.  
And the best way to go is the entertainment value. You and your ship have proven immensely popular on the educational network- Finite Emphemeral, or FE channel."

"I'm deeply touched." Janeway said sarcastically.  
"Although you might consider using us lesser beings in a less direct way for once. I'd rather be a goldfish in a bowl than a flea in the circus. Might even feed Lady Q's taste for watching us humans behave naturally in the wild.." she tossed out flippantly.

"Point taken.." Q said generously. "I know. I'll bring up the very idea at the next What To Do Next-committee session set for the next millenium at dawn."

"Like that will help us.." Tom mumbled.

"What's that flyboy?"

Janeway staved off any retaliation quickly.  
" 'I'm sure that will help us.'. he said." She warned him with an obvious glance to Quince who seemed itching to manipulate something while they all waited for the Nexus to finishing getting to the Moon and Earth.

"Rigghhtt.." Tom replied only half concerned. He was watching the playful Molly and Freckles dance around Neelix trying to reach Isis from her perch on his neck. "Say... Quince.." he said observing his daughter giggle at the sight of the canines' antics. "I think you're on to something with this carrot sticking dogs idea.  
Miral's eating it up.."

"Tom.." Janeway admonished. "Don't encourage them."  
she said throwing an uncomfortable glance towards Amanda Q, Quince, Q and Q2 gathered in a bunch on a bright cloud of Nexus stuffing over their heads.

Q, of course, heard her. "And since when have Q ever needed encouraging in anything that they do, Kathy."  
And he huffed in derision. But then he took sympathy in the short Neelix desperately defending Isis from happy tall leaping setters and tossed twin red balloons in the air for them to go after instead. He glanced at Quince. "Ohhh,,.. gee. Lookie the doggies Quince. They're so easy to mislead off the scent. See why I don't dabble in animals?"

Quince was oblivious. "Huh?"

Q leaned over so Tuvok and Janeway could hear him.  
"Small minds are easily amused. I'm almost embarrassed to have graduated the same Continuum class with him."

Isis took her freedom and leaped to the Q's cloud above the Federation people's heads. She landed all four sets of claws into Q's boots and surprisingly, they struck home.

"Owwww!!" Q exclaimed as she leaped off again before getting physically booted herself. "What did you do that for??! I see you've been learning how to pester Q from the quaint saintly Barmaid Part Deux in here. She doesn't waste time, does she?"

"I've a remedy for that.." Quince piped up, thoroughly engrossed in floating the balloons just out of Molly's and Freckles reaches so their teeth never reached their goal. And he snapped his fingers.

The whole ship and array party were suddenly seated at one long endless bar on a row of stools. Quince was suddenly wearing an apron and polishing crystal glasses with a fold of Nexus he taffy-ed from the air.  
"We'll be safe here. The Bar Customer's truce remember?  
%Guinan%'s still a bartender in spite of things."

Q smiled and crossed his feet on top of the bar. "Why so she is... And that truce of hers is universally universal in the universe now isn't it?"

Isis backed down her "attack" reluctantly, hissing all the while.

Quince hushed her by setting a bowl of cream in front of her. "I know what you're having, furball. Cow liquid."  
and he snapped his foggy Nexus towel at her in jest.  
"What'll it be for the rest of ya? %Guinan%'s been AWOL her bartending duties in here while she plays guru so I'll be filling in for her. Come on.. call out yer drink orders. Anything you want. I got."

Q laughed, then he snapped a finger and Neelix was wearing an apron and was flashed standing next to Quince with a bowl full of nuts in his hand.  
"Hey, Bar rodent. I'll have one of those...fruity concoctions.."

Neelix blinked in surprise at finding himself in a different location and being pressed into service that way. He thunked down the bowl of nuts so they sprayed over most everyone and whipped off his apron, balling it up into one and whipping it onto the "floor" the Nexus provided so he could carry out his gesture. "I'm not your personal cook, valet, butler, Maitre De, or anything, Q!"

"Yes you are..." Quince said blandly, biting on a nail. "You just haven't realized it yet like these others have..." he said, absently waving a hand at the Voyager and Array parties sitting on their bar stools in a line.

The reaction to his statement was startling.

Quince didn't think he was going to get any drink orders after that. ::But one never can tell.:: he thought. ::I think I'll buy the first round myself. Heh:  
As a quick fore thought, he clunked down a huge Klingon goblet full of something sweet and sour and deep violet in front of B'Elanna Torres. "Here you go my dear. Drink of the warriors. On the house. I know how much Woof enjoyed his prune juice. Dive in."

He likewise gave Barclay a rootbeer float,  
Tuvok his Tempak Tea, all three Paris's and Scotty their twenty year malt Scotch and sodas,  
Harry a softdrink, Naomi a Galactic Fizzer,  
Dr. Bashir a Raktejino, Data some oil, Chakotay a mug of rainwater, Janeway her usual, Boothby and the EMH a battery booster, the two setters some chicken broth, Neelix his Iaolo Root Fruitty,  
but he left the lemonade in Sam's hands intact.

Then he leaned over the underneath illuminated recreation of Guinan's Ten Forward bar and said.  
"I don't know what you Q are having these days.  
So, I'm leaving that up to you.."

For himself, he summoned a cup of pure super nova,  
from the very one which offed Gary Seven.

Isis hissed. "Have respect for the deceased elf!"  
and she smacked away her cream bowl off the bar. "I've had enough of him.. " and she leaped down off the stool to get away.

Quince promply wished her back into it.  
"Ah. ah. ah.. Not so fast, ragtail. You see?  
Not only do I have Q powers. I have the Nexus wish granting behind my wishing.. Please, stay."  
and his eyes got very stern. "And enjoy my hospitality.. I insist."

%Guinan% promptly appeared, still holding the lemonade that Sam Wildman's memory of her father made for her. "Q,..." she said dangerously soft.

Quince winced, ducking slightly."Ooo.. now what?  
I was just getting started."

%Guinan% pointed at Isis and the "floor".;  
"She was fairly off your bar stool and out of your bartending influences. If you're going to play "me." Play according to the Bar Truce rules Q-uker. If you do. I won't fry your rear for misbehaving inside my Nexus."

"Oh, all right..." Quince said. "But only because having this apron's doing a good job filling my entertainment debit for the day."

And he released Isis's back into her freefall.  
Luckily, the shapechanging spy adopted a real earth cat's ability to land on her feet. "Good riddance. Thankyou ma'am." she addressed %Guinan%. "Now I think I'll be headed.."  
and she broke off her comment, sniffing the Nexus breezes. "Hold your hats folks." she told them all. "We're about to make landfall...."

And the whole Nexus sky filled with the surface of Luna and the Mare Imbrum on an intercept course.

Quince laughed. "One unwanted little Section,  
with a tag to be filled. Coming right up!!"

Q leaned forward on his bar stool, "This, is going to be fun. Want to be the one to do a little tidying up with the Vacuum Hose , Kathy? I can leave the Maquis culling job for Chakotay when we get to Earth." he said,  
cradling a model of the Nexus ribbon in his hand like a Dustbuster. You just aim it like this here where you want it to be, then suck."

Janeway glared at him.

Q was undeterred. "Or better yet. You give it a crack son... Knock yourself out."  
And he handed the business end of the Nexus controls to Q2. "I know you have a grudge against Komachy and his lackies for kidnapping you to the Academy."

-  
(attachments)

Image: Q, Janeway and puppy caught in the act of Bribery.

Image: A crowd of Voyager and Array crewman around Guinan's bar.

*  
From : "Fran Catrair" Subject : [voyagerliveaction] The Most Precious Gift Date : Sun, 16 Dec 2001 23:05:54 -0600

B'Elanna Torres was still trying to calm her anger at Owen Paris. She couldn't believe it. She had been in full challenge anger, and he had blown her and her challenge off completely.  
What really galled her was the lackadaisical concern of the others. People around her were standing quietly by, watching along with her as her quiet, gentle father-in-law beat the living h#ll out of the helpless Section 31 chief.  
Perhaps it was best, she reluctantly realized. If word got back to the Federation brass, she would have been in deep trouble, which would have complicated things for her and her family more than she cared to admit. Admiral Paris would be able to work things to his advantage. Many, in fact, might take it as just some 'gentlemanly disagreement.  
She had watched with a feeling of unease as Voyager had willingly entered the Nexus. Even though she had known what the Nexus was, she felt concern for Tom and Miral onboard Voyager. Now, they were all inside the Nexus together. As the feeling of calm enveloped her, she soon noticed members of Voyager come forward to greet the new arrivals. Her relief was immediate when Tom came forward to greet her, followed a few moments later by her father, who was carrying Miral in his arms. Miral appeared to be bubbling happily, noticing the events around her in total fascination.  
As she noticed the happy events going on around her, she couldn't help but feel a deep sadness overcome her. Her mood was noticed by their Nexus hostess. "What's wrong, Lieutenant? As you can see, everyone is here, safe and sound." the Nexus Guinan said to her, in a reassuring voice.  
"I'm not sure, Guinan. I know what you say is true, but somehow, I just feel like something is...missing." she replied, looking around her with confusion in her eyes. Guinan closed her own eyes and concentrated. Slowly, she opened them, comprehension on her face. "You know, anything you want here can come to pass. Anything is possible, B'Elanna." she finished. B'Elanna didn't even notice the familiarity Guinan was using. She was caught in her uncertainty. "Wh-at?" she said, confusion and unease on her features. "You want your mother to see your daughter, her namesake. That is understandable; and possible. All you have to do is think of her, and she will come." Guinan finished, smiling widely. "But...how? She's in the Klingon afterlife. That's just not possible...is it?" she finished, a tinge of hope in her voice. "I won't tell you again, B'Elanna. You're a smart girl. Now YOU figure it out." the hostess finished, going off to attend to her other guests.  
B'Elanna took a couple slow, deep breaths and concentrated. She felt a presence near her, and opened her eyes. There, standing in front of her was her mother.  
The elder Miral Torres looked at her. She was dressed in a simple black robe, her hair down and overflowing her shoulders. Ornate jewelry adorned her. It appeared that she held a high place in the aftermath society. ::Guess she passed with some honor then.:: B'Elanna mused, her mouth gaping in wonder. "It's not wise to stand there with your mouth open, daughter." she chided in a warm voice. Walking past the still gaping woman, she went over to John Torres and her granddaughter. John Torres gazed in awe at his wife as well. It had been so long since they had last seen each other. They had not parted well, but looking at her now, he could tell that he still loved her. Miral looked at him, smiled and held out her arms slowly. John wordlessly handed over the baby to her. Miral looked at her with a smile on her cherubic face. Miral could see the ridges on her granddaughter's face; could also see the blue eyes of his father. She briefly glanced at Tom, who was watching everything with that same smile her granddaughter had, unshed tears brimmed his eyes. B'Elanna went over to stand beside Tom, her arm going around his waist, watching the scene before her. Her parents together, with their daughter. Tears fell silently down her cheeks, and she squeezed Tom's waist, feeling his arm go around her and squeeze her in return. "It's...the most precious gift I could ever receive." she said quietly to him, her voice rasping in emotion.  
The reunion was interrupted when all of them found themselves sitting at a long table, courtesy of Q. As Quince put the blood wine in front of her, she cringed. Quickly remembering anything could come to pass inside the Nexus, she changed the composition of the drink in her glass to a harmless Klingon juice blend, which had the same appearance as the blood wine. She picked up the cup, winking at Tom and mentally sending him a message about the contents, and downed it in one gulp.

Lady Q watched in fascination as Admiral Paris punished the rogue Admiral. She thought it was interesting how the 'civilized' Federation people could allow such barbarity and not protest it. She would definitely need to ask Q about this later. Or perhaps, she would ask Janeway instead.  
As the Array passed over them, she noticed the changes in the people present. It appeared anything they wished for came true. ::They have Q powers in here!:: she thought incredulously. She watched as a drink appeared suddenly in Samantha Wildman's hand. Naomi Wildman sprout wings and fly off. She popped over beside Q, who was entertaining himself once again by tormenting Quince. "Just what are you two up to now?" she asked him, hands on her hips.  
"Come now, darling. Can't you see we're having some fun here?" he said, flicking his wrist and point his finger, casting Lady Q away to join Boothby, perched on the topside of Voyager.  
Boothby, looking at her, responded drolly, "Problems with your husband, Lady Q?"  
Lady Q looked at him, surprise and anger on her features, as she quickly materialized herself next to Amanda Q.  
Both women found themselves at the far end of Quince's banquent table. "There you go, my dears. Just sit there like good little Qs on watch Q and myself in action!" Quince exclaimed, plopping down two ornate glasses of wine in front of them. For their part, Amanda and Lady Q looked at each other, surprise on their faces. It appeared Quince and Q had something planned. She had no idea where Q2 was. "Seems my son is out on yet another one of his explorations." Lady Q observed. Amanda Q, looked at her and nodded solemnly. She had no idea why Q2 was behaving so erratically as of late. "Guess we might as well enjoy ourselves then, shall we?" she said, in a resigned tone.  
Looking at each other, both women picked up the wine glasses, raised them in a toast, clinking the glasses together, and drank.

(Attachments)

Image: B'Elanna promo in a silver hall.

Image: B'Elanna sitting with Tom in Maquis clothes with goblets in their hands.

Image: B'Elanna in full Klingon gear with two others.

Image: Amanda Q smiling on the hull of Enterprise D with Q having just flashed them there. Neat.

Image: Quince, the blond haired Q looking very analytical.

***********************

END WEEK FORTY EIGHT RECAP

.com/voyagerliveaction Graphic Site

.com/group/voyagerliveaction Writer's Site

WEEK FORTY NINE RECAP 12-27-01

.com/voyagerliveaction Graphic Site

.com/group/voyagerliveaction Writer's Site

***********************************

Cassidy Meyers" Subject : [voyagerliveaction] Beyond Death's Door Date : Fri, 28 Dec 2001 09:04:33 +0400

Deanna Troi straightened up in her shuttle's seat urgently. ::I have to get there in time.  
They can't go in without me.:: She saw the Enterprise about to head into the Nexus above her, a dark shadow against the wild fire of pinks and orange of the ribbon. Of Voyager, there was no sign.

::I can't feel them anymore. Captain Janeway's probably taken Voyager inside for the sweep Q will take over the moon and Earth. Safest place to be to me, too. But first.::

=^=Counselor Troi to Enterprise.. Come in.  
Request boarding priority. Security Code Beta Nine Sigma Theta Two. Transmitting my orders from Earth to your stations. Receive when ready... Mark.=^=

And she hit her data transfer control. Deanna knew radio silence from Enterprise was only precautionary as she headed into the crazy maelstrom ringing the head of the tumbling Nexus wave. Past reports from Starfleet noted that any communications outgoing off ship would trigger the hull lightning that could kill.

::Come on, Jean Luc. Bring me home.:: she wished.

A blink later, her entire shuttle was nestled inside Enterprise's wide bay in subdued lighting. Troi barely waited for full atmospheric readings before she cracked her exit door and rushed out towards the bridge. She didn't even see the security escort sent to make sure of her identity following.

The turbolift couldn't get her to the bridge fast enough.

::I'm here. Finally. Now I can go with them.::

On her way, she hit her combadge to Guinan. "Guinan.  
I got word from you two hours ago. I got here as fast as I could. I heard you were found floating in open space when Voyager went into the Ribbon."

She heard the soft hostess's voice come over a little raspy over the comm. "Your captain was good enough to spot me and beam me inside Enterprise. I don't blame Janeway. How could she know that I can't be twice inside the Nexus ribbon. I'm already there. Hope you left the keys inside and the motor running on your shuttle."

Troi smiled as she watched the turbolift deck lights race as she sped to the bridge. "I did. And she's already programmed for a week's food while you watch the Nexus take the Moon and Earth. I've already cleared you to hang out with the Press Armada and Federation Reporters' Papporazzi Fleet watching the event until the "culling" is over. I'm actually grateful for the Q offering the Ribbon to all the insurgent Section 31 and malcontents left over from the War. It will do Earth a lot of good."

"I concur likewise, counselor. Be safe. No doubt I'll be seeing you again very soon on the other side. My sister self already sees Enterprise coming. Au Vois, Troi. Thanks for the shuttle ride send off." Guinan said.

Troi pushed impatient locks of black curls from her face and said, "My pleasure. We empaths have to stick together and watch our captains' well. I'll make sure the people who choose the Nexus life are the right ones. Voyager and Enterprise will stay on a margin to escape it once its task is done."

"See you shipside, counselor.." Guinan said.

Deanna Troi made it onto the bridge proper just in time to see Captain Picard launch Guinan's shuttle off Enterprise and order his starship into the Ribbon on Voyager's heels.

Deanna felt the ship dissolve around her.

She was sitting at a long bar with the others. Q2 was standing and many new faces greeted her that she didn't know since she had been recalled shortly after B'Elanna Torres and Seven of Nine were abducted by Komach to his hidden Section 31 base.  
::I'll just bet the entire crew of Voyager is along this bar on stools and now the whole Enterprise crew is too. Just imagine. %Guinan% has a bar on the front edge of the Nexus ribbon. Now that's class.:: And the counselor wished a hot chocolate into her hands to match the drinks held in the other's hands. She sat back to absorb the emotions of those around her to orient to them as she must.

::So many new faces. Scotty. And that tiny cat:  
she mused in her thoughts watching her captain shake his place back inside the Nexus into reality in his mind. His thoughts were in awe and a touch sad.

Deanna straightened on her bar stool. "Now why is that?" she said out loud.

%Guinan% answered her, suddenly appearing out of the Nexus fog to answer her. "Counselor,..last time Picard was here, he had to witness the death of his hero just outside of the Ribbon and he was powerless to stop it."

Deanna met %Guinan's% eyes and said. "You don't mean C-"

"Ladies.. May I join you?" a warm sincere voice asked.  
The man was in an old style rust colored field jacket that was torn and he was dusty from gritty soil which matted his light colored hair. In his hands were shards of something. These he tossed onto the underlit bartop with a clunk.

They were of heavy, shorn off metal.

::Is that grating from a walkway?:: Deanna peered even deeper through the dust and blood on the man's face and blanched as did Scotty seated next to her. The Engineer dropped his Q gifted Scotch with a clatter which %Guinan% neatly towelled up with a smile.

Montgomery Scott rose to his feet, joining Deanna and the dusty man still smiling from his stool at him.

"Why Scotty you ol dog! Bless your soul. You're still in Starfleet my old friend. Cheers.." and the bloody man jauntily raised his glass of Saurian Brandy in a toast to him.

Deanna Troi felt waves of disbelief, joy and shock register inside the aged Engineer beside her and she felt tears well up behind lashes. She blinked these away.

"Captin?" Scotty said in his strong Scottish burr, reaching out and touching Kirk's dirty arm.

In seconds, the original Enterprise captain was decked out in his usual command gold pullover shirt with the flare down pants tucked into boots. The blood and dust disappeared from his features and he was young and youthful once more at the height of his captain's power.

"Why thank you, Mr. Scott. Shaving off a few years might make me more attractive to these beautiful young ladies here. ", and he reached around Amanda Q's and Troi's waists. "Wish I could wish you youthened as well but you're still alive my old friend."

Scotty didn't lift his hand from Kirk's shoulder and he drew his old captain into a joyful bearhug, his voice cracking in deep emotion. "Captin.. I.. It's been so long ... How are ya, sirr? I mean. Stupid question.  
Really.. and yes, I mesself am still alive. I was found in a pattern buffer by Captain Picard's people. Been back with duty now for eight years or so."

Kirk's eyes filled with the Nexus fire but his joy didn't fade. "Has it been that long already? It's good to see you, Scotty. Have another?" he said gesturing at %Guinan%  
to replenished the drink his engineer had dropped.

"Eh, Please.." Scotty said, his eyes still wide with wonder.

Deanna Troi felt Captain Kirk's grip slip from her as he got more comfortable on his bar stool. "I see we have powerful company here." he said, eyeing up Amanda and gallantly dropping his snug hold on her as he saw Q2's face contort with jealousy. "Pardon me, madam." he said to Amanda. "But it's been a long time since I've had real folk to hug. Pardon my saying this..but your presence feels a lot like another I used to know. Do you by chance happen to know Squire Trelane?"

"Never heard of him. Allow me to introduce myself and my family. We are Q." and Amanda held out her hand which Kirk kissed genteelly.

"Charmed." Kirk said, his eyes equally charming in his usual way with the opposite sex.

Quince made an appearance. "I can't say we are exactly like Trelane. He and his parents were....shall we say... proto Q?  
Heh. They eventually gained Continuum citizenship."

"Interesting.." Kirk said. But his mind was elsewhere. Looking up and down the bar for someone he wasn't seeing. "Counselor.." he said, recognizing Deanna's office from the way %Guinan% had addressed her earlier. "Is he here? I need to see him."

Deanna widened her empathic sense to encompass the width of the Nexus ribbon. She glanced at %Guinan.% And the mysterious bar hostess was nodding. "Yes. He is. I was there when he took Enterprise inside."

And she thoughtfully stroked Isis's back when the not cat paced her way over to get into the hug fest she just missed by seconds.

"Now this is going to be fun." the black changling cat said.  
"Live captain meets dead Captain and after the final curtain call. Gotta love this Nexus place..." she said.

Both Deanna's and Kirk's eyes got wide when the seeming just a feline uttered her prophetic words. And both sipped huge gulps of Saurian Brandy and Hot Chocolate to steady themselves.

Around them, Voyager and Enterprise crew laughed warmly in commiserance. But then they turned and watched the ahead view as the Ribbon bore down on the Moon, right on target to the Mare Imbrum Sea Crater.

%Guinan% thought of the secret Section 31 base below the rigoloth. ::They'll never know what hit em. Time to separate the men from the boys..:: then her forehead wrinkled under her hatless head. ::Ooo, I gotta go get more bar stools ready.::

And she slipped quietly off, to do just that.

-  
(attachments)

Image : Troi and Riker in a snuggle out of character.

*animated gif* Kirk beaming home from the Guardian of Forever with his crew.

*********************************

From: Jeff Seltun Date: Fri Dec 28, 2001 1:13 am Subject: Have fun storming the castle!

Tandem post between Cassidy Meyers () and Jeff Seltun () via email tennis match. Editted in two seconds by someone who missed the list very much. Forgive any errors.

Characters featured.

MAINS

Counselor Troi Captain Picard Captain Kirk

Geordi LaForge (briefly)

FREE USE

Captain Janeway %Guinan% - The one in the Nexus.  
Guinan- The one on Enterprise Neelix Isis- Gary Seven's spy cat

==========================

Captain Picard was back. ::I'm here again.::

Not that he was truly amazed that it happened. It was by his own order that the Enterprise D was inside the Nexus. He could feel his ship and crew on his skin like warm sunlight and the same for Voyager and her people. ::I forgot how joyful this place really is. I've done a lot of living since.....:: an actual wave of sadness gripped Jean Luc and another flashback of Professor Soran laughing and Kirk gasping away his life under the twisted metal that tortured him. ::I can wish it away... I hope to God I can..:: and he closed his eyes tightly against the horrific memory.

Being back in the Nexus created nightmares almost as horrible as the ones he still sometimes got whenever he entered an environment reminding him of the Borg. Even now, he felt them start to grip him. Locutus was gone. But not the scars. ::Never the scars. Surgery can't correct those wounds of the soul.:: And he walked deeper into the Nexus fog.

Captain Picard felt the pull of his people on his left side. The "sunlight" was warmer there and their presence in his consciousness got rid of some of the chill of memory he was feeling. So he headed onwards and was surprised to find a replica of Ten Forward emerging out of the Nexus substance. ::Oh my..::

But this bar's length was far longer than he could see. And both his ship's and Voyager's crew were seated along it, holding various beverages. %Guinan% even beckoned him to an empty seat.

Swallowing around the unexpected sadness memories had created in him. Picard sat, ignoring those around him. He heard Janeway nearby laughing with a lighter male one. ::Neelix. No doubt. I've heard about him in Voyager's rosters.::

But he pointedly took his Earl Grey tea from %Guinan% and stared into it looking nowhere but into its steaming depths.

He felt vaguely guilty for using his crew's nearby presences to cheer his soul while still remaining unsocial. He didn't feel like talking.

He looked up at %Guinan% .  
"Thanks for the tea. And this..." he said, smiling slightly and indicating the bar atmosphere around him.

"My pleasure." she said, polishing a glass. "I've just returned from stores. Had to get another few thousand bar stools. Look.." and she pointed.

Picard glanced up at the view showing through the Nexus clouds in the direction it was headed and saw it plowing through the Moon's substance as it sought out the unhappy people of Section 31 there, offering its lure of eternal joy to them as it went.  
"We're already at it?"

"Uh huh." she grunted. "About time, too."

Picard heard Voyager and Enterprise crew betting all around him on how many people were actually in Section 31 and how many of them would choose the Ribbon's option of life.

The betting was jovial but Picard wanted no part of it. "I wish other things were just as easily fixable, %Guinan%."  
he said to the Nexus hostess.

"Who's says they aren't? Anything is possible in here. Don't you remember what I told you?" A voice of someone next to him said.

Picard stopped in mid swallow and the chill he had barely shrugged off returned. His eyes slowly moved away from his teacup and swept up a youthful hand, a gold sleeve and up to the face that haunted his sleep on occasion more often than he admitted even to Troi.

There was boundless joy inside the eyes of the man that Picard had last seen clouded in gory death and something inside of him snapped and sobs escaped his lips as he began to weep uncontrollably.

Captain Kirk did not embrace his fellow Captain, choosing instead to pitch his voice low so only Deanna and Picard heard him.  
"I know how you felt then. I was there captain. I was there with you." and Kirk set both his and Picard's cups back onto the bar.  
He shrugged and put his hands in his knees in exasperation. "So I died. So what? I've done more than my fair share for the Federation. You couldn't reach me. That d*mned walkway I fell from prevented that. I doubt that even if you had a full fledge medkit that it wouldn't have made any difference at all."

Troi remained silent watching both men talk near her. She and %Guinan% exchanged looks that suggested.::Wait this out.::

Picard managed to control his emotions just enough. "I don't know why your death is bothering me so. I..guess it's because of many things which occurred following it.  
The Cardassian/Founder War, The mayhem inside the Romulan Empire. The gulf between Khin'zai and the Federation.. The many starships which disappeared on exploration missions.. Voyager included.."  
he said. holding out a hand to include those people too along the bar. "When you died.. there was nothing but a downhill swing for the Federation. It was as if your passing signalled Section 31 to begin to feed at any rot it encountered on Earth or anywhere in the known territories."

"You flatter me, captain. But I hardly think that one man's death. Even mine. Would account for all of that misery. Besides.  
Section 31 will soon be a very bad memory.  
The Nexus will take care of them, I'm told.  
Aren't these Q people our benefactors in that respect?" he said very flip. His tone was light and it caught Picard off guard.

Kirk nodded to %Guinan% who set very ordinary popcorn in front of both Enterprise captains and he began to munch. "Have some? I don't know about you, but dying has made me starving!"

Picard smiled in spite of himself. Slowly,  
he, too, reached into the bottomless bowl of popcorn. He tasted a few kernels.  
"MMmmm. Caramel sweet. From a bag I used to get at carnivals."

Kirk chuckled. "That's strange." he said chewing. "Mine's just salt and butter."

"Another Nexus irony. No doubt." Picard sniffed. He felt his sadness lifting when Kirk absolutely refused to act damaged from the sudden end fate had dealt him.

Deanna Troi's hand snaked out and she got some popped corn too. "Mine's jalapeno, gentleman.." And she leaned back handing both tea mug and glass back to the men on either side of her.  
"Drink up. How about a toast." and she retrieved her cocoa. "To... the beauty and power of the Nexus. Where regrets fizzle away and to all those goodbyes that never can be just that,... anymore.."

"Hear hear...." came replies of every crewman inside the Nexus and a few new ones from the converted and humbled Nexus captured Section 31 rebels..

Captain Janeway looked up from her endless coffee cup. "Too bad we can't book leave here on a regular basis. This is nice. A real Captain's Table." she said to Picard and Kirk.  
"Don't mean to intrude gentleman. But we've all suffered losses to death in the past and come away changed. It's that struggle of life against death that makes us stronger in the long run. I firmly believe that." and a smile quirked the side of her mouth. "Welcome back, Captain Kirk. We've missed you."

"Glad to be back. The Nexus is one h*ll of a heaven let me tell you. I can see everything from here." and Kirk spun once in his bar stool in jest. "I even watched your whole journey home, Kathryn. Must say, I couldn't have shaved off as many years as you did doing it."

"Surely you jest. You're the miracle worker,  
aren't you?"

Kirk smiled, "That honorific belongs solely to Scotty ma'am."

"Sorry. Mixed my history up a little." Janeway said.

Deanna felt the warm tie between the three captains grow and knew that at least one of Captain Picard's regrets was fading rapidly away to oblivion.

She rose quietly from her stool and left them.

---------------------------------

Troi felt the number of rebels minds inside the Nexus increase as it penetrated the secret base. Only one or two people remained behind in the real world inside the Section 31 base to await rescue from waiting starships. ::Prisoners. Like B'Elanna and Seven of Nine almost were.  
They'll be safely home soon.::

The hissing of the Ribbon got louder as it probed deeper into the moon crater, sparing the innocent scientific centers and civilian cities there that knew nothing of the base so near them.

::This busride's only for the bad guys..:: Deanna mused, glancing at the Q concentrating on the Nexus to steer it properly on course. And we're the shaparones until the route is finished.::

She walked slowly down the row of bar stools that held the newly arrived Section 31 people.  
The eternal Joy had not come for them yet and they seemed dazed finding themselves at a bar instead of their stations weapons or transporter booths. A part of the Nexus paused over a special room and the view there didn't change as real world and Nexus world created a bridge to it.

Quince shouted out. "If you Fleeters were serious about go getting rid of that long distance transporter. We've reached your stop. Anyone getting off?"

Immediately, Janeway got up. "Harry. Chakotay. B'Elanna, Tom..With me. We're going in to destroy that technology before anyone else decides to use it." And suddenly a phaser rifle was in her hands. A big gold one. "Thanks for the loan %Guinan.% This is a nice one."

"No problem.." the hostess said, grinning. "Broke up a bar fight on the Enterprise with that one."

Behind her Q and Quince cringed in memory of the last time they had seen that gun. They hastily got out of her sight lest she created another one for their benefit.

Janeway looked to Captain Picard. "Don't know why I'm bringing a weapon. The bases' empty except for innocents now. But old habits die hard. Are you coming?"

"Of course, Captain. Geordi, Data. Interested in a little revenge against an annoying piece of technology?"

Data's face grinned and Geordi's beamed in likewise fashion.

Geordi muttered. "I get to be the first one to yank its wires out."

Picard glanced at his favorite legend.  
"How about you?"

Kirk held up a hand. "My storming the fort days are over captain. It's against the rules to play when you are dead."

"Oh. I forgot about that." Jean Luc muttered.

"But I'll be watching. Like always. Have fun all of you.. I'll keep the bar stools warm until you come back." Kirk said with a grin. Scotty next to him chuckled.

"All right.. Let me at it..." Isis purred. "Last one to the transporter thingy's a baby mouse!!!" and she leaped through the shimmering Nexus field to the room on pause.

Neelix muttered. "Sweetness!! Don't do that before the area's been cleared!! There could be booby tra--" and he too was gone into the target zone.

Janeway laughed. "Let's go everyone. Move out."

-  
(attachments)

Image: Janeway close up packing a rifle.

Image: Picard with a phaser in hand, looking cautious.

Gif: A poster of the four series TV captains and a caption saying For The Best...

*  
From : "Cory Anda" Subject : [voyagerliveaction] The Nigtmare Machine Date : Fri, 28 Dec 2001 17:08:02 +0000

Chakotay didn't know James T. Kirk. He hadn't been much for history for his own people let alone history for another's. He learned only that much he needed to know for Starfleet. He followed Kathryn and Picard and the others into the membrane which led to the room in the moon where the long distance transporter lay. He wanted to hurry, in case Neelix did indeed trigger any booby traps he didn't know about. He proceeded Janeway.  
::Well, here goes one last fling as first officer.  
No doubt when Section 31 is gone and there's no further threat that Voyager will be disbanded and myself and the other Maquis won't be allowed to continue serving her. Our commission was honorary.:: The thought bugged Chakotay.  
There was no place for him remaining in the DMZ Badlands, everyone was dead. And now, there was no better place he could think of right now than to be by Kathryn's side. As first officer or as something other than that.

He decided he'd go whereever she went.

The way into the chamber holding the long distance transporter proved to be easy. Isis had paved the way, deactivating automatic sentries with her skill as an agent and turning off the base's main computer core. The secondary one was enough to maintain lifesupport and lights for the away team.

Chakotay put away his phaser, advancing on the panel that had been the source of agony for so many over the years. "This machine's hurt me personally. The carrier wave knocking me and my shipmates out cold.  
And yet, why am I curious about it?"

"Because I'm rubbing off on you commander." Kathryn said wryly. "You want to know how it works. But so do the rest of us. Geordi.. B'Elanna.. I know you do too but this is illegal technology against the highest law of the Federation. The fewer people who know how it works the better. I'm afraid I'm going to have to order you two to destroy it before learning anything."

Isis paced on top of the console rubbing against the wall panel that controlled the device. "Why? Maybe this time we might build it right. Gary Seven was on to something when he created this."

"Does it look like we made any progress on it to you?"  
Janeway said with a little heat."Komach beamed off with it without a care for human life. He harmed me and my ship's crew, and those on the Midas Array at Project Pathfinder." she stopped speaking as she removed a panel revealing far future technology. Its mysterious puzzle beckoned her but she motioned Geordi and B'Elanna forward. "Take it offline. Then we'll destroy the contents of this room." she said firmly.

Tuvok, who chose to accompany the away team from the Nexus bar said, "It would be wise to check the computer for design schematics for this device."

Isis spoke up, "There aren't any. I checked while you bipeds were coming here. It seems Section 31 folk were the ultimate users. They didn't even bother to know the equipment they utilized. And this is the same transporter that my master Gary Seven used.  
His scent is all over it. I think whoever found it just tractored the whole building that contained the transporter to the moon directly. I know Gary put that inside an asteroid."

Tuvok scanned the walls while Geordi and B'Elanna carefully manipulated controls on the long distance transporter mother board to deactivate it. "That is true. I'm reading stellar rock far older than the moon at a distance of twenty meters around these walls."

"Very clever.." Neelix mumbled.

"Neelix?" Janeway prompted.

"I mean, I know these people are absolutely without morals. But at least they didn't go out and create war with anyone."

"Didn't they?" Chakotay said firmly. "They disrupted Federation activities, Kidnapped Seven of Nine and B'Elanna Torres,  
infiltrated and brainwashed high admiralty, such as Komach, and possibly others. That isn't war to you? The only difference is that they didn't use guns to do it."

"This coming from the exMaquis..." quipped B'Elanna with a grin.

"Speak for yourself.." Chakotay grinned back.

Janeway remained silent but a huge smile threatened to erupt on her face. ::I have some crew, don't I? We may be a mishmash of different backgrounds but I'll be dmned if we aren't a family for it.::

Data was less subtle by exposing circuitry and getting it ready for controlled phaser fire. He went to the pad platform itself and ripped out the floor and wall sections, exposing wiring and isolinear chips.

Geordi whistled at the redundancies in all the components.  
"I'm seeing antimatter streams and neutrino signatures."

"Perhaps that's why the exiting wavefront of this transporter renders those in proximity to the beam unconscious."  
Data surmised.

Chakotay glanced over his head, getting nervous. "Getting into Section 31's base was too easy. Let's just hurry along shall we?" He glanced over his shoulder making sure the floating membrane of the Nexus was still manifesting on the far side of the room. It's orangey pink glow still warmed their backs.

"Stop fidgetting like a mammal human..." Isis teased the commander.

"And you aren't one yourself?" Neelix inquired politely.

Isis regarded the Talaxian with a look of mischief. Her eyes suddenly turned reptile while the rest of her still looked black feline. "I'm any species. See? I wouldn't be a very good spy if I was limited to one body form only."

The Nexus began to call all the officers back mentally and physically with its siren's call but everyone resisted.  
The work wasn't done yet. That was up to the engineers in the landing party to complete.

Harry Kim was the most nervous. He was the only crew member to not have put his phaser away onto its belt clip. He watched the other exits, scanning with his tricorder for any approaching lifesigns. "Captain. I'm getting biosignatures. They're Starfleet. Coming this way.."

Janeway nodded. "Then let's not leave anything left for them shall we? They may be the good guys but this transporter is all bad. Let's end its legacy right here and now.. A little speed would be wonderful B'Elanna.."

The chief engineer nodded. Data, on the main platform worked even harder.

Then Janeway ordered."Stand back.." and aimed her phaser at the machine. "All of us on the ready." she told everyone.

Chakotay lifted his phaser rifle to the control board and soon,  
all the away team except for Neelix and Isis did the same with their energy weapons.

He waited for the order to come.

Tom Paris moved to his wife's side, drawing her away. "That's good enough. I'll find you a whole planet full of alien technology to study instead of this horror. Come on.. join the fun and let's blow it all up.." he said with a grin.. "I'll give you first choice." and he held up a rifle and a laser bomb up to B'Elanna .

-  
(attachments)

Image: Chakotay and Janeway in field gear at a computer panel, getting ready to blow it up.

Image: Chakotay with a datapadd.

Image: Tom Paris sitting at his helm station thinking.

********************************************

From : "Roxy Dee" Subject : [voyagerliveaction] Fire and Gold~~ Date : Sat, 29 Dec 2001 07:10:07 +0000

Harry Kim glanced again at his tricorder. "They're two hundred meters away down that tunnel and coming fast."

Janeway tapped her combadge. "Voyager to advancing lunar away team. Hold your position. We're detecting high levels of neutrinos and anti matter flux."

Harry frowned in amused disagreement and saw his captain shrug in ironic significance. "It's true though.." she mouthed without sound.

A new voice came over the combadges all the officers wore. "Captain. We read you. Scanning an alien signature near your location. We're coming in anyway. We must secure this base against all non Federat--"

Janeway cut off her connection so she could speak freely to her crew. "Harry. Geordi. Do what you have to do quickly. The real world can't wait for us long. How the h*ll am I going to explain Isis."

"I can do that for myself well enough I should think." the cat snorted through her whiskered nose.

Harry piped up. "Even if it means an interrogation in detail concerning your recently departed partner in the sly?"

"Well..." Isis began...

"Enough!" Janeway said. "You've got one minute you two. Make the most of it.." she said, checking the power unit yet again on her rifle to be sure it would do the job she needed.

Geordi LaForge needed no further encouragement. He quickly stepped up onto the transporter pad decking that Data had uncovered and snatched up components into his case. "These we can't lose. Their lattice configurations are light years ahead of ours. They most likely can beam hundreds of meters deeper than even the b--"

"Lieutenant...." Harry Kim said.

"All right.. all right.." Geordi said "Only one more.." He grunted as he levered a complicated node out from the flooring. "Here..too." He moved to the wall and pointed. "Commander. If you would."

Data happily ripped out the red conduit tube Geordi indicated. "This one..?"

Geordi took it carefully from the android's hand. "That one."

He darted off the raised deck and got behind the line of his crewmates and Harry who quickly bundled his salvage into a field case and slung its strap over his back.

Janeway shouted. "As soon as we're through. Back the way we came. The Nexus will be our only route to safety. Don't want to be around when things go up." she thought a bit. "In fact.. I don't want them to be here either..." and she shot the ceiling above the tunnel Harry said the approaching recovery group was using.

A huge rumbling cave in filled the passageway in debris and dust and immediately, combadges chirped. =^=Lunar team to Voyager. Come in. Lunar team to Voyager.=^=

"They know perfectly well we're all right. They still got our lifesigns.." she said through tight teeth. "The only thing they care about is this infernal transporter." Janeway gave a gesture for Tovuk and all to ignore the hail. Then she tossed her head towards the ill fated machine's shell. "Now.." she said coldly. "High dispersal. At your discretion." And she began backing towards the Nexus light she could feel on her body while she fired.

Harry, Tom, Chakotay, Tuvok, B'Elanna, Data, Picard, and Geordi all took out sections of the equipment in the room, melting it to slag and rupturing power packs in vivid fire. Neelix and Isis yelped when some sparks touched their backs as they leaped into the Ribbon's influence once more.

Incandescent fire shook the room and the inferno of phaser energy soon took the oxygen from the room. The away team hastily entered the Nexus, one by one.

Janeway was the last to go and she saved the master board for last. She knew that after its destruction, there was no hope of ever resurrecting Gary Seven's technology. "Whoever said co-convergent technology can't happen again. And maybe next time.. We'll get it right because we had to start back from square one."

The Voyager captain targetted a shining surface and fired a telling shot. A colossal explosion pushed her the rest of the way into the Nexus and into Harry and Geordi's arms.. "Oooffff.." they said as they righted her. Neelix hastily wished soft poofy clouds to cushion their fall.

Harry caught the rifle that was jolted out of Janeway's grasp neatly. "That's cutting it a little close, wouldn't you say?"

"Not really." Janeway said, breathing in deep breaths of the Ribbon's sweetened rarified air. "My uniform's not even singed." she gasped. She let Chakotay give her a hand up and smiled with tremendous satisfaction.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Harry Kim and Geordi LaForge felt the phasers fade away from their hands as they walked away from the real world boundary to the moon. The Nexus Ribbon began its forward motion once more and the main view of the front end showed it arcing away from the lunar surface on a collision course with a very familiar blue and white ball of light. ::Earth.:: Kim thought. ::I wonder how many are going to leave with the Ribbon there?::

He glanced over at his crewmates barely visible in the ethereal light of the Nexus as they walked and soon, all of them arrived back at %Guinan's% bar. He wearily sat down.

Geordi LaForge joined him, cradling his salvage bag as if it were a treasure trove of fragile rarity. He popped the case open and set out the transporter components in a row along the bar that he had managed to grab from the lunar base. "Man. Harry.... Just look at these.. Reg Barclay and I are going to spend months.. even years studying just how these simple parts work, let alone how to build more of them."

Kim grinned, nodding thanks to %Guinan% who anticipated his need for water in a timely fashion. He gulped it greedily and choked.

Chakotay, passing by, gave him a thunk between the shoulder blades, laughing. "Ensign drowns while saving the universe from an evil transporter.."

Harry recovered quickly. "Sounds like a position Tom should be in as Captain Proton.."

Geordi's visored eyes twinkled. "He didn't choke on mere water..."

Tom sat on Harry's other side. "Only a whole lungful of smoke..*Cough..*." He pointed at Harry's water so their Ribbon hostess would triplicate the order in front of them.

"Maybe we should get the doctor in here..for you both..." Neelix said seriously.

"Oh no.... We're on vacation Neelix.." Tom complained.

Harry said, "You think you'd be used to the EMH after all this time. After your endless shifts in sickbay.. Endless hours playing medic in crises."

"Don't remind me." Tom groaned. He blinked in surprise when %Guinan% clunked a heavy stiff drink in front of him instead of innocent H2O. "Perfect..." he said and slammed it back.

Chakotay hung around in case another of his officers needed a hand again. But Paris seemed to breathe again real soon after the burning let up so he moved on, muttering something about bringing any Earth newcomers to Tom's version of Sandrine's once they hit Earthfall.

Harry and Geordi clinked glasses. "One less evil in the neighborhood. Let's drink to it!!" Kim shouted up and down the bar.

"Hear! Hear!" came the reply of everyone in short order.

Captain Kirk made his way over to Harry Kim and set a firm hand on his shoulder. "Remember times like these with your captain... She's your first. And they are always the best memory long after you're old and gray..."

"Thankyou sir, I won't forget that.." Kim said with genuine conviction.

"Carry on ensign." Kirk said and he moved to stand back by where Captain Picard and Captain Janeway were sharing sherrys over roast duck.

Harry and Geordi watched the "living" legend saunter away.

Geordi sighed. "I'm going to miss this place when everything's done. The perfect moments, the peace of mind..the perfect endings..."

Isis sighed. "I won't.."

Harry and Geordi stared at the cat in surprise as she lazed on the bar being stroked by the elegant hostess. "Why not?" they both asked together.

"There's only so much guild one can take while still in a cage humans. Pretty or not, this toothless Ribbon's just simply a very BIG one. There's nothing like reality to really make you feel truly alive.. In here's just fluffy dreams and stuff.. Yuck.. Gimme a good mouse hunt any day and add the few hounds to complicate it while you're at it. Yeahh..... PUURrrrrrrrrrrrrr...."

Geordi quipped. "Cat dreams win over her too. Gotta love it.." and he took a huge sip of his perfect ice cold water mug.

-  
(attachments)

Image : Harry walking outside down a street.

*animated gif* A burning fuse.

Image: A huge explosion blowing people around.

Image: A small oval in purple around Geordi's face.

*********************************

From : "Katherine Bird" Subject :The End is a Beginning Date : Sun, 30 Dec 2001 10:15:08 +0000

Samantha Wildman sat with her tiny daughter in the warm womb of the Nexus and quietly watched the goings on around them nestled in each other's arms from a cozy bar booth of rich cushions from Riza.

She felt a deep contentment and peace she had never known before. ::It must be the unconditional joy I've read about that the Ribbon gives all its visitors. It's so sweet it almost hurts.:: And a single tear coursed down her cheek.

%Guinan% appeared in moments to their side once she saw the entire away team had returned. "Things went well. Just thought you should know." she said and left softly the way she came.

Samantha could see Earth approaching through the thin transparent bow wave of the Ribbon dancing just beyond the surreal bar seats where Enterprise and Voyager crew awaited the final moments of the Nexus's short course to Earth's atmosphere. She could see the curling plasma of it as it danced, mingling with the rich blues of home.

She called out, "Quince.. May we speak?"

The blond haired Q snapped himself into the Wildman booth across from mother and daughter. "As always. I feel I owe an ear or two for the misadventures I've caused.." he glared with distain at Komach, still slumped against a wall, trying to gain control over his imagination running Ribbon rampant. "...such as him." Quince laced his fingers on the table and self consciously fiddled with them. "If...if if..it weren't for me, none of the good people here would have ever been harmed by that rebel's transporter." he said with dejected regret.

Samantha bit her lip and smiled slightly as her daughter's small hand reached out until it rested on Q's.

Naomi said. "It's ok. No one went to heaven at all so don't be sad."

Quince looked up in mute somber surprise, almost afraid to meet the child's eyes. "...ah, the innocent wisdom of the very young..." he whispered. "My dear Naomi, I wish my actions could be so easily dismissed." He turned to Sam, "..I actually believe my exposure to Q has contaminated me with an unhealthy dose of conscience..." He snorted softly, "...I don't think I'll ever be able to have ...fun... again.."

Samantha Wildman added her own palm on top of Naomi's and Quince's carefully choosing her words. "The reason I called you over isn't for apologies or false pretenses. There's always going to be a huge gulf between Q and humans and we both have to realize that sooner or later. I....just wanted to say that if any understanding between our two peoples can occur... it just has.. with all this..." she said, indicating the Ribbon. "You and Q's family are the ones who are doing the Federation a favor by healing those who are against it. And that.. is a wonderful gesture in any rite."

Quince's face lost all of its arrogance and for a few seconds, his mirrored the Wildman's gentle ones and it spoke volumes of understanding beyond words.

Then he was gone.

Samantha watched the place where he had disappeared for a long time, then she kissed her daughter's head and said, "Won't be long now love. Soon, we'll be home."

Earth's shining globe loomed larger in the glowing Nexus mist, until it filled the sky above them.

-------------------------------------------

Captain Janeway hailed %Guinan% over as she marvelled over the spectacular view of Earth's upper atmosphere burning bright against the Nexus wave. "This is the last night of malcontention for this world. A special occasion at the very least. Do you have some aged bottle somewhere that we might crack to honor it?"

The Nexus hostess nodded knowingly. "Anticipating your host again, captain? I thought that clairvoyance was entirely my department here." she teased, And suddenly there was a champagne bottle tucked in ice inside an ebony marble vase which fogged cool vapor in trails from its depths. %Guinan% hefted a flute and countless others appeared before each Enterprise and Voyager crew member along the bar. "Vulcan Nectar...circa...Year One of the Federation's birth itself.. A good year if I do say so myself.. Have some." and she cascaded a pearly flow into the captain's glass until it bubbled vigorously there. "This is for everyone."

And so it was. Every hand held a flute of the sweet fogging liquid colored in honey.

The Nexus's ethereal background song grew stronger as the first tendrils of its makeup caressed the heart of Starfleet's Homeworld.

Myriads of people desiring ill for Earth and its visions appeared inside the Nexus as the Section 31 base had. One by one, they found themselves swept up by the Ribbon's special kind of grace and their restless spirits finally found surrease.

%Guinan% noticed Janeway watching the stream of individuals arrive into being. "Don't worry about them. I'll watch them like I do all those who choose the joy here. Why can I not? I bought into this place from the outside world myself..."

The Nexus dove deep inside Earth and its outer edges snugged around the whole of the planet, taking those who wanted to be lured to another life and leaving those who wished to remain with perfect ease, until for the first time, the beautiful little world's skies irridesced rainbows in the sunlight instead of endless blue.

The weary Voyager Captain rose with her nectar flute, not yet drinking it, waiting for all to notice her.

Sam wondered what she was going to say.

-  
(attachments)

Image: The Nexus caught in mid flow.

Image: A downward view of Earth's sphere with the Enterprise D in orbit.

Image: Naomi Wildman and Samantha Wildman in a close portrait.

*animated gif* A lone twinkling star.

****************************************

From : "Clairissa Fox" Subject : Saying a grownup toast! Date : Sun, 30 Dec 2001 17:25:24 +0000

Clairissa Fox for the end of December 2000 as Naomi Wildman, Auntie Kathys I mean Captain Janeways, Captains assistant

==================================

I looked up at mum and I knew that the Queues werent going to bug my friends on Voyager and the Enterprise and on Barklays station any more. They were finally going to be nice after so long!

I didnt drink my tall glass of Vulcan necter. That was a grownup drink, so I pushed it away to the middle of the table. "I dont know if I can have this mum." I said to mummy holding me.

"You may." said a carefully controlled voice from nearby. Seven of Nine stood calmly, the amusement barely disquised on her face, before the Wildman booth.

7! 7! I was so worried. The away team went into the bad guy base to stop the transporter so it wouldnt hurt anyone ever again! I saw a big explosion and Auntie Kathy got blown over by it before she got into the Nexes again! Are you ok?

"I am fine Naomi Wildman. The mission was uneventful." Seven of Nine looked self conscious as she regarded the easy cluster of crewman mingling from Project Pathfinder and both ships gathering together to see what her captain was about to say. "No doubt, Captain Janeway is going to instigate an Earth custom called a "Toast." You can drink this beverage Naomi. It contains no alcohol."

I can? ok. What do I do?

"Just hold your glass up like this and wait. People will speak one by one expressing sentiments and well wishes in turn. Then we can all drink on it together."

When will that be?

Seven of Nine actually didn't know the answer to that one. She had only witnessed a few celebration toasts on Voyager since she had come on board her.

The EMH came to Seven's rescue. "When Captain Janeway sips hers first. She is the one who began the toast." he said with a twinkle in his eye.

Seven of Nine regarded the hologram's sleeve and noticed that he was not wearing his autonomous emitter. She raised her silvered eyebrow in curiosity.

"Oh.." the holodoctor said. "I.. apparently don't need it inside the Ribbon. I have enough free will now that I can maintain cohesion on my own in here." He sighed hugely. "It's a remarkable freedom. But perhaps you wouldn't understand that never having had an off switch." he said sarcastically.

I do! I do! I wouldnt want to be like a telly set either! Doctor, are all my friends ok? I saw the transporter in the moon blow up.

"Captain Janeway and the others are fine. Tom Paris is still a little smoky but he'll survive."

Arent you going to have some Vulcan flower juice too? We all got some.

The EMH blinked as %Guinan% suddenly righted that oversight. He peered at his bubbling glass with curiosity until he had identified it. "I think I will." He paused taking a taste of it when he saw everyone else around him waiting for a toast to begin. "Naomi. Would you like to start one? "

"What a wonderful idea." Captain Janeway said. "Go ahead Naomi. Go ahead of me. It can be your last duty as captain's assistant before we all get home."

I felt funny having everyone looking at me but I was really happy too. I climbed off mummys lap careful not to spill and stood by 7. I took her hand and held up my toasting glass.

I know not many of you know me. Like Captain Kirk. And Scotty. And even the Queues! I helped on my ships bridge and in sickbay when I could and made Auntie Kathys coffee every morning! I didnt know what a normal Starfleet day was because I thought being in the Delta Quadrant was normal because it was to me. Voyager was all the home I had. Now mum tells me that Earth will be my home soon. I had thought the pictures 7 showed me in the star lab were just stories. Now I see Earth out there, for real! In front of my own eyes. Daddys there. Mum says, waiting for us. I want to go see him but a part of me wants to stay where I was born too. On my ship with the only friends I ever knew! But I think Ill go home and see where mummy trained at the Academy and see a real mountain and a real ocean. Only, I know Im going to miss all of you. We did so much finding Earth and stopping Bad Jack and Sospeeria and Admiral Komach which was very scary. But now were all safe again. We are safe because we are together in this place and we are friends. I wont forget any of you. And I wanted to say, that Earth isnt really all that big. Because we will have our comm pins to keep in touch with one another. Thats all I wanted to say.

Seven of Nine smiled as only she could. "Toasting is something you've mastered Naomi Wildman."

I stood by and squeezed 7s hand and looked up at her.

Then I could see everyone gathering together from the pub counter coming closer so we could all see each other real good. Isis jumped up into my arms and I petted her. Auntie Kathys Molly came by me too, nudging my fingers so she wouldnt be left out.

Whos next? I asked holding my glass of juice in my teeth. Boy Isis was sure heavy.

-  
(attachments)

Image: A backlot shot of Scarlett Pommers and Jeri Ryan looking at you.

Image: Later that day. Same lot. This time,  
Scarlett is with Kate Mulgrew and both are grinning at you like banshees.

Image: Naomi Wildman looking up at a thoughtful EMH standing by her side in sickbay.

*************************************

From : "Samantha Rose" Subject: If You Seek Pleasant Company, Look About You Date : Mon, 31 Dec 2001 04:16:10 +0000

Q2 looked about him and along the bar at the many people occupying the Nexus-brought stools. They all held their own drinks in their hands and were chatting among themselves. One of the more popular topics was the arrival of a certain Captain James T. Kirk. Q2 didn't know much about the infamous Captain, not having the over all flare of his father.

There was one thing that he and his father did have in common though...woman. Or rather the pursuit of. Many a difference littered that one common attribute. Well, at least one major one. That was the number of woman. Q senior seemed interested in many women of many different species. But Q2, he had his sights set on only one.

Looking down the row of officers sitting at the bar, he spotted Amanda about 10 or 12 seats down. She was sitting between two of the Enterprise officers. He remembered that she had once spent time on the Enterprise before coming to the Continuum.

Just then, Captain Janeway stood from her own chair at the bar and was raising a flute of some drink. Looking down into his hands, Q2 saw the same drink in his own hands. The officers of the two sister ships also stood raising their glasses a bit. A brief conference went on between Janeway and the tiny Wildman child. Soon after, Naomi stood above the heads of the other people in the room, raising her own tiny glass of the nectar.

Q2 saw this moment as the perfect diversion. Picking up the flute of nectar, he wove his way between officer and civilian alike coming up alongside Amanda Q. He slipped his arm around her waist as she looked up. Amanda gave him a warm smile and returned the gesture.

Earlier, Q2 has seen Quince walking by mumbling something about not being able to bother humans anymore without having some fun. It really hadn't dawned on the youngest Q until that moment. For the first time in the history of the human race and the Continuum, these two species were working together towards a somewhat common goal.

The Voyager and Enterprise alike wanted to rid the universe of Section 31, an act that would benifit the entire Federation. The Continuum was only interested in ridding themselves of an annoyance. Either way, come the light of day, Section 31 would be no more. It would be a small celebration for Starfleet, as very few knew of the organization. In the Continuum things would be much different. All the Q would be "partying till the sun comes up."

Q2 chuckled to himself at the thought of the Q partying. That desolate wayside shanty would be, as Tom Paris had once put it, jammin'. By this time, Naomi had finished her contribution to the celebratory toast and those around the Q pair were applauding her. He felt a jab to his ribs from Amanda and joined in the Earth-like custom. To add a little zest to the hybrid child's speech, Q2 triggered a flood of multi-coloured Nexus balloons that rained down on everyone.

As the falling of balloons subsides, the children from the Enterprise started to run around, weaving in and out through the adults playing with the colourful air-filled toys. Q2 raised his drink laden arm to prevent one of the children from spilling it. He watched the child run off in the direction of the group making the toasts. It was then that he caught the eye of Captain Janeway. She smiled and raised her glass to him and Amanda.

Sipping his drink, Q2 watched as the many from Earth with the "bad raps" entered the Nexus. A few followed suit of Admiral Komach and assumed a fetal position becoming engulfed in nightmarish images. Most of them, though, were content with the bar room setting and took up the ever growing number of seats at %Guinan%'s bar.

It was at that time that he noticed that no one was adding to the toast. Making a stool appear in fron of him, Q2 stepped up onto it and attempted to get everyone's attention. He tried for a few moments, to no avail. Putting his fingers to his lips, he gave a shrill whistle. Everyone turned to look at him, even the newest of arrivals.

"Um..." he raised his glass a bit, "...I...know, that humans and the Q aren't the best of friends, but I thought that I would at least contribute." He looked over at his father, mother, then to Captain Janeway.

"First, I want to thank my Aunt Kathy for putting up with me when I was first condemmed to mortality and again my second time 'round." A light chuckle eminated from the group, "I know that I was a lot to handle, but you tolerated me and helped me get through it. For that I am ever in your debt." he slightly bowed.

"I would also like to make a small toast to the intrepid crew of Voyager. You have all accomplished an...amazing feat by making it back to the Alpha Quadrant. Not without the help of the Nexus of course, but you deserved that little trip after all the pestering you got from the Q." Q2 saw his father raise an eyebrow from the corner of his eye, Q2 smiled.

"The the words of Tom Paris' favourite generation, I guess you could say that Aunt Kathy and her crew "rocked it from the Delta to the DMZ."" Again laughter from the crowd. Paris grinned from ear to ear. "With that, I will end. Cheers to you Aunt Kathy!" Q2 raised his glass in Janeway's direction with that trademark lopsided grin.

As everyone drank up, Q2 hopped off the stool and walked back over to where Amanda Q stood. She greeted him with a smile, grabbing his hand in hers.

"That was sweet." her eyes twinkled in delight.

"Thank you."

Without any warning, Amanda leaned up and completed a little secret mission that had been hers for some time. She kissed him. Q2 looked down at her in astonishment. Amanda slightly blushed and went back to sipping her drink. After a few moments, Q2 smiled and sipped his own drink. That was one thing he could live with.

-  
(attachments)

Image: Out of char--Earth's profile in a Nasa photo.

Audio: From the Movie Generations- Data singing -  
"Tiny Little LifeForms."

Gif: Voyager's Final Season Logo.

Audio: Q--All good things must come to an end.

Audio: Janeway-- Dismissed. That's a Starfleet expression for.."Get out."

From : "patti keiper" Subject :[voyagerliveaction] The Power of Thought Date :Mon, 31 Dec 2001 08:44:41 +0000

The Nexus made Earthfall once more, skimming the ocean towards the thin line of shore just ahead.

Q chuckled to Amanda Q, Quince and his mate, and first born son. "Look at that. The Ol Dustbuster's almost completed its task in record time.  
There's just that one tiny long funny looking island left to go."

Tom Paris paled. "Oh no. Not here."

"Where's here?" Sam Wildman asked curiously.

The Voyager captain eyed the strip of land critically.  
"It's New Zealand, I've been here before. It's where the worst elements of human kind with a history call home. Starfleet'll be glad to suction up those retrogrades." she baited behind Tom's back. She winked at B'Elanna. " They're beyond redemption." Janeway claimed.

The blond helmsman at Sandrine's pool table looked up sharply, his attention rivetted.  
"Thanks alot, captain." Tom said. He hugged B'Elanna and added just out of Janeway's ear shot.  
"I thought I turned out fairly well."

"And so you have.." Owen Paris added quickly.

"She didn't mean you lover boy so relax.."  
B'Elanna Torres said, stretching a bit before she took her newborn daughter, Miral, from Owen into her arms.

"Everything from here on out is going to be smooth sailing.." Barclay said. "Who can resist the Nexus? She's invincible!" and he missed Tom's cheating shot of a striped pool ball into a side pocket.

B'Elanna smacked Tom on the shoulder.

=============================

The Q family and associated entourage were grouped together at the safe neutrality of %Guinan's% bar.

Amanda Q was stacking empty shot glasses into an Eludian jug sculpture in front of her.

Q2 peered closely at it. "You can't do that.  
That shape is a fundamental impossibility."

She grinned blowing smoke Nexus rings in his face. "Sure I can............"  
"In here...." she added.

Q chuckled. "You're learning fast my girl. A Q's gotta see around all the angles.." He sat down by Lady Q making a wide berth around his old nemesis %Guinan% until he was safety on bar stool territory. Then he sighed. "I can see it now, Lady Q. Us Q will get a ticker tape parade in New York down Fifth avenue for ridding the world of the diabolical conspirators of Section 31 singlehandedly."

"Oh come off it." the usually mild %Guinan%  
sniped making all five Q jump in their seats.  
"I didn't see any Q butt down there inside the moon blowing up that long distance transporter.."

"We can't act, Barmaid. Haven't you seen what happened to my son at the homecoming party?  
He was turned a human in a flash for the tiniest infraction." Q sniffed.

Quince held up a hand. "Ah, Q, ..e-heh.  
that was me...I...played a little joke on you,  
remember? I can still feel your hands around my--"

Guinan erupted.  
"Oohh. Stop even this infernal attitude concerning interference in human matters. I'm totally sick of it. It's enough to even get me to break my Word about the Bartending Truce."

All five Q moused down and began to creep out of their seats, by sinking down behind the bar.

"Oh cut that out. I was only kidding. Q-battling with words from my end is legal. But it really does irk me that you all galavant about wherever you please bugging my human fr--"

Behind the ship personnel, eight newly picked up people used a random eddy of Nexus mist to slip away from the area unseen. No person caught them.

But one canine nose noticed the change.  
Voyager's irish setter lowered her muzzle and sniffed the floor where the man Chakotay was yelling at used to be and began to worry.

Molly shook her head when the Nexus refused to let her whine so she went over to Janeway's table to get her attention. She reared up onto the table Kirk, Picard and her owner were using until her feet pushed platters and drinks into a pile with her paws.

"Hey. hey. hey. Down girl. " Janeway laughed.  
"Excuse me gentlemen while I speak to my dog." She leaned down. "Molly. If you're hungry,  
just think of one big juicy steak and it'll be yours the moment you do. This duck.. is ours."  
Janeway shoed her away firmly.

Molly glanced once at the three captains in happy loud conversation before heading for someone a little less inclined to socialize to the point of distraction. She aimed for Seven of Nine.  
"What is it? Some game you wish me to play?"

Molly took her hand in her teeth, leading her and showed the woman the empty place where exAdmiral Komach use to be and seven other empty bar chairs along the bar.

Seven of Nine tapped her combadge and said,  
"Seven to Janeway. Komach is no longer nearby. I don't know where he is.. Molly noticed this a short time ago judging by her reactions."

Janeway looked up at %Guinan% and asked her. "%Guinan.%.."

But the woman was so deep in proving her point to the Q that she only noticed Captain Janeway after she called out a second time.  
%Guinan! % Where did you stash our favorite turncoat admiral?" she said with a grin.

The Q fired up bar hostess tilted her elegant head. "Nowhere. Last I knew, the Commander was speaking to him over by the 2,946th chair right there." she said of Chakotay.

"He is not where he was..." Seven elaborated.  
"This canine has just confirmed it."

Guinan was silent for a long while. "Oh no."

That alarmed more than one crewmember nearest her and they shot to their feet.  
Janeway began snapping orders. "Janeway to every available crewman within the sound of my voice. Komach and others are out of our eyeshot. Locate them immediately. Seven others who might be Komach's cadre are with him. Move out.  
Now." she said urgently.

The EMH spoke up. "%Guinan.% You have the best understanding of the Ribbon. Can't you just wish them back here?"

The hostess looked worried and shook her head fractionally.

Seven hypothesized the reason why she was powerless.  
"They have learned how to use the Nexus's effect of providing for any need. As such, they are on the equal level of the Q as long as they're inside of it."

The black furred spy who was not a cat grew twice her size as she fluffed out her coat in impatience.  
"You know, you are slightly smarter than I expected for a part Borg. Did that just come to you or did your fiery ship captain here give you some clues?"

"Isis!!" Neelix said mortified.

"What?" she meowed. "I don't like having to bristle any more than you do. But this dream world's got one big nightmare in it I don't want to dream anymore! ...Komach.."

Several tense minutes passed.

Then Enterprise, Pathfinder and Voyager crew regrouped back at the glowing bar.  
"It seemed the perfect cure all, this place, " Janeway said of the Ribbon around them. "But it's clear we've underestimated just how quickly our renegade guests could adapt to it."

She straightened, closed her eyes even as she felt Chakotay and Tuvok and Harry come to stand by her side and thought real hard.  
::I wish to have Komach and Section 31's loyalists nearby.::

She opened her eyes.

Nothing had happened.

And Janeway was immediately afraid that the gentle Nexus was now obeying a stronger sense of will than that of the Q or her own people.

::And that's bad. Real bad.:: she thought.

-  
(attachments)  
Image: Q's son and Q in sickbay.

Image: Q and Quince.  
Image: Amanda Q smiling.

Image: Janeway with an Irish Setter pup.

Gif: A screen bar reading Red Alert.

Image: Pink smoke boiling down a jeffries tube making a hideous face, growling at you.

From : "patti keiper" Subject : Into the Sunset... Date : Tue, 01 Jan 2002 00:00:02 +0000

Komach motioned to his men without making a sound. He turned toward the front view of the Nexus until he could feel daylight on his face. "I knew I could count on Starfleet to enlist the power of the Nexus to deal with us. That little girl who spoke with me showed me exactly what I needed to know.." and he thought back to that pivotal moment.

I (Naomi Wildman) kneeled and gave Komack a big hug. I forgive you for everything. Just dont do it again.

And I flew out of his bad dream showing him that he could make what he wanted to happen now.

::She made something impossible, possible.::

ExAdmiral Komach had a feral look in his eye that was new. Losing to the Starfleeters had unhinged his mind in a way even he did not yet realize. His voice grew quieter and quieter as he spoke, "Janeway miscalculated bringing me here. She doesn't know my ultimate joy. And that joy is to have ultimate power. There's an old saying that knowledge is power, well, I learned something today gentlemen and I learned it from watching a mere child." "Listen to me... In the Nexus, evil has the ultimate power because whatever I can imagine, I can create... And the Nexus is so blind....it has no concept of good and evil, being plastic to whatever minds it samples. I don't think I like %Guinan's% theme. I mean, whoever heard of a salmon pink fogbank delivering absolute and utter joy to those milling about in it? Repulsive..."

He gestured and some of the ether hiding them from the searchers formed into a slender steel cylinder about twenty meters long, angled towards the hungry mouth of the Nexus mounted on an unusual frame.

::Nothing like an annoying Nexus undermining my hard work of years squashing Starfleet ideals.. If Earth is to be made rid of the "undesirable elements" in her society for convenience sake, then I'll be more than happy divesting her of those who created those problems in the first place, how about taking out her entire population boys..."

One of the Section 31 rebels paled. "Wait a minute. You said we'd ditch Earth for the Ribbon to make our getaway, and then to regroup the Section somewhere else. You never mentioned committing genocide. My mother's still down there...!"

Komach sent a nightmare into the man's brain and he crumpled under the mental onslaught. The six others hesitated in their anger.. shifting nervously on their feet. The ex admiral said one word. "Run..." and he made the blackness from his soul smother the peaceful mist in the air, shooting towards the cadre of renegades.

They chose to flee, making Komach's mental takeover of the Ribbon complete.

Komach pressed a few glowing buttons on the device he created from his mind and it began to hum. ::Ah, Professor Soran. I may not be Q who can stop this wish making beast, but I learned closely from you. A stampede can always be misdirected. Your research shows exploding stars turn Phantom Ribbons quite nicely.::

And he fired the sun eating missile directly at Sol.

::Like killing two birds with one stone. Earth dies and the bad guy gets away on his magic carpet. How perfect can it get?:: And his insane laughter filled the entire length of the Nexus.

-------------------------------------

The searching parties stopped in place as Komach's voice echoed around them, coming from all directions.

"Is he laughing?" Barclay asked nervously.

Janeway turned to %Guinan% who was armed with her Golden Gun. "Can't we clear away this mist at all?"

%Guinan% didn't understand. "How can you change the way something naturally is?"

Kirk "There's always an alternative ...available." he insisted, throwing his hands wide, trying to peer about in the sweet mist around them.

Scotty snorted. "Sorry to say..that only worked on your bridge Captain Kirk. I've seen nae the luck of it since..I was rescued from my transporter buffer loop."

Then it happened.

The tunneling mouth of the Nexus, showing the Ribbon's arc away from the Earth it just swept, dimmed into a muddy charcoal and the outer margins of the Nexus...rippled.

"What was that..? Show me!!" Janeway willed it. A tiny shift in the view showed the sun... going dark.

Isis freaked out. "Just like Gary Seven's ill fated sunbath. Just like that day... It's coming." her whiskers quivered, "A super nova!!" she wailed slipping in and out of many animal forms as her fear made her lose control of her shape.

Captain Picard turned to Barclay. "How long?"

"About eight point four min--" Reg was about to speak when a hideous jolt flung everyone to the "ground." and the Nexus groaned as it shifted course in response to the nearby catastrophic collapse of Earth's star.

B'Elanna screamed as Miral was thrown out of Owen Paris's arms as the older man fell. She landed in a heap against a margin of the captain's booth.

Dr. Bashir and the EMH went to the man while Captain Janeway fell to her knees and gently turned the stricken baby over. Cradling her near, Janeway could feel weak, bubbling breaths on her cheek. "I will not allow this to happen!!" she cried as they slowed.

But the Nexus was obeying the edict of the star's death and all wishes were being nulled instantly and finally.

"Do something!! Do something!! Stop it all!!" Naomi Wildman cried out. "Mommy I'm scared."

Captain Janeway handed the infant over to the EMH and his care. "Watch her. We'll try to find a medkit for you.." she gasped. "The ships are still inside." she said looking deeper into the murk behind them. "If we could just get to them.."

James Kirk "Guinan..!"

%Guinan's% eyes held the sorrow of a whole doomed world. "My powers aren't working any more. I'm so sorry. There's nothing I can do..."

"Awww. Too bad.." Q muttered. He seemed uneffected by the horrific events plaguing the humans.

"Yeah, what rotten luck.." Lady Q said standing near him. They were leaning casually on each other's shoulders for support so they could stand upright through the buckling rumbles shaking the Ribbon.

"I don't believe you two!" %Guinan% spat. "Here your favorite race is about to be destroyed and you're offering flip comments! How about flinging some Q power around instead of just standing there watching things end?!"

Q blinked mildly. "Now you know as well as I do. If me and my compatriots use even so much as a pico of Q power, we're instant graduates of the shallow end of the gene pool, remember?"

Guinan threw up her elegant hands, "Oh. And that fear of being de-evolved by your all too precious Continuum will make you let every soul on earth die? How pathetic.."

Quince meanwhile in the background felt a peculiar sensation. Something that was very alien to his nature as he watched an old enemy and an old friend square off in argument.

::It never ends does it?:: a small bit of him sighed. He looked around the bar, seeing the fragile humans and the cat and dogs twitching fear and heard the baby squawling. Her approaching death discolored the Nexus around them, making it go black above her head as she waned.

Again Quince regarded his colleague and nemesis posture at each other.

Q said, "I'm not stopping this, I got a son and mate to think about.. who do you think I am??"

Something flashed in Quince. Something deep and profound and he came between %Guinan% and Q, pushing them apart. The fair haired Q stared at his collegiate buddy Q. "That's the question here isn't it." he asked eagerly. "My god... Who ARE you?" and he whirled at Amanda and Lady Q, staring them full in the face with an expression that couldn't be identified. "Who are we?"

Q2 blinked. "...what?"

"Who the h*ll are Q anyway? Are we all just one? Each by ourselves or are we many, doing as one? Why didn't I see this before..? Does the Continuum define us or do we define the Continuum?" Quince.

Q tilted a sharp look. "You need some serious down time my boy. Perhaps afterwards....."

Quince gripped Q's arm and began to squeeze it tightly. "I....am going to save them...." he said softly. "I.. am going....to save.......them ALL."

A look of utter horror crossed Q's face. "Do you want to die?!! You're mad. The instant you move you'll be a human. Or, worse yet.. You could become like Quinn, my old teacher for whom Kathy won mortality. And look where he ended up." his mouth gaped in amusement. "Languishing on some sickbay bed with an incurable Nogage hemlock coursing through his veins. He's quite dead my friend. Dead forever..."

"Ah, but that's not my fate if I act, now is it? Quinn only died. And with your help, I might add. He never had the guts to...live..Q. I do. That's the answer.. That's the answer for all Q. To stop the endless boredom we're facing, we have to live again as we once did. Everything comes full circle.. And if that means de-evolving back into human form, then so be it. " Quince said, shrugging off Q's hand as he watched the missile get closer and closer to the coronosphere. "I for one, have no stomach for the way we live right now any more."

"You're a fool, Q" Q said to his counterpart.

"Perhaps so. But survival is what drives any species. Even ours. Haven't you wondered why you find Janeway so intriguing? Or why you love testing Picard and his crew? Maybe there's a reason why all of us have been so fascinated with these starships. We instinctively know that humans are living in a form that's critical for any possible future for us Q as a race. Nature culls unfit species. And believe me, our way of life has created plenty of enemies. We must become like everyone else in this galaxy or be driven out. Q, we must follow their lead in order to save ourselves. Don't you remember that quality we were told to discover about these humans? It's just dawned on me. And I think I'm beginning to find it in myself. Its compassion."

"I'll report you to the Highest Assessment Order, Quince, for treatment. Anyone can get infected by prey. Happens all the time." Q said. "Remember? I learned that lesson from you from the Calamarain."

"You can't threaten me. I'm not buying it, Q. Move aside." Quince said, getting in eyeline with the shrinking husk of the sun so he was in prime finger snapping range.

"Quince.. I won't let you."

"Oh, As if you're going to stop me.. Wife and child you claimed."

"Palmsies for it.." Q said suddenly.

Lady Q was shocked. "Q! You are not going to do the same stupid.."

They ignored her..

Quince agreed. "Best one million and one out of two."

Q and Quince played the fastest scissor papers stones in galactic history over who would draw the short stick.

"Hurry!!!" Neelix begged. "All those nice people...some whom I've never met." then he mumbled to himself. "I haven't met any of them so far.."

"I win!!!" Quince said as his scissors cut Q's chosen paper.

At the moment, Sol went nova....

In an instant..Quince put it in slo mo reverse before the shockwave destroyed Earth and before the Nexus was shoved deeply into the Galactic Void.

He healed Miral and vaporized Komach and all his lackies before the finger snap ended.

Then Quince gasped as something was taken away. He fell to his knees and Data was there to catch him. "Q? Are you injured..."

Quince swallowed a few times as he worked his new, suddenly mortal mouth.. "I- I'm afraid its much worse than that, android man.."

The EMH aimed a tricorder at Quince's torso. "You're not registering so much as a superficial laceration..Q. You're fine... Good solid heartbeat. Shedding skin cells... Human."

Q and Lady Q and Amanda and Q2 backed away from Quince as if he were covered in the plague. "Eeooww."

"Then why do I feel.. so.... bad?" Quince said.

"Nothing of the kind, Quince." %Guinan% said giving him a hand up to a bar stool. "You're all good. Welcome to the human race.."

And she placed a delicate, layered fruitty drink in front of him.

Quince cringed, suspecting a trap but it just sat there looking very tastey. "W- What is this?"

"A tequila sunrise... felt it was appropriate for the occasion." the hostess replied.

Every one around groaned at the horrible pun.

The joke was beyond Quince who was still in mental shock. "Why?"

"Don't you get it?" she elaborated.."Because you saved the sun and it's morning.. Look..." And she pointed at the clock hanging over the bar. It read twelve midnight exactly. "So enjoy your drink. It's on the house.." and she sighed a great sigh.."Guess this means we can't be eternal bloody rivals any more.."

"Why not?" Quince said, peering into his glass of layered color and at something else at the bottom that he couldn't identify.

"It wouldn't be fair. I'm far stronger now than you are.. Put it there..." and she offered him an arm to wrestle in jest.

Quince tucked his human hands into his lap. "Ohhh no.. But you know one thing..You El Auriens are all the same. You always got to have the last word."

"Yep."

Neelix next to them was practically bubbling over at the seams. "Well aren't you going to try it? I've read about this Earth drink. It's good. But we don't expect you to eat the worm though."

"That's a worm floating there at the bottom?" Quince fought down nausea.

Scotty took sympathy and handed him a decantor of gray leather, "Here laddie.. maybe you'd like this instead.."

"What is it?"

Montgomery gave it a good appraising sniff. "It's ah,... it's ah...it's green."

-------------------------------------------

A subtle brightening of the mist in the air attracted young attention as the Nexus shifted, aiming at something smelling very alive and damp.

"Look!! Look! What's that?!" Naomi pointed to the ahead view of the slowing Nexus.

"That," Neelix said.. "I believe... is the heart of the Amazon Rainforest Reserve." He added selfconsciously when Tuvok confirmed his guess, "Well, I... I did some studying up during my Voyager days. In case I'd ...ever have a chance to....serve as Talaxian ambassador to Earth..."

"It's so green.." the tiny captain's assistant said in innocent wonder.

"Yes. The green of home.." Chakotay said. And he made the delicate flutes of champagne from earlier appear for all those crew gathering again by the bar. "May the sun's light never leave the sacred ground for as long as stars burn in the sky."

"I'll toast to that any day..." Janeway said, and she lifted her flute of Vulcan nectar high. "Care to join me?" she said to her friends and family surrounding her.

SEE IMAGES below

"Here's to the end of a long, long journey." and she met the eyes of Enterprise, Voyager, Pathfinder and Q beings alike. "May we each find our way to where we most want to be with all God's speed,..... Beginning.....Now."

The Nexus Ribbon instantly gave them what they wished in the space of a single human heart beat.

It kept a single passenger with it however, someone of small significance, whose eventual passing would hardly leave a ripple in the affairs of the universe.

Quince.

"Come on .. I've got only a lifetime to live and everywhere to go. Let's get crackin.."

%Guinan% smiled as she poured him a drink. "Patience, Q. You're human now. Patience is something my kind can teach you."

"There you go again. Always ending conversations."

"Really?"

"See! You did it again."

"What?"

"Said the last word."

"Oh."

"Stop it."

"Why?"

"Just to be nice."

"Ok."

"Ugh. I think I'm going to go......over there.."

"Fine."

"Right."

"Bye."

"Bye."

Quince and Guinan went in opposite directions, maintaining their classic feud in prime style just for honor's sake.

The Nexus was seen by Earth's longest range sensors for another nanosecond.

And then.....it was gone.

-  
(attachments)

Banner: Are you crazy for Star Trek? with ships.

Image: Janeway and Chakotay standing inside a rain of confetti.  
Image: Voyager series mosaic . Caption reads-  
Goodbye Star Trek Voyager and then the dates of its reign on the airwaves.  
Image: The Nexus Ribbon.

Image : Q smirking at the camera with Quince over head.  
*animated gif* - Voyager caught inside inside the Nexus wave, being swept away.  
Gif: A computer created bridge with Kate, Jeri and Roxann TV cast grinning out of character in their uniforms with a caption saying Just Wanted to Say Thank You .... like a greeting card.

ENDGAME YEAR 2001

Host Owner Voyagerliveaction...

"It's been great folks.  
Just think. We are beginning year THREE next. .Hehehe..." 


End file.
